First Light Travel

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Reviews

1. Suzanne Sumner ★★★★★

   The itinerary we planned with First Light Travel was absolutely perfect. The accommodations, excursions, rental vehicle, and travel between each destination were all thoughtfully arranged and perfectly laid out, making everything easy to follow. Some of our highlights included Milford Sound—especially the small aircraft flight back to Queenstown, white water rafting and mountain biking in Rotorua, and cathedral cove kayaking tour. We loved all of our accommodations, particularly the Hibiscus Room at our B&B in Hahei and the Blowhole Cottage at Paparoa Park Motel. We would highly recommend using First Light Travel for an amazing New Zealand adventure.

   almost 3 months ago
2. Roy Rosal ★★★★★

   First Light Travel arranged a 28 day self-driving tour for us covering the North and South Islands (7 day North & 21 day South) from 3 November to 5 December 2025. The weather was fantastic (mid-70f lows to mid 80f). We only lost one self-guided free-day trek due to weather. First Light Travel reservations for transportation (rental car, train & airlines), as well as reservations for hotels / motels, and planned sightseeing activities went off without a hiccup. We drove 2,400 miles on this two island adventure in midsize SUV rental cars. It’s a beautiful country with a high quality road system. The undulating and curvy roads do test you, but they are well marked with easy access to clean public toilets. Having just returned as I write this, I have three recommendations: 1) spend a few days in the Abel Tasman National park area if you are into hiking. 2) consider upgrading your rental car to get more bells and whistles. Our first car had many more safety features than our second car (blind spot warning, lane centering, internal navigation vs. Apple CarPlay). Otherwise, you may get a base level car. 3) try the Kiwi meat pies early. You won’t regret it. Thank you Anna Caudle for planning the trip of a lifetime. We saw New Zealand from the air, land, and sea.

   almost 3 months ago
3. Junaid Umar ★★★★★

   We’ve just come back from what is honestly one of the best trips we’ve ever taken, and that’s completely down to First Light Travel especially our consultant, Will Cannon. From the very first call, Will really listened to what we were looking for. We weren’t after a generic tour; we wanted something personal, nature-heavy, scenic, and paced exactly right for us. Will somehow took all of that and put together an itinerary that felt like it was designed by someone who knew us for years. Every single day had a “wow” moment. He included all the iconic highlights - Queenstown, Milford Sound, Hobbiton, Rotorua, Tongariro but also added little touches we’d never have found on our own: hidden lookouts, quieter walking trails, perfect timing for certain viewpoints, and suggestions that made the whole trip feel effortless. The hotels were spot on. The activities ran smoothly. All the logistics were planned to perfection. And any time we had a question, Will replied quickly with genuinely helpful advice , not just standard template answers. What stood out the most is how easy the whole trip felt. We’ve travelled a lot, and we felt completely relaxed knowing everything was handled properly behind the scenes. If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, I honestly couldn’t recommend First Light Travel or Will more. This trip will stay with us forever and we’re already talking about returning one day. Thank you, Will, for helping us experience New Zealand in the best possible way.

   almost 3 months ago

1. Barry Webb ★★★★★

   The building of our holiday was very enjoyable and was enhanced by Danielle's knowledge and experience. Our holiday was fantastic with free time as well as pre-booked activities, all of which worked like clockwork. Unfortunately we had a medical emergency during our time in Australia and I would particularly like to thank Jaydene for her help and support to Heather while I was in hospital. It was a great help to her during a particularly stressful time. I have used other travel companies in the past but the experience with First Light Travel was better than any of the others. I have no hesitation recommending them to others.

   almost 3 months ago
2. Gretchen Pruett ★★★★☆

   We had a adventure-filled and awe-inspiring 4 week trip to Australia and New Zealand. The accommodations, transportation and activities planned by First Light Travel were all wonderful and went very smoothly. It was a perfect blend of pre-planned activities and free time. We had plenty of flexibility to explore on our own, while not having to plan out every detail of our trip ourselves.

   almost 6 months ago
3. Ann Duran ★★★★★

   Danielle and the whole team at First Light Travel made our month long trek across both islands an enjoyable and well -planned trip. We were there during the 30 year Cyclone and even with the challenges that arose our trip was wonderful. I highly recommend using a travel agent and especially this company on a first visit to NZ. When our phones would only email (not call or text) the whole team worked to get our issues fixed: One issue was we were running late for Hobbiton (the evening tour and dinner). We had gotten ourselves lost and with little gas (always fill up on half tank if driving a lot and when it's available!). Even through our spotty internet/email First Light was able to connect with Hobbiton and when we rolled in 2 minutes past bus departure, there was a staffer ready with our tickets and ushering onto the bus, and not with a scowl, but a welcome! They knew all about our mishaps with the map/gas/travel and showed lots of grace, thanks to communication with First Light. We will use First Light again and could not be happier we did with this first trip to beautiful NZ.

   almost 2 years ago

1. Aaron Shaw ★★★★★

   First light travel was an easy and helpful company to go through. They created a honeymoon for us that was the perfect balance of luxury, adventure, and natural beauty that Tasmania has to offer. The accommodation they booked was all amazing, as were the adventures and experiences they included in our itinerary. We will definitely be using them again

   almost 2 years ago
2. Lotta Heckley ★★★★★

   We recently came back from a fantastic two week trip around New Zealand planned by Michelle at First Light Travel. The itinerary was perfect for us with a mix of shorter and longer stays, giving us the chance to see highlights of both islands in two weeks. We had an amazing trip!

   almost 2 years ago
3. Jodi Guillemette ★★★★★

   We called First Light because a friend had used their services in 2018. We are so glad we did. Michelle Srzich handled all the details of a 26 day trek across both South and North Islands of New Zealand. We stayed in first class accommodations, had wonderful excursions and quite an adventure. And...when our airlines canceled our flight home, First Light was right there to send a driver back to Auckland Airport and secure us a hotel room for two more nights! Our vacation was fun-tastic and worry free because of them. Highly recommend this company to everyone going to NZ. Great job, great customer service.

   almost 2 years ago

1. Scott Schuler ★★★★★

   Booking your trip with this agency is completely worth it! My wife and I decided to book our honeymoon trip to New Zealand through First Light Travel. Danielle had reached out to us promptly. We told her generally what we were looking for and she planned our trip not only to our expectations, but far exceeding them. You will get a first proposal before having to commit so you can make any modifications or changes to your itinerary. They take care of all the logistics once you arrive. They are incredibly knowledgeable and have excellent recommendations that we would not have found on our own. I was so amazed by the professionalism, communication and knowledge of the country by them. We had one problem we encountered during our trip due to weather and Danielle helped us adjust with ease. If you’re planning on taking a special trip, I highly recommend going through go First Light Travel. They took extremely good care of us and I really believe they care about their clients’ experiences. Everything planned for us gave us the feeling that that activity was hand selected to give us a magically memorable experience. Danielle put a great deal of time, effort and care into our trip and we were so grateful because it was so evident. I have no cons about booking through them. They’ll work with whatever budget you give them and execute your agreed proposal flawlessly. Highly recommend.

   almost 3 years ago

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