Age is just a number for Mr. Roy – his vacation to New Zealand

The team was curious to know how Mr. Roy managed to cover so many places on his vacation to New Zealand. He smiled and said “ Age is not how old I am. It is the number of years of fun I had. I would never say never to travel”

“We are really feeling part of your family already. Looking forward to many more such tours in the future.” – says this energetic and young senior citizen.

After retirement, I built a great interest in travelling around the world with my wife. And each time, I have done extensive research on the internet to choose the right travel company for my trip. I had tough conversations with almost all the companies. Nobody was patient enough to listen to my queries and answer them properly. Then I got to know about Pickyourtrail. Hands down, they have the best travel consultants who patiently listened to all my concerns and customized a beautiful itinerary according to my wish. I chose New Zealand because of its scenic beauty and pleasant climate.

Their team created a support group was available 24 hours of the day helping me out with any queries. It was very useful for us. They gave us a prompt response to all of our questions, which was really helpful. We even got timely updates a day prior which enabled us to plan our day better.

We covered almost the whole of Newzealand. Our itinerary included Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington, Kaikoura, Queenstown, Franz Josef, and Christchurch.

A day-wise account of our vacation to New Zealand

Day 1:

On our first day, we reached Auckland in the afternoon. There was absolutely no problem at the immigration or customs. A friendly young super shuttle driver dropped us at the hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed our flight. The Thai Airways flight via Bangkok was very comfortable and cozy.

Day 2:

The next day, after breakfast, we had a walk down to the SkyCity coach terminal. We were amazed by the sights of Auckland. The grandeur of Auckland Harbour Bridge, enjoying views of the Hauraki Gulf and City skyline simply made our day. Then we wrapped up our tour in the afternoon after visiting Auckland Domain, Viaduct Harbour, Auckland’s famous Queen Street, and Parnell Village.

Day 3:

Followed by the Auckland city tour, the next day we moved to Rotorua. On our way to Rotorua, we got to see the lush farmland of the Waikato and King country regions. Our experienced local driver guide provided commentary and pointed out highlights along the way. On arrival in the small town of Waitomo, we enjoyed a guided tour through the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a series of limestone caves formed over 30 million years ago. Rotorua was indeed fun-filled and enjoyable!

Day 4:

On our 4th day, we visited the naturally formed beauty, Taupo. A small town set beside New Zealand’s largest lake adorned with the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park looming in the distance, and the lake itself formed from an ancient volcanic crater.  We got to see the immense forces that shaped New Zealand up-close. 

Day 5 and 6:

The capital city surprised us with its charm and grandeur. Our guide helped us become acquainted with this lovely city. We headed to the Te Papa Museum. It was quite interesting and we got to know a lot about New Zealand’s history, unique treasures, and Maori culture. 

Day 7:

In Kaikoura, we took a comfortable scenic cruise and started our journey to watch the majestic Sperm Whales. That was the first time we enjoyed a marine experience. Then we continued down the picturesque east coast and reached the most beautiful city of New Zealand, Christchurch. Rightly called “garden city” of New Zealand, the city was shimmering with well-maintained gardens, majestic cliffs, and much more! We also paid a visit to the Canterbury Museum, the historic cathedral, and the botanic gardens. One should never miss Christchurch when in New Zealand.

Day 8 and 9:

We boarded the Tranzalpine train and experienced a fantastic journey through the Arthurs Pass. Both my wife and I will never forget this day. It was indeed one of the highlights in our vacation to New Zealand. We travelled past the soaring peaks and braided rivers of the Southern Alps, through the gorges of the Waimakariri River and the rolling Canterbury Plains. Post that we explored the beauty of Franz Josef Glacier.

Day 10, 11 and 12:

On our way to Queenstown, we stopped our vehicle at Lake Matheson. My wife and I walked for 20 minutes along the lake. The peace and tranquillity that the place offered will be in our memory book forever. The reflected views of the Southern Alps on the surface of the lake was awesome! We also witnessed the cascading waterfalls, broad alpine meadows, craggy snowcapped mountains, and the turquoise depths of the Blue Pools. Then we arrived at Queenstown, the adventure capital. 

On our Day 3 in Queenstown, we headed to the Milford Sound via Te Anau. The scenery was exceptional, ranging from broad grassy flats, dense forest, and towering mountains. Rainforest, soaring rock walls, towering snow-capped mountains, cascading waterfalls, hanging valleys, and wildlife just made our day.

Day 13:

Our trip ended with the Mount cook marvel. The alpine scenery was simply like an oil painting in front of our eyes. Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki were glittering with sunshine on it. With the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd, the sights of the spectacular Southern Alps and Canterbury Plains, we wrapped up our memorable trip.

The Pickyourtrail experience

Team Pickyourtrail did an awesome job of crafting a beautiful New Zealand travel packages and making our vacation to New Zealand a memorable one. The most important factor about PYT is, their friendly and helpful suppliers. The entire team took care of us like their own family. We have decided that our next trip to Europe and Scandinavian countries is with Pickyourtrail. Cheers to many more such awesome trips!