Justin Xuereb
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
2.0/5
verage experience with Kiwi Experience during my 2 weeks backpacing trip in New Zealand.
I bought the Queen Bee pass which was suppose to be a flexibile Hop-On Hop-Off service. However, it is far from a flexiible service, because once a person goes from one place to another, one is either able to stay there for 3 whole days or only 1 night. This is by any means not a flexible hop-on hop-off service.
The buses do not run on a daily basis between to and from each destination. For example, one cannot arrive at a place, stay for 1 night and then leave the enxt day to the next place in the afternoon/evening or stay for another night as 1 wishes, beacuse the buses are only every 3 days or immediately the next day in the morning.
Imagine, one arrives in Kaikoura (a place where one goes to see whales and dolphins) but does not have time to see them, because we arrive late in the afternoon (by which time, all the experiences are finished) and then leave exactly again early in the morning. Whats the point of going to Kaikoura if one does not have time for any sea life experiences?
If one decides, not to take a bus from the tour because he wishes to stay longer, one cannot get a refund. I highly recommend having a look at Intercity before booking kiwi Experience.
The bus drivers of Kiwi are very friendly, however the buses are old so they do not have a toilet on them, no WIFI connection and no charging ports or electricity sockets with the seats.
Till next time New Zealand! Kia ora.