My Stray tour was ultra fun!

The drivers are all good natured with awesome personalities and full of interesting stories, the accomodation is generally more than acceptable and the flexibility of the hop-on hop-off pass was invaluable to allow for deeper exploration of any region. I definitely hopped off a lot, and so feel familiar with New Zealand and the culture gradients within the country.

Having activities options arranged was really helpful, and there's always a free idea of bush walks, beach time, star gazing or learning more about other travellers and cultures. Our stays off the track were excellent- the marae, the Blue Duck station, East Cape in general, Gunn's Camp in Fiordland, Rangitata... seeing small towns and remote lodges gives a true impression of the country and the people. The other passengers also seemed to enjoy themselves a lot, and that made the bus trips entertaining. The busses are even pretty comfortable, and the drivers tended to amaze me at their dexterity and ability to reverse and handle such a long vehicle.

Stray has great energy, is FUN and comprehensive.

I had one negative experience- when I called the HQ to confirm that I was on the bus leaving the next day. However, when I waited and waited for the bus that didn't show, I called HQ again and it turns out there was no bus that day. So I had an extra day in Rotorua- not a bad thing since I had lots of time in my journey, but could have been a real issue for a traveller in another situation. Also, one time the bus door wouldn't open when we were trying to depart an overnight stop, but in the end that was a delay of less than an hour, so no big deal.

Overall, I absolutely recommend Stray NZ. The company is populated by good people, and that means good times. Thanks guys!

Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in November 2013