What our guests say

Ray and I have just completed the April tour. We were impressed with the organisation and professionalism of the staff, tour leaders and coach drivers. They made certain that we were all knew what we were about to experience and where to be at certain times! It was an amazing tour of South Island NZ. Many thanks to all, especially Lauren, Niki and Noah.

I had longed to go to New Zealand and when this tour showed up on my Facebook page I was intrigued! I loved the tour! The tour guides, all four of them, where wonderful and the itinerary was excellent. It provided a variety of activities and rail excursions that I found to be excellent. Being that I travelled by myself I was hopeful that I would meet some great people and I must tell you that everyone I met was wonderful. I had the privilege to meet three other women who were travelling solo and became good friends. I would recommend this tour to everyone!

Barry and I were lucky to be on the Sir Edmund Hillary tour. What a trip - cannot speak more highly of it and would recommend anyone to take it. I had not been to the South Island and was looking forward to enjoying the scenery and this tour gave me just that. Our guides were amazing and made a fantastic team. The trains made for an interesting inclusion to the itinerary and gave a different perspective to road travel. Highlight for me without a doubt was Mt Cook, it blew me away - could not imagine staying anywhere else but the Hermitage and what a treat having Peter Hillary give us a talk. All in all, a perfect holiday.

Highly recommend this tour, stunning scenery, quality accommodation & meals, mix of coach & train travel is excellent. The guides & drivers are professional, friendly & knowledgeable. The tour organization is faultless. 10 out of 10 in every aspect!!

Recommended for anybody… especially for 50+ crowd. The trains and excursions are really excellent. Our trip was truly best of our lives. I would do it all again.

I rate the trip 10 out of 10. The organisation and execution of the trip were excellent along with the top quality transport, accommodation, meals and experiences. Everyone on the team was welcoming, friendly, helpful and really informative. The places we went to and the scenery on the trip were outstanding - even the weather Gods smiled on us!

I was initially nervous that my hearing impairment would be a barrier, but soon realised that this was not a problem at all. Everyone made sure that I could hear them or helped out when I missed information. I have already recommended this trip to family, friends & even a stranger on the ferry & will continue to do so!

What a fabulous tour! A trip of a lifetime encompassing our love of trains. We meet some awesome tour mates and made some friends from overseas. The tour was professionally put together with excellent tour guides and leaders and nothing was too much trouble. Bucket list adventures all ticked off and the most gorgeous weather, we were spoilt.

Thanks again for the great trip and we will be recommending it to others. It was one of the best run tours I have every been on and I have been on quite a few! We have been to NZ several times and visited most of the places before but doing this as a group works really well and gave us a different insight to some of the places.

My overall experience was excellent - I enjoyed the trip so much, it certainly was "a trip of a lifetime". I would like to do it all again and I found that sentiment amongst fellow travellers. I would most certainly recommend the trip to friends and family. The included activities were excellent - every day was a highlight.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Sir Edmund Hilary Tour 13th – 22nd April 2023. The tour was very well organized with excellent tour guides and bus drivers. Enjoyed the train trips and watching enthusiastic people taking photos and waving wherever we went. Accommodation and meals were excellent. Loved all the places we visited and seeing how the South Island has changed in fifty years since I have travelled around NZ. We were very jealous of your beautiful country with everywhere so green. Cattle and sheep so healthy plus all the tractors we saw! We rate our holiday 10 out of 10. We would recommend the Sir Edmund Hilary Explorer Tour to our friends and family.

I did the tour in April 2023. It was a wonderful trip through stunning landscapes, conducted by expert guides with top notch accommodation and meals. The trains are relaxing and the scenery is panoramic. The staff go all out to make it happen seamlessly and have interesting stories to tell. It is very good value with no hidden extras and fair refunds if optional tours are cancelled by weather or other events.

This trip was one of the best I have ever been on! The crew were happy, knowledgeable and helpful but above all professional. The hotels were exceptional, the food excellent especially the breakfasts and dinners. I would be very happy to recommend your company and this trip in particular to anyone!

My overall experience was fantastic and I would and have recommended it to family and friends. Everything, the hotels, the food and places we visited were a great experience for me and I wasn't disappointed with anything! All of our tour personnel were friendly and helpful. The Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Tour is worth every single penny and I wish you all the best for next the one.

I enjoyed the unique method of travel. There is something special about travelling in a heritage train. I really enjoyed the ability to stand at the end of the carriage and watch the world roll by. We were very fortunate with the weather when visiting Mt Cook/Aoraki and that was a highlight for sure.

There are two words, both beginning with “f” that for me describe the Tour – fantastic and fabulous. I booked for the Tour back in June last year and from the initial contact right through to the time I walked back into my house on Friday 6 May there is absolutely nothing I could fault. I thought it was outstanding and I enjoyed every minute. I would certainly be interested in doing further trips with Pounamu.

Home again after a wonderful trip with the Pounamu Tourism Group. The planning that has been put into and executed by the staff is mind boggling. From the Tour Leader and his Support team to the Bus Drivers they all worked very hard to make it a holiday to remember. We only had to sit back and enjoy which we certainly did.