5 Stars (381 reviews)
This was truly a trip of a lifetime!!! The scenery was spectacular, our guides knowledgeable and hard working and went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure our trip went as planned. I can't recommend Active Aventures highly enough!!
Ultimate North Island Adventure, May 2014
Kathleen, United States
5 Stars (381 reviews)
We had a great time and were really pleased with every aspect of the trip.
Ultimate North Island Adventure, May 2014
Wayne, United States
4 Stars (381 reviews)
Loved the new far north section, including the sand boarding (rivals Queenstown activities). Great guides again. The Tongariro Crossing was the highlight - I felt so lucky to have done it.
Ultimate North Island Adventure, April 2014
Lois, Canada
4 Stars (381 reviews)
The eleven day Kauri trip takes you through most of the sights of Northern and Central North island. Having already done the South Island, I appreciated the different activites and sights of the North Island. The Tongariro crossing is a highlight, so be sure you are physically fit to do it. I much enjoyed the snorkelling and sight of the Poor Knights Island. Despite being a bit ho-hum about the sand-boarding before trying it, it turned out to be a blast. The Maori cultural experiences were also great.
Ultimate North Island Adventure, April 2014
Erik, Canada
4 Stars (381 reviews)
(Note: I'd rate this 4.5 stars-- I'm not done traveling with Active yet so to say "trip of lifetime" seems premature :D)
The North Island receives minimal mention when trips to New Zealand are planned and most people I talked to regarding a New Zealand trip encouraged me to spend all of my time on the South Island. I am SO thrilled that I did not pay heed to their recommendations! The 5 day Kauri trip included several days of hiking including the challenging but magical Tongariro Alpine Crossing, mountain biking in a forest with over 50 species of trees, black water rafting to see glow worms in a cave, and a cultural tour/show/dinner. These 5 days left my heart brimming with joy - if I had returned home after the Kauri trip, I would have been truly satisfied (but I went on to experience the South Island on the Tui trip!) and it far surpassed many other 1-2 week long holidays. Besides the activities, the tour was incredibly well organized. The focus was on maximizing our enjoyment rather than the mundane details of holidays such as checking into a hotel, waiting for a seat for dinner, filling up on gas, or purchasing tickets. Both DK and Sarah were incredible: great driving with attention to bathroom breaks, great cooking with attention to dietary restrictions (even when the participants had conflicting dietary restrictions!), and great guiding making sure we never overworked ourselves and took our time.
I'm a loyal Active traveler and always felt I lucked out with having a great time or competent guide but I've finally come to the realization that it's Active and not luck that makes these trips so pleasurable and memorable.
Thank you Active for sharing your country with me!
Ultimate North Island Adventure, April 2014
Sophia, United States
5 Stars (381 reviews)
This truly was a trip to remember! We are so glad that we combined the longer Kauri trip with the Rimu so that we got a good flavor of both islands.
Ultimate North Island Adventure, April 2014
Carol, United States
5 Stars (381 reviews)
We want to thank our guides for being so special in every way; competent,caring, knowledgeable and just plain brilliant and fun...
Active NZ knows their stuff so everything was coordinated, the places, hikes, backpacking and kayaking were amazing... We would return to NZ in a heartbeat... We had a varied and broad experience and can't say enough about what a fabulous time my wife and I had. Cheers to Sarah and Duck...
Ultimate North Island Adventure, April 2014
Erik, United States
5 Stars (381 reviews)
This very active small group trip was everything we hoped for and then some! We had outstanding guides, met new friends and were challenged daily with new and exciting activities across the varied New Zealand landscapes! What a thrill!!
Ultimate North Island Adventure, April 2014
Mary Kay, United States