Anne Sutkowi
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Abel Tasman ▷
Kahu Kayaks
Abel Tasman is incredible and I thought this kayak company was great.
The "guide" who walked us through the safety stuff was knowledgable and friendly. We did the 1 day freedom kayaking where we kayaked out to Anchorage Bay and walked back on the track. On another day, I would've rated this a 10. It had the potential to be incredible! But beware...the mad mile is MAD if the conditions are "right." We should not have been kayaking in these conditions but felt pressure to get our kayak to Anchorage Bay because that's where they were picking it up. We are fairly experienced kayakers and this was by far my scariest kayaking experience. So I think it's worth going with a guided trip here and I'd definitely recommend Kahu.
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South Island ▷ Fiordland ▷ Milford Sound - Fiordland National Park ▷
Roscos Milford Kayaks
If you do one thing in New Zealand, the Morning Glory trip has to be it.
We lucked out and had an incredibly calm and sunny morning on Christmas Day. The water was glassy, the sun was shining on the snow capped mountains, and it was just generally incredible. Our guide (Adam) was enthusiastic - even though it was Christmas Day morning - and knowledgeable. Best part was when we saw a pod of Bottlenose dolphins at least a km away and we paddled super hard to play with the dolphins. They were right next to us! Roscoe has a great business here. They are very organized, have great equipment, but it felt very personal. This trip in particular gives you a sense of accomplishment (you kayak the whole length of the sound to the Tasman Sea) and the intimacy of a small group in the quiet of the early morning. Loved it!
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South Island ▷ Marlborough ▷ Blenheim ▷
Wine Tours by Bike
I feel like I should just say...read Rich Kiimmii's review.
We had the same incredible experience with Nigel, Wine Tours by Bike, and camping on his property! Nigel was a great guy. Winery tour was super fun on bikes. And our campsite was magical! All to ourselves with unending views of vineyards and hills in the distance that reminded us of California (home). Loved it!