Picton Wine HOHO - Any Reviews?

[azbirdmom]

I've searched this board as well as the Australia New Zealand cruiser threads to no avail.  We will be cruising to New Zealand in December and while looking at various tours in Picton I found a wine HOHO https://hoponhopoffwinetours.com/maps/marlborough-cruise-ship/ /  .  I checked Trip Advisor and the reviews are mixed but there aren't many reviews out there.  So I thought I'd come here to ask.  It looks like a nice mix of stops, much better than any of the excursions offered by Princess.  We have been to Picton with Princess before and wine tasting in the morning with 50 other people just doesn't appeal to us.  Hoping someone here has actually done the HOHO and can provide input.  Thanks in advance!

Edited July 19, 2023 by azbirdmom

[azbirdmom]

Thought I'd update my post with an actual review.  No one ever responded but we took a chance and booked this tour.  Very glad we did.  It was a fantastic way to spend the day.  We ended up hopping off at Omaka (beat the Princess tours there and practically had a private tour of the WWII section with a very knowledgeable volunteer) and Wither Hills (wine tasting and lunch).  We chose to stay on the bus enjoying the scenery for the rest of the route.

 

The busses were prompt and we didn't have any problems getting on them nor did anyone get turned away at any of the stops.

 

We booked in advance but the HOHO sales booth is right across the street from where the Princess shuttle drops passengers off and most of their business seems to be walk up.  There were a fair number of ships entertainers taking the bus too and it seemed to be a popular choice for the young folks, actually for any age.  Great way to see Marlborough on your own.

[Yehootu]

18 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

It was a fantastic way to spend the day.  We ended up hopping off at Omaka (beat the Princess tours there and practically had a private tour of the WWII section with a very knowledgeable volunteer) and Wither Hills (wine tasting and lunch).  We chose to stay on the bus enjoying the scenery for the rest of the route.

We booked this for April as a way to get to Omaka. The rules section cracked me up about kicking off intoxicated riders and the mandatory clean up fee. We're looking at the Museum and 2-3 breweries. Mahalo for the review.

[azbirdmom]

1 hour ago, Yehootu said:

We booked this for April as a way to get to Omaka. The rules section cracked me up about kicking off intoxicated riders and the mandatory clean up fee. We're looking at the Museum and 2-3 breweries. Mahalo for the review.

 

Yes, doing this even if just to get to Omaka is a more economical way to get there than the Princess excursion.  They didn't have to kick anyone off our busses thankfully!  LOL.  And if you're talking about the Marlborough Museum they told us it was closed indefinitely (maybe labor disputes??).  Hopefully that will be all sorted out before you get there.

[possum52]

2 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

Yes, doing this even if just to get to Omaka is a more economical way to get there than the Princess excursion.  They didn't have to kick anyone off our busses thankfully!  LOL.  And if you're talking about the Marlborough Museum they told us it was closed indefinitely (maybe labor disputes??).  Hopefully that will be all sorted out before you get there.

According to the Museum website - Marlborough Museum is temporarily closed while a transfer of ownership takes place. The Archives remain open by appointment only. July 2023

 

I also found this article - Marlborough Museum Closure and this one which is more up to date - Closure of Marlborough Museum

[azbirdmom]

16 minutes ago, possum52 said:

According to the Museum website - Marlborough Museum is temporarily closed while a transfer of ownership takes place. The Archives remain open by appointment only. July 2023

 

I also found this article - Marlborough Museum Closure and this one which is more up to date - Closure of Marlborough Museum

Thank you for sharing.  From the brief comments the bus driver made it sounded like it had been closed for quite a while and that things were a mess!

[possum52]

9 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

Thank you for sharing.  From the brief comments the bus driver made it sounded like it had been closed for quite a while and that things were a mess!

The museum has been closed since the end of June I believe. Which is a shame for both visitors and the locals.

[Yehootu]

We want to go to the Omaka Aviation heritage centre.