I cannot recommend a tour from Flying Kiwi at this time, purely because the organization was very poor relative to the price paid.

Honestly, it feels that Flying Kiwi is growing too fast, lack experienced staff in key positions, and / or are understaffed.

It's such a shame because the tour set up is great! It's a dream trip! But due to poor preparation, organization, and management the tour is worth much less.

The rating 4.8 out of 5 stars is a score from the original Flying Kiwi organization.

Flying Kiwi has been taken over by Stray. Only a few of us from the tour have given a rating online, but if all the travelers from our group give a rating, the average will not be higher than 3.5 stars.

I did enjoy the trip. I have chosen to be positive, see the beauty of the trip, and I enjoyed helping the assistant.

---> The bus driver/ Tour guide was very experienced and a nice guy <---

So in short what, due to the poor preparations and organization, we have missed out/ experienced:

1. Information on the nature, culture, and history of New Zealand - Māori and settlers.

2. No sleeping bags for 1 night

3. Cheap tents

4. Often a leaky mattress

5. Limited bicycles

6. Working Goldmine at Martha's Mine

7. Exceptional and special zipline through untraversed native forest valleys

8. Māori cultural experience and dinner at the Tamaki Village

9. Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland

10. Tongariro Crossing (even if the weather had been acceptable, we would not have been able to do the crossing).

11. Missing out on a visit at the Wanaka tree.

Reviewed 8 months ago and experienced in January 2023