Australia, New Zealand Tour Review: Sydney, Wanaka, Milford Sound, Culture, History, Nature, Hiking, 18-Day Trip

We planned this trip around a wedding in Sydney, Australia, followed by an adventure to explore the highlights of New Zealand. We were unable to find a group tour that fit the wedding date and our timeline to explore, and did not want to plan this trip on our own. We opted to work with Zicasso, who put us in touch with this travel company.

Our Zicasso tour agent effectively interpreted our travel preferences and prepared an itinerary that resulted in a wonderful adventure overall. He was flexible regarding our special requests and responsive to our questions throughout the pre-trip period. We were treated to much of the beauty of New Zealand, as well as a variety of activities and cultural experiences. The activities were well suited to our interests and abilities. The transfers were prompt, professional, pleasant, and informative. The accommodations were generally first-rate.

There were, however, a few drawbacks, listed below.

Generally, the lack of an onsite guide left room for mistakes, misinterpretation, and discrepancies in the itinerary.

There were a number of back-and-forth emails to clarify conflicting information about what was needed for the glacier hike prior to the trip. This was ultimately resolved before the trip.

A paper copy of the itinerary, maps, and information was left for us at the hotel in Sydney. Unfortunately, we did not receive it until we checked out. The onus was on the staff of the hotel. However, this demonstrates the risk of mistakes that can result from this type of trip planning.

The tour bus to Milford Sound did not have a glass roof (that would have enhanced viewing) as expected per the itinerary.

The travel app indicated we were to stay at a hotel in Wanaka with a lake-view room. However, when we attempted to check in, no room was assigned to us. Another look at the paper itinerary indicated we were actually booked at another hotel. This was the one accommodation we found to be sub-par. We had a second-floor, walk-up room (thankfully we have no mobility issues) next to a busy road, with a parking-lot view of a tour bus, and the phone to the front desk did not work. There was a power failure while we tried to use the hot tubs. The hotel did not match the level of other accommodations provided throughout our travels.

The travel app indicated an 8am departure for our cruise and nature hike on Lake Wanaka; the paper itinerary indicated a 9am start. Fortunately, we called the tour company to ask about parking and they were able to alert us to the correct start time of 9am.

Our return flight out of Auckland was scheduled for 1.20pm. Both the travel app and paper itineraries indicated a hotel pick-up time of 6.05am. This did not seem right, so we called the transport company, which concurred that a later pick-up time of 10am allowed for plenty of time to check in for our flight, which it did.

Perhaps communication could be cleaned up to avoid the things we experienced. Double-/triple-check itineraries in the app and hard copies? Consider mailing hard copies of itineraries in advance. The cost might outweigh the negative episodes noted above. Perhaps create an email and/or text alert for any unforeseen changes that occur after itineraries are finalized?