private tour companies in NZ/Tasmania

We are planning a cruise to Tasmania and New Zealand for next year and I'm starting to do research on what to see and do in our ports of call. They are: Burnie, Port Arthur, Hobart, Dunedin, Akaroa, Wellington, Napier and Bay of Islands. Has anyone toured in these ports and did you use a private or local tour company or did you book with your ship's excursions? Were there any outstanding tours that you took or places that you recommend that we should not miss?

Thank you,

Barb

We have cruised to New Zealand twice and been to Tasmania but not by ship. In all the New Zealand ports you mentioned you could do a lot of sightseeing by walking from the boat or from where the shuttle bus dropped you off. We enjoyed taking the ferry to Russell Island in the Bay of Islands. In Dunedin people speak highly of the train tour to the gorge. We visited the gardens at Lanarch castle. Walking around Napier was delightful admiring the Art Deco architecture. In Hobart many people visit the gallery at MONA but I really like the Tasmanian Art Gallery and Museum in the centre of town - walking distance. Wellington take the funicular up the escarpment and walk back down through the botanic gardens. You can have morning tea on the way. Te Papa museum is marvellous and just enjoy the waterfront. Akaroa last time we went on a tour to see the dolphins. It was lovely on the water. Otherwise the town is nice to walk around.

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The tour company we used in Akaroa was https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g285727-d7261631-Reviews-EcoSEAker-Akaroa_Canterbury_Region_South_Island.html and we would recommend. We organised in advance but not through the ship.

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We had a fantastic tour from Hobart with Judy (http://www.eyeseetasmania.com.au/). Here is our review:

DEC 16 (SUN) HOBART (TASMANIA), AUSTRALIA

Today we had arranged a private tour for us and another couple from the Cruise Critic roll call with Judy Livingston from Eye See Tasmania Personalized Tours (http://www.eyeseetasmania.com.au/Page24.html). When we walked out of the port area, we found Judy waiting for us, wearing her signature purple garb and ready to go.

Fortunately, the other couple is also light on their feet, so we were able to see much more than we had originally anticipated. We started with a drive to Mount Field National Park (http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=3589) to see the famous Russell Falls and also Horseshoe Falls. According to a sign along the trail, glow worms can be seen in the dense gully forest leading to Russell Falls. We didn't see any glow worms, but we did see a pademelon (it looks like a tiny kangaroo) foraging on the forest floor. After viewing the waterfalls, we were able to hike part of the Tall Trees Trail; on that trail we saw another pademelon with her joey.

From the park, we went to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (http://www.bonorong.com.au), where injured or orphaned animals are rehabilitated or raised and (when possible) returned to the wild. Here we could get "up close and personal" with wombats, koalas, and kangaroos. We also saw the famous Tasmanian Devil, as well as native birds, snakes and lizards. We tried to hand-feed the kangaroos but the cruise ship tour buses had already been there and the 'roos were too full to eat another bite. However, they let us scratch them on their throats. One of the kangaroos had a joey in her pouch but the joey did not want to show his/her face to us.

After Bonorong, we drove to the picturesque village of Richmond (http://www.richmondvillage.com.au), which has many 19th-century buildings from the convict era. We drove past St. John's Catholic Church (the oldest Catholic Church still in use in Australia), the picturesque Richmond Bridge (built by the convicts and the oldest bridge still in use in Australia) and the historic Gaol (jail). We stopped for lunch in a park along the Coal River, where Judy served us a picnic that included many products from her garden and chickens including fresh boiled eggs, homemade relish, pickles, and cookies (biscuits in Australia!).

Following lunch, Judy took us to a cheese tasting at the Wicked Cheese Company (http://www.wickedcheese.com.au) and a wine tasting at the Puddleduck Vineyard (http://www.puddleduckvineyard.com.au). The weather had cleared, so she squeezed in a trip to the top of windy Mount Wellington (http://www.wellingtonpark.org.au) for some fantastic views. She ended the day with a brief city tour of Hobart (http://www.discovertasmania.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/15861/Hobart_City_Centre.pdf), which took us to the areas that our ship's port lecturer had said were the "don't miss" sites in town.

Judy was a fabulous tour guide and more. She is incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the Hobart area and loves showing off her country. She even gave us each a bag of hard candies, pens, bookmarks and notepads as a Christmas gift at the end of the tour. We highly recommend her. Visit Hobart with her and bring her something in purple - definitely her favorite color!

From our review:

DEC 23 (SUN) AKAROA, NZ: 8 AM to 5:15 PM

Akaroa harbor (http://www.akaroa.com/maps-transport/activity-map) is the flooded crater of an extinct volcano. Over the years, soil from the slopes of the caldera has filled the harbor, so the water is not very deep and there is no dock that can accommodate a ship as large as the Diamond Princess. This was our only tender port and it took an hour for us to get ashore after the ship anchored.

We did a dazzling wildlife cruise with Ray Shoebridge on the Manutara (aclasssailing.co.nz/index.html)! This was another shared tour, so we were joined by four other people. Ray is clearly in love with Akaroa and with his sailboat. He gives you the opportunity to help steer the boat and to help spot wildlife but he is the expert in both areas. We saw fantastic numbers of the small Hector's dolphins as they cruised along with us right under our bow. We also saw a few shy Little Blue penguins as they bobbed in the water. Ray also pointed out other different types of sea birds. He tantalized us with his sighting of a Southern Right Whale the day before but we had no luck today. This was a thoroughly enjoyable tour and we would highly recommend it to anyone interested in wildlife or beautiful sail boats.

Before and after the tour, we did a number of hikes in and around Akaroa using guide brochures John downloaded from the Tourist Office web site (http://www.akaroa.com/maps/walking-tracks/akaroa). We visited most of the main sites, including a late 19th-century lighthouse, which we could climb (only two stories). Another hike took us high into the hills above town, which gave us some great views of the harbor. Although the day started out overcast and cool, by afternoon it was sunny and hot.

From our review:

DEC 22 (SAT) DUNEDIN (PORT CHALMERS), NZ: 8AM to 5:30 PM

Today we took a great wildlife tour on the Otago Peninsula with Elm Wildlife Tours (http://www.elmwildlifetours.co.nz/our-tours/cruise-ship-shore-excursion/cruise-ship-shore-excursion). This was a shared public tour and a number of other people from the ship had signed up independently (including the couple who toured with us in Hobart). From our confirmation email, we expected our guide to be standing beside an Elm vehicle in the private tour area. However, when we arrived at that area, we were told by another Elm guide that our guide was looking for us out on the dock. We were escorted to our vehicle and waited there for the rest of the group to arrive. The Elm staff had only tiny logos on their black shirts so they were a little difficult to spot; apparently we walked right past them. If you don't spot them on the dock, simply continue on until you see the vans.

Port Chalmers is completely on the other side of the Dunedin Harbour from the Otago Peninsula. It is only possible to cross the harbor by boat and there are no ferries; we had to drive down one side of the harbor, through Dunedin and up the other side of the harbor to Taiaroa Head (http://www.visit-dunedin.co.nz/map.html). The drive actually did not seem that long because of the beautiful scenery along the way. This part of New Zealand is intensely green and the road provided great views. Our driver and guide, Rachel, was a font of information about the expected animals and also pointed out the many different types of birds along the way. She also pointed out several points of interest, such as the ornate train station and Baldwin Street (the world's steepest street), as we passed through Dunedin.

Our first stop was at the Royal Albatross Center (http://www.albatross.org.nz). First we saw a short movie about the Royal Albatross, then we took a guided walk to the albatross nesting area viewing observatory. Although the colony numbers about 200 albatross, only a handful were present today and none seemed to feel like flying. There were many other seabirds however. While we were taking the tour, Rachel picked up our box lunches, which we ate on the way to the next site.

The next stop was at Elm's private conservation area. We walked down to a blind where we were treated to great views of a fur seal rookery, with males fighting, pups playing and females trying to get some rest. After we climbed back to the top of the bluff, we could see a Yellow-eyed penguin come ashore on the sandy beach below and promptly disappear into the vegetation. Another came ashore a bit later and remained on the beach, seemingly "on guard" for the rest of our visit. We also saw a Hooker sea lion come ashore.

Next, we walked down to the beach, skirting the penguin. We went to a blind at the other end of the beach and watched hopefully for more penguins but without success. We then headed for another blind further up the hill. Along the way, we saw the nesting burrows of the shy Little Blue penguin, the world's smallest. Rachel said she could see them but either my eyes are too bad or I am not experienced enough at seeing penguins in their dark burrows. Anyway, we had better luck at the upper blind where we saw a Yellow-eyed penguin with her chick and another penguin standing by a fence.

On the return journey, Rachel took a different route so that we could see more of the scenery before returning to the ship. It was a beautiful day and we saw lots of wildlife. However, if you take this tour, be aware that it requires lots of walking up and down steep hills to blinds to watch the animals. Elm does provide four-wheel drive vehicles for part of the distance if required by less mobile people. You still need be in moderately good shape to do this wonderful tour.

From our review:

DEC 24 (MON) WELLINGTON, NZ

Today we did our own tour of Wellington for a total of NZ$7; that was the cost of the Wellington Cable Car (http://www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz) for the two of us. Princess was charging $15 RT for a shuttle from the ship to a department store near the cable car station, but it was an easy 20-minute walk. The cable car ends at the Wellington Botanic Garden (http://www.wellington.govt.nz/services/gardens/botanicgardens/botanicgardens.html). There is a path marked with flowers painted on the sidewalk that leads back down into town. We took that, with a couple of side trips into some of the specialty gardens. At the bottom of the gardens is a large rose garden with many varieties that were unfamiliar to us; after some searching, John found his all-time favorite rose, Double Delight. There was also a large greenhouse filled with huge fibrous begonias and tropical plants. Leaving the gardens, the path leads through the old cemetery, Bolton Street Memorial Park. A particularly poignant grave marker memorializes 5 children from the same family who died from diphtheria from December 21, 1876 to January 1, 1877. The path ended at the parliament buildings.

From there we walked to Te Papa (http://www.tepapa.govt.nz), the national museum, through the main shopping area and Cuba Street, a trendy arts/dining/shopping area. Te Papa is controversial because it contains so many New Zealand cultural treasures, yet it sits on land reclaimed after it was uplifted from the harbor by an earthquake. The museum provides an overview of New Zealand's history, geology, wildlife and culture. Of primary interest to us was the display of a Colossal Squid, the largest ever caught. We were mostly attracted to artifacts, such as a cannon from Captain Cook's ship, Endeavor, and the Maori canoes rather than the more expository exhibits. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

After exploring all 6 floors of Te Papa, we were ready to get out in the open air again. We decided to hike up Mount Victoria for its panoramic views. The walk to the peak is about half on city streets and half through city parks. When we reached the park section, we not only saw signs indicating the path to the peak but also signs pointing to "Lord of the Rings" filming locations. While we were checking our map to see whether any of those locations were marked on it, a woman on her way to the grocery asked whether we needed any help. When we explained that we were looking for LOTR filming sites, she asked us whether we had time for an impromptu tour. It turned out that she had gone to Duke and still had family in North Carolina; when LOTR was being filmed (all filming was done at night), she and her husband had dressed in black so they could sneak in and spy on the filming. Anyway, she spent at least 20 minutes showing us where scenes like "The Road to Bree" were filmed. After that, she headed off to buy crackers so her family could go tramping and we continued on to the peak. The lookout atop Mount Victoria does indeed have terrific views and we took a break there before heading back down to the waterfront.

We had considered taking a bus to the Weta Cave, which is a museum and gift shop selling memorabilia and art related to movies made by Peter Jackson. However, it was getting late and we were getting tired. On the way back to the ship, we passed the theater where "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" had its world premier on December 12. The entire city is decorated with banners and huge posters featuring characters from the movie. Even Te Papa had an exhibit of the three trolls who turn into stone in "The Hobbit." Although we are great Tolkien fans, it was not possible to fit a viewing of the movie into our day in Wellington.

Hello Dulcibella and Carolyn,

I can't thank you enough for the excellent reviews and information you passed along. Thank you for taking the time to answer in such detail. It is very much appreciated.

Barb

we traveled to NZ last year and i did a review which is in my signature.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2322939

We did mostly private excursions and two with the ship.

Hi Barb,

I'll second Carolyn's recommendation for Judy from EyeSeeTasmania. We booked her for a day in Hobart and were impressed with her hospitality, knowledge, and flexibility with the tour. She really tries to get to know you quickly and can modify itineraries on the fly. Also, she works all across Tasmania so you could see if she would be available for excursions from Burnie or Port Arthur.

Another company we used while in Tasmania was Pennicott Wilderness Journeys. We took the Tasman Island cruise in Port Arthur which had a mix of sea life and unique views of the rock formations. We also took the Seafood Seduction cruise from Hobart which had beautiful scenery and fresh fish, oysters, abalone, lobster, and sea urchin. I would highly recommend both but I'm not sure the departure times would work with your cruise schedule.

Enjoy your cruise!

Jeff

Hi Barb,

 

I'll second Carolyn's recommendation for Judy from EyeSeeTasmania. We booked her for a day in Hobart and were impressed with her hospitality, knowledge, and flexibility with the tour. She really tries to get to know you quickly and can modify itineraries on the fly. Also, she works all across Tasmania so you could see if she would be available for excursions from Burnie or Port Arthur.

 

Another company we used while in Tasmania was Pennicott Wilderness Journeys. We took the Tasman Island cruise in Port Arthur which had a mix of sea life and unique views of the rock formations. We also took the Seafood Seduction cruise from Hobart which had beautiful scenery and fresh fish, oysters, abalone, lobster, and sea urchin. I would highly recommend both but I'm not sure the departure times would work with your cruise schedule.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Jeff

Thank you Jeff. I'll contact Pennicott Wilderness and see what they have to offer. Our cruise will keep us overnight in Hobart. We arrive at 7:00 one evening and leave by 5:00 p.m. the following evening. All the tours sound so wonderful that it makes it hard to choose what to see and do in basically one port day and a bit the evening before. Has anyone taken the Hobart Ghost walk and if so, was it worth taking?

Thanks again,

Barb

We used "Play A Round in Tassie Day Tours" for a private bespoke excursion in and around Bernie. This was 100% perfect from the planning stage where we shared the sorts of things we'd want to do through to the tour itself. The price was very reasonable (a few hundred dollars for the four of us). This operator has only five-star reviews over at the usual place for reviews.

Te Papa is controversial because it contains so many New Zealand cultural treasures, yet it sits on land reclaimed after it was uplifted from the harbor by an earthquake.

This building is seismically isolated to the extreme. The exhibits of note are all on upper floors and the lower floors (where things like the conference facilities are located) are designed to allow a tsunami to just wash through. The design expectation of this building is that it will survive anything that a building could possibly survive.

We do not recommend using APT Tours in New Zealand. They are a low budget operation and you get what you pay for and nothing more.