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My travelling partner and I did the 7-day Southern Voyager Wild Kiwi Tour with Claudia from 6 – 13 January 2023, and I am honestly so depressed to be back home now, because this was one of the best to…My travelling partner and I did the 7-day Southern Voyager Wild Kiwi Tour with Claudia from 6 – 13 January 2023, and I am honestly so depressed to be back home now, because this was one of the best tours we’ve ever done.
Our first stop was in Franz Josef. I highly recommend the heli-hike up the Franz Josef Glacier, where you’ll be graced with breathtaking views. The walk itself is slow and not at all taxing, giving you plenty of time to take in your surroundings. Later that day, we did the 20,000 ft skydive (highest in the Southern Hemisphere). After freefalling 90 seconds through the sky, we were rewarded with phenomenal views of the glacier, ocean and forestry – where else could you find that?
Our next couple of days were in Queenstown, the adrenaline city. I’ve never been much of a thrill-seeker, but after our activities here, I have officially become an adrenaline junkie. We did the Nevis Bungy, Nevis Swing and paragliding. Some others in our group opted for alternative activities such as whitewater rafting, kayaking, ziplining and the Nevis Catapult. Regardless of which activities we chose, we all had an amazingly exhilarating day, followed up by a delicious burger at the lauded Fergburger and relentless partying.
We then headed to Milford Sound for a 1.5-hour cruise. We lucked into a temperate sunny day, which only heightened the experience. The beauty of Milford has to be seen to be understood; the pictures don’t do it justice. I’m only sorry that we didn’t get to spend more time there.
Our final destination before heading back to Christchurch was the gorgeous blue Lake Tekapo. If you’re after some R&R, laying back in the hot springs was a great rejuvenation.
The locations alone were enough to make the trip a worthwhile experience. However, what made the tour fantastic – indeed, what pushes any group tour from just good to excellent – is your tour guide. A big shout out to Clauds, who was professional, knowledgeable, passionate and fun! As we drove around the South Island, Clauds regaled us with interesting facts, history and legends. She organised extracurricular activities for each of us based on our preferences, and gave us her honest opinion on what was worthwhile and what wasn’t, which was valuable guidance. She was easily approachable, always available on the Whatsapp group chat to answer whatever questions we had, and was all-round a good-natured and lovely person. Clauds was even nice enough to drop us off individually at our hotels at the end of the tour, which was greatly appreciated.
Other small things that we liked: the tour bus was clean, spacious, and comfortable; breakfast staples included (if, unlike me, you wake up early enough for it!); and a group dinner. The size of our tour group was perfect at 12 people, making it easy to find like-minded people without it being too big and crowded.
This jam-packed tour was truly incredible. For the price, which is particularly reasonable, given it includes accommodation and travel, Wild Kiwi really delivered. We were fortunate enough to meet some amazing people along the way who we are glad to now call friends. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat. Thank you to Wild Kiwi and Claudia for this unforgettable experience.
It was an amazing experience! And Claud was such a lovely guide.