Local Living Tours & Trips in New Zealand

Join Angie and Stan Taylor, retired farmers, for a Be My Guest afternoon tea at their Lake Tekapo home and hear authentic stories about life on the land. Take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® jet boat ride down the Waiau River to Lake Manapouri, where your participation supports conservation work on Pomona Island's flora and fauna restoration. Cruise Lake Wakatipu aboard the historic TSS Earnslaw steamship, then have a traditional barbecue dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm.

Cruise across the World Heritage-listed Milford Sound/Piopiotahi past towering waterfalls and sheer escarpments, spotting fur seals in their natural habitat within Fiordland National Park. Ride the well-known TranzAlpine train from Christchurch through Arthur's Pass, crossing viaducts with views of snow-capped Southern Alps peaks and icy rivers. See the Church of the Good Shepherd at turquoise Lake Tekapo before trying an Indoor Dark Sky Astronomy session, then check out Dunedin's grand Larnach Castle and sample craft lagers at the national institution Speight's Brewery.

Start in Wellington at Mount Victoria with 360-degree harbour views, then head to Te Papa Museum to see the extraordinary Māori artefacts collection. In Rotorua's geothermal valley at Te Puia, you'll see the Pohutu Geyser erupt and have hangi-inspired cuisine in the finely carved Te Aronui a Rua meeting house. At Waitangi Treaty Grounds, local descendants of original signatories share the 1840 treaty's significance to New Zealanders.