Help with nz tours please?

[aussie down under]

:) Could anybody help with planning a shore tour whilst in new zealand? I was hoping to incorporate horse riding and a jetboat ride at christchurch. We are cruising on the sapphire princess 9/01/07 from sydney to auckland.

Thankyou,

Michele:)

[ozland]

Check out this site. Just scroll through til you get to Christchurch. There are other links in there.

 

http://www.thepreismans.com/

[ErinH1]

Michele,

Have you seen this web site:

http://www.leisuretours.co.nz/tour.aspx?ID=CLT10

Sounds like they have both activities that you're looking for.

Horse riding sounds very fun to me, but I don't think my husband would go for it!

[aussie down under]

:) Hi Erin,

Thankyou for the website, will give them a call. I am surprised Richard is willing to go horseriding, Mikaela loves horses and I am tentative but willing! Jetboat ride will be fantastic though.

Regards,

Michele

[terry&mike]

My husband & I just returned on Nov. 11th from a 2 week cruise from Auckland, NZ to Sydney, Australia, although we sailed on the Statendam. I assume most of the ports are similar. We arranged a great private tour through Ian at Mt Classic tours in Tauranga/Rotorua. Our guide was Odette and she was very friendly and efficient. We did a jetboat ride at this port and had a blast, I think the place Odette took us was called Longridge Farms. In Christchurch you'll probably want to spend the day just exploring the town, as it is a lovely old english town filled with leafy avenues, shops and a lovely river, even a cable car.

[KiwiIan]

:) Could anybody help with planning a shore tour whilst in new zealand? I was hoping to incorporate horse riding and a jetboat ride at christchurch. We are cruising on the sapphire princess 9/01/07 from sydney to auckland.

Thankyou,

Michele:)

Hi Michele, thats an easy one. We have a great Jet Boat ride close to the port of tauranga at Longridge Park, its about a 30 minute drive [slow]. Also one of the best horsback treats would be to ride through the surf along one of NZ's most beautiful beaches at Maketu [the first landing site for the Arawa tribe. this is just 15 minutes from Longridge. Can add in some other stops if you want locally or also get over to Rotorua for some geothermals and maori stuff. [its just another 30 minutes further on . If you want some details info just ask, Odette is one of our team mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. Regards Ian [Tauranga]

[aussie down under]

:) Hi Ian,

That sounds good. We are actually spending day at Maketu with my hubbys family, details would be much appreciated. We are staying in auckland post cruise and driving back to rotorua for the day/night to fit everything in we want to do and see,with no time frame having to get back to the boat. Thankyou very much.

Michele:)

[aussie down under]

:) Hi terry and mike,

Thankyou for your reply, much appreciated. How did you enjoy your cruise? How was the trip across the Tasman? Best wishes,

Michele:)

[KiwiIan]

:) Hi Ian,

That sounds good. We are actually spending day at Maketu with my hubbys family, details would be much appreciated. We are staying in auckland post cruise and driving back to rotorua for the day/night to fit everything in we want to do and see,with no time frame having to get back to the boat. Thankyou very much.

Michele:)

Thats easy, your family should be able to help out with all the arrangements, Briars Horse treks are at Maketu so they will know her. Longridge is about 10 minutes away. If you need to reach me just follow the banner AD at the top of this page. Regards ian

[aussie down under]

:) Hi Ian,

Thankyou for your help. Much appreciated.

Regards,

Michele:)

[terry&mike]

We enjoyed our cruise a great deal. Lots of beautiful scenery, and some really great little towns. The trip across the Tasman Sea was a bit rocky, and after 2 days of this we were certainly ready to see a port.

[cheeso]

We were wondering if Kiwi Ian had any suggestions for a samll group of 4 adults and 2 children (10 &11) for the port of Tauranga. we are travelling Sydney to Auckland on 24/03/07. It asppears that collectively for the price of all of us booking one of the ships excursions we may do beter privately. What do you suggest? Can you help?

CathB

[terry&mike]

You will do much better with Ian and his group than with the ship's tours, and you will love working with them. We spent an entire day with a member of his team, and it is one of the highlights of our trip. Your kids will really enjoy the Jet Boat and probably the geysers and thermal mud pools too.

[MVPinBoynton]

I have been out of town and not able to reply sooner, but it sounds like you have already gotten some great advice. The best day of our cruise was in Tauranga and it was because we were on a Mount Classic tour. A link to their website is on the top of this page.

[aussie down under]

:) Thanks Mike, great photos. Appreciate your response. We cannot wait for sailing, seeing your photos makes it seem more real! I feel like a little kid waiting for santa to come!

Best wishes,

Michele, Richard and Mikaela:)

[SwKnight]

Hi Michele, thats an easy one. We have a great Jet Boat ride close to the port of tauranga at Longridge Park, its about a 30 minute drive [slow]. Also one of the best horsback treats would be to ride through the surf along one of NZ's most beautiful beaches at Maketu [the first landing site for the Arawa tribe. this is just 15 minutes from Longridge. Can add in some other stops if you want locally or also get over to Rotorua for some geothermals and maori stuff. [its just another 30 minutes further on . If you want some details info just ask, Odette is one of our team mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. Regards Ian [Tauranga]

 

Ian ole buddy -

 

What is your RECOMMENDED best tour offered when we get off the Sapphire Princess on April 4th, 2007, 5:30 am to 7:30 pm? We are adventurous; but not into HORSES (last one I rode was [unknown to me] a champion jumper who did not WANT to get beat by his champion quarter horse speedster. MINE took every hedge and and fence by JUMPING [read me clinging on to the saddle horn for dear life most of the time in the air] to beat his horse buddy. I was 17 at the time - 45 years ago! And a lot lighter, too) .

 

Please - Recommend a site to sign up also. I'll still buy you THAT drink I promised before boarding - Steve & Liz

 

http://www.steveknightbooks.com

[KiwiIan]

Ian ole buddy -

 

What is your RECOMMENDED best tour offered when we get off the Sapphire Princess on April 4th, 2007, 5:30 am to 7:30 pm? We are adventurous; but not into HORSES (last one I rode was [unknown to me] a champion jumper who did not WANT to get beat by his champion quarter horse speedster. MINE took every hedge and and fence by JUMPING [read me clinging on to the saddle horn for dear life most of the time in the air] to beat his horse buddy. I was 17 at the time - 45 years ago! And a lot lighter, too) .

 

Please - Recommend a site to sign up also. I'll still buy you THAT drink I promised before boarding - Steve & Liz

 

http://www.steveknightbooks.com

Hi Steve

 

Whats the best tour to do [well i cant say that on the CC board without getting my knuckles rapped but just check out the banner ad on this page].

 

Leaving horses aside, if you still want some fun stuff to go alongside the usual sights then heres a few options.

 

Jet Boating [see the Priesmens and Terry & Mikes comments]

White water rafting [extreme grade 5 so maybe i bit much]

Black water rafting [google that plus Waitomo and you should find out more]

Scenic flights in usual loght planes, helicopters, Vietnam vets helicopter, warbirds, floatplanes, lots of choices.

4x4 off road driving.

Skydiving [both from plane and also over a wind machine]

Trout fishing.

Golf [both these can be combined with other activities and the group split if not all want to do the same things].

5 star luxury lodge experience [$80 pp lunch in a $2000 per night lodge]

Geothermals and maori culture.

 

All [or some of ] the abvove can be put together into a great day out, both from Tauranga or any other NZ port of call.

 

Track me down and we can see what we can create for you.

 

Regards

 

Ian [Tauranga]

[KiwiIan]

We were wondering if Kiwi Ian had any suggestions for a samll group of 4 adults and 2 children (10 &11) for the port of Tauranga. we are travelling Sydney to Auckland on 24/03/07. It asppears that collectively for the price of all of us booking one of the ships excursions we may do beter privately. What do you suggest? Can you help?

CathB

Hi Cath, i am sure we can, look forward to hearing from, regards Ian [Tauranga]