3 Day 2 Night New Zealand’s South Southern Highlights Tour

Absolutely a must book for your trip to the South Island!

The 3 day/2 night tour was the absolute highlight of our trip to New Zealand! It was so wonderful to know that we just had to show up and everything was booked and arranged for us. This was our first tour with Cheeky Kiwi - it exceeded all expectations and I cannot recommend this tour enough. Day 1 with Robb - this was our trip from Queenstown to Milford Sound and the scenery was fabulous. There was a bit of a miscommunication on our hotel pickup but Cheeky Kiwi handled it quickly and got us picked up without any issues. Robb had some great photo stops for us on our way to Milford Sound. They arranged our boat ride with Cruise Milford and we absolutely loved the boat and the captain/deckhand. There were other boats that were larger and could not get as close to the fiords as we could and there were also some smaller boats that looked a bit questionable but Cruise Milford was the perfect option. Cheeky Kiwi arranged a picnic lunch to bring onboard and that was perfect. (Tip: It is from the same cafe stop that you make at breakfast and included a sandwich, fruit, pastry and juice). After Milford Sound we made it to Te Anau. I will say I was not in love with the Distinction Hotel in Te Anau but being a smaller town with older accommodations it was fine. We enjoyed walking the town in the evening to find dinner. Day 2 with Jase/Jason - We were promptly picked up in Te Anau and made our way through Invercargill and the Caitlins to Dunedin. I wasn't sure what to expect with Day 2 based on the itinerary but it was absolutely magnificent. Jase is truly a gem and you can tell this is not just a job for him. He was so kind and an expert at what he does. The sights at the Southern Ocean were gorgeous and we enjoyed every minute of this day. Cheeky Kiwi - you truly have a rock star with this guide. We ended in Dunedin and the Distinction Hotel there was absolutely beautiful. The bed was so comfortable, a renovated room that included a washer and dryer in the bathroom. We walked a few blocks and found a great Mexican restaurant to enjoy dinner. We appreciated that pickup wasn't quite as early for Day 3 (: We did not eat at the restaurant on site but others on our tour did and said it was great. Day 3 - we started day 3 with a taxi ride (arranged by Cheeky Kiwi) to the train station. The Taieri Gorge Train ride was spectacular and the views were breathtaking. It's a lovely 2 hour ride to Pukerangi where a Cheeky Kiwi guide (Colin) was waiting for us. The train does have a catering company that had the best caramel slice and some amazing pastries and toasties. Colin brought us back to Queenstown with a few stops. I appreciated that the rest of day 3 was more relaxing after 2 days of busier travel. There is water and snacks provided in the vans and plenty of rest stops. There are also USB charging ports and wifi (when it's available). For some of the more remote areas of Fiordland and the Southern Ocean, there will not be wifi but you should be enjoying the views and not your phone anyway (: I absolutely cannot recommend this tour (and Cheeky Kiwi) enough. This was our first trip to NZ and it took all of the stress out of finding transportation, tour bookings and accommodations. Tip: This is actually 3 of their one way trips stacked together so you will have a new driver (and possibly new passengers) each day. Also, be sure to bring clothes for all seasons. We visited at the end of April and did find rain 2 of the 3 days but it made Milford Sound that much more amazing. We were able to leave our larger suitcases back at our accommodation before we started our tour so we only had to manage with a small suitcase each for the 3 days.

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Laughter & Beauty: Queenstown & beyond

We spent 3 days with Cheeky Kiwi. They were so much fun. Three unique, knowledgeable, fascinating, humorous drivers. Day 1 Jonathan (Queenstown to Dunedin) - had great stories & wonderful riddles. The train journey was great, especially because our conductor Craig gave our car a great history lesson. Day 2 Jason (Dunedin to Te Anau) - good sense of humor, lots of information about so many things, stories, & so much wildlife viewing. Day 3 Andy (Te Anau to Milford Sound to Queenstown) is also very informative, knowledgeable, and friendly. All-in-all, a great tour. We plan to continue to use Cheeky Kiwi, and highly recommend.

Response from the operator: Thank you - such lovely comments- we are so happy to see this about our guides. They work so hard to make your tours fun and enjoyable. Thank you for your feedback and we look forward to seeing you again.

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Endless highlights on this tour

If you are looking for the absolute best way to get around and see the southern half of the island, look no further! We had the most passionate guides (Joseph, Jason, and Jonathan) and every detail of the trip/itinerary was well planned out with excellent communication. We gained so much knowledge about the history, terrain, flora/fauna, and of course memories to last a lifetime. We never wanted it to end. We cannot wait until we can come back and see more of NZ with Cheeky Kiwi :)

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