AAT Kings Tours

Southern Wonders Reviews

28 Southern Wonders reviews from past travellers that booked with Global Journeys.
4.57
AVG. RATING 4.57 / 5
28 Reviews
5 Star
64%
4 Star
29%
3 Star
7%
2 Star
1 Star

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South island 101 0 , New Zealand, Jan 2024
Maisie from Global Journeys made this trip possible in a very short time as I couldn't finalise things with the Operator quickly. This tour is great if you want a quick glance at all top spots of South island so that you can plan an extensive trip later to spots you liked.
The perfect getaway.   0 , NSW, Australia, Jan 2024
I enjoyed this trip so much. It was so easy as always dealing with Global Journeys. I have been on a few trips through them now and will certainly use them again. I always feel in good hands with Georgie. The trip was well paced, amazing places visited, the scenery stunning. The Trans Alpine train and Milford Sound cruise were my highlights. Great group ...read more of like minded people, good weather. If you are considering visiting NZ South Island just go! You won't regret it.
Wonderful AAT Kings Tour   1 , NSW, Australia, Feb 2020
Couldn’t have been better. ‘Southern Wonders NZ’ was a comprehensive and fun tour. I was blown away by the wonderful scenery in the South Island and the opportunities I had for extra tours like flights over glaciers and the alps. Our group was large - 47 people but we all got on well and everyone was really nice. Our Tour Leader Gina went out of her ...read more way to make sure we were always happy. She’s extremely well organised and everything ran like clockwork. Mark, our driver, was a competent and friendly driver, keeping us safe and happy. Our luggage was always delivered to and from our rooms so that was a pleasant surprise. Everything was fine for us! Thank you to AAT Kings and Global Journeys for such a well organised booking, follow up through the web and tour.
Excellent New Zealand South Island Coach Tour 2 , Canada, Feb 2020
We would like to thank Tracey for her excellent help in planning our trip with AAT Kings, the Southern Wonders of New Zealand. She constantly kept in touch with us as we were awaiting the NZeTA to complete the booking. Even now, after the trip, she is assisting us in getting a partial reimbursement from AAT Kings due to one day revision of tour due ...read more to weather. The trip was everything we had hoped for and we highly recommend booking with Global Journeys.
Southern Wonders   2 , NSW, Australia, Oct 2019
I found the whole process booking with Global Journeys easy to manage online, particularly with Jemma’s help & patience with my many questions. AAT Kings were a good Tour Company, coach driver was so professional & careful, Tour Director was the same, very organised, giving us many insights into NZ life & history on our daily travels.
NZ South Island Southern Wonders Tour 3 , NSW, Australia, Aug 2019
There was no “who is in the zoo” session. This should have been done fairly early in the tour. There should have been a star gazing activity in the Mackenzie region. Although the tour is advertised as a 9 day tour, in actual fact it is 7 days plus 1 dinner and 1 breakfast. Nine day tag is acceptable if the tour began in the morning of the first day ...read more and ended in the afternoon of the 9th day. There must be a quick tour to a dairy farm, sheep farm and a deer farm. There must be a quick tour to a ski field (just a tour). The Glow Worm caves tour and yellow eye penguin tour are not suitable for claustrophobic people. The quality of accommodation in Heritage Gateway Hotel, Omarama is not in par with other hotels. The bacon is normally over cooked almost in every hotel. The wine was very expensive in TSS Earnslaw Steamship ($14.50 a glass!)
Wonderful South Island tour   4 , QLD, Australia, Apr 2019
We had a terrific time but unfortunately we’re unable to see Franz Josef glacier due to road being taken out by heavy rain. Our fellow bus travellers were lovely and mostly Australian. Some were from the UK and the States. Absolutely beautiful scenery, great accommodation and meals. Would travel with AAT Kings again. Our tour guide was Tania Simpson, ...read more who has won the award for being the best tour guide with AAT Kings multiple times.
Scenic tour through New Zealand's South Island 3 , QLD, Australia, Jan 2019
Fantastic trip, happy with the professionalism from booking to the end. AAT Kings were excellent in every aspect and the tour guide Isobel was probably the best guide I have ever had on an escorted tour. Her pride in New Zealand was evident throughout and her knowledge was brilliant. She is a friendly, happy, patient guide, quite a natural to this type ...read more of work. AAT Kings are lucky to have her. Would definitely travel with them again.
Excellent tour of New Zealand's South Island 8 , Australia, Nov 2018
Wow what an excellent tour, scenery was fantastic, lovely group of people on our tour and everybody was friendly and mixed well. Would like to say that Isobel Needham our tour guide was fantastic, so helpful and knowledgeable with all our points of interest on the way. Overall could not fault anything on this tour.
Southern Wonders, a perfect name for our New Zealand tour 4 , NSW, Australia, Feb 2018
We would definitely book through Global Journeys again. Madeline Lewis made our tour exciting from our first contact. She answered our questions promptly and kept us informed. Thank you Madeline for all your help.

Our Tour Operator, AAT Kings, Tour Guide and Driver were professional and both the guide and driver had a great sense of humour which ...read more helped to make us and all our fellow passenger comfortable with them and each other. The accommodation and meals were varied and good quality. The scenery must be seen to be believed and I think we all fell in love with the mountains. Our only regret (not a complaint) was that the short stops were not a little longer.

All round it was a wonder-filled holiday.
Southern Wonders 2 , QLD, Australia, Dec 2017
Coach crew were very good and accommodation & food were also very good. We would definitely travel with AAT Kings again. We were lucky as the weather was good in December too.

Organisation of our trip with Global Journeys was very good. Other passengers were a good group. Overall, no complaints. Thanks for a good travel experience.
Beautiful scenery 5 , SA, Australia, Mar 2017
Have booked online with Global Journeys on 2 occasions and cannot believe how simple and easy it has been. Documents have always been sent to us well before the departure date with no holdups. Global Journeys have always been prompt with their responses to emails. Love the way we can go online and view our booking.

This was our first trip with AATKings ...read more and found the bus very clean and comfortable. Overnight accommodation was excellent as was the breakfast and dinners. We found the bus driver to be quite aloof who did not interact with the group very much. The tour guide was good but tended to rubbish the Australians quite a bit. On the first day or 2 it came across as a joke but as the week progressed this became quite tiresome to listen to.

Were surprised to see that we were expected to give a large tip to the driver and the tour guide as New Zealand is not a country that ususally promotes tipping as a custom.
South Island of New Zealand - Ahhh! 0 , NSW, Australia, Mar 2017
I travelled with Isobel (Guide) and Paul (driver), who were both professional, knowledgeable, and attended to all details of the trip. I would travel with AAT Kings and book with Global Journeys again. Both guides knew the country and were able to contribute interesting stories of the places we passed through. Accommodation was a mixture of 'to be ...read more expected' and 'better than usual'. Meals were well done and hotel staff were prepared for large coach loads. My fellow passengers were from different parts of the world and this made it interesting. My outstanding memory was of the coach being driven perfectly to the canyon floor on what appeared to be one lane, twisting roads very, very close to steep drops. The scenery there was magnificent - towering alps down to pristine waterways.
Great holiday   6 , NSW, Australia, Jan 2017
We had a wonderful time! This was our first extended coach tour, as we normally like to do our own thing. AAT Kings were excellent; Mel our tour guide and Rob our driver made the trip memorable. We met and enjoyed the company of many fellow travellers from around the world and we all had lots of fun together and great memories to share. All the accommodation ...read more was excellent as well.

The scenery in the South Island of New Zealand is stunning and we miss the freshness and cool temperatures since coming back to the sweltering heat in Sydney. We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday and would love to visit the North Island now, probably how we did this trip - on a coach tour, with AAT Kings and then some time with a car.
Scenic South Island NZ Tour   2 , QLD, Australia, Nov 2016
We really enjoyed the tour content, the comfortable coach, the friendly Tour Guide and Coach Driver, and the varied age range and Nationalities of our fellow travellers. The weather was great, not too cold, and mostly sunny days, so a good time of the year for NZ. They day trip to Milford Sound was awesome, again great weather, and the scenery was ...read more incredible. Another highlight was Lake Tekapo where the lupins in bloom provided an awesome sight. All in all, we saw a lot in 9 days - obviously a longer tour would be even better, however we would certainly recommend this tour for a good insight into the South Island.
Wonderful trip through the South Island   1 , VIC, Australia, Oct 2016
Everything happened without a hitch. AAT Kings are a good tour group. Very impressed. The weather was kind for the two places l really wanted to see - Queenstown and Milford Sound.
Southern Wonders (AAT Kings) 2 , VIC, Australia, Apr 2016
Great trip and scenery, enhanced by the great weather. Tour guide very knowledgeable and coach driver was very good. Great mix of participants who all mixed well together. Meals were great and substantial. Optional tours were fantastic and cruise through Milford sound brilliant.
Booking party split up, otherwise satisfied 1 , VIC, Australia, Mar 2015
We booked as a party of three but at every accommodation property the older member of our party (who booked as a single) was too far away from us and on a number of occasions on a different floor. It was a concern for us until we met up every morning. Maybe Global Journey's could include this as a question when arranging the booking? Overall our experience ...read more with AAT Kings and Global Journeys was most satisfactory. Yes, we would definitely book with both companies in the future.
Will do it again! 2 , Australia, Jun 2014
We have been on several guided coach tours before. This one stood out the most as with only a small number of guests on board, the tour was very personal and intimate. Easy, relaxed and enjoyable. No rush. Tour Director Lu was very knowledgeable, caring and a perfect entertainer. Our coach driver was also a great expert. 'Inclusions' and 'optionals' ...read more were well balanced. Most importantly unlike our experience before on several other tours, there was no pressure to buy the 'optionals'. Always honest advise was provided. Being in New Zealand, tipping did not seem to be a big issue either. Overall a great enjoyable holiday. Will do it again!
Most aspects of the tour were extremely satisfying 2 , Australia, Mar 2014
This is our first bus tour experience. Most aspects of the tour were extremely satisfying. Our Tour Director and Driver were excellent, could not be faulted for their efforts, information and all the background work they did. They were very knowledgeable, relating stories of New Zealand, its people and their obvious love of country shone through. We ...read more were enthralled with all the scenery and diverse locations we were able to visit from the Itinerary. The optional tours offered were really good and gave a wide choice for the various people on board. We would certainly travel with Global Journeys in the future. Already thinking of taking maybe a river cruise, or another coach tour in Europe. We have enthused over the wonderful experience ever since we got back home.
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