David Jenen
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North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
New Zealand Frontiers
My wife and I rented a camper van from New Zealand Frontiers for 10 days on our honeymoon.
It is a smaller company that I stumbled upon on Rankers and I'm glad I did. The owner, Kenrick Mitchell, went above and beyond what I would expect for a vehicle rental. We were traveling from the U.S. and it was our first time in NZ. Prior to the trip, and even prior to booking with the company, Kenrick was extremely helpful (over email) answering various questions about the rental, the country, and possible itineraries. Kenrick is fully transparent with his pricing. What he quotes you is what you pay. There are no hidden fees. We could tell Kenrick takes great pride in ensuring his customers have a positive experience. The vehicle had no issues and was spotless. He delivered the vehicle to our hotel and gave us a full walk through of the camper van and its features. The vehicle was as advertised and came with a GPS. He also provided maps which proved useful. We didn't need to contact him, but felt good to know we had 24 hour road side assistance if needed. We felt so comfortable with Kenrick that we almost listed him as our emergency contact while in NZ which says something. Upon return of the vehicle, it was fun to catch up with Kenrick and we even received a follow up email asking how the remainder of our trip was. Overall, there's really nothing more he could have done to improve the great experience we had. One FYI, it may clearly say so on the website, but please note his vehicles are manual transmission.
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South Island ▷ Nelson Region ▷ Abel Tasman ▷
Abel Tasman Independent Guides
We had a great experience with Independent Guides Sea Kayaking.
My husband and I were staying at the Old Macdonald holiday park and due to the logistical convenience (literally right next door) we used this kayaking service. It did not start out as a weather friendly morning but our guide, Troy, was positive and got our moods up in no time. He truly made our experience feel like an adventure and was positive the weather would change, in due time. He knew the Abel Tasman coastline extremely well. Giving us knowledge about the animals, fish, forestry and history of the area, etc. He honestly made this experience a 10 for us. And he was right, the weather turned out to be beautiful come afternoon! Mitch, the owner, hosted a barbecue that evening for those of us that took part in the days kayaking. It was so fun and nice to catch up with everyone, including the tour guides. He grilled chicken, sausages, chips donuts, and even provided beers and soda and supplied everything free of charge. We also had cockles that are specific to this area and were delicious! It was a perfect way to end the day. I feel for the individuals previously that posted a negative review but I can say with 100% confidence we had the exact opposite experience. Would do it again in a heartbeat! Thanks Troy and Mitch!