Testimonials from our Independent Trip Clients

11th March 2010

Good morning Neville I just wanted to take the time over my first coffee of the day to drop you a line regarding our Rail Trail adventure last week.  We had an absolutely fabulous time throughout, beginning and ending with wonderful service and support from your crew at Trail Journeys.  The check-in formalities with luggage and car storage went without a hitch.  I was very impressed with the luggage tagging system and pleased to confirm that bags showed up at the right place on the right day at the right time.  The pre-departure video was very helpful, particularly it's reference to Tiger Hill which of course we were introduced to on the very first day.  I must say it was good to get that behind us!
Throughout the 4 days in the saddle we had awesome cycling weather.  Not too hot, a bit of welcome overcast cloud, peppered with some not-so-welcome head winds, which occasionally blessed us by changing to tail winds.  Our accommodation was an eclectic mix. First night was in the cottage at Omakau Accommodation, wonderfully hosted by Mandy.  Dinner at the local pub was magnificent.  The second night was at the Wedderburn Tavern courtesy of Eric, who, given his reputation, shone his most hospitable light on us.  Again, a huge dinner including a mountainous pavlova.  At Hyde we stayed in the new mini-motel units behind the Hyde School and had a buffet dinner at the hotel.  I think they might have been a little challenged with dining numbers that evening, but the ladies managed it all beautifully and had everyone well fed with the most delectable, home-cooked country fare.  The desserts were amazing!  After that meal, the 400m stroll back to our accommodation was most welcome. 
Special acknowledgement goes to Hannah who handled our check in and check out arrangements at Clyde.  She is a wonderful ambassador for Trail Journeys. 
Clearly you've invested in a dream and made that a very efficient, well-run reality.  The infrastructure bearing the Trail Journeys brand all looked very smart and your people, without exception, were a credit to you.  Congratulations Nev.  I wish you every success and we would be pleased to support you as much as we can.  We have had a Rail Trail package featured on our website for a few months, but no bites yet.  Will try harder!
All the best.
Kind regards/Linda
Linda Jenkins
Director of Sales & Marketing
South Pacific Travellers' World
Level 1, 538 Wairakei Road
P O Box 29 139
Christchurch, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3 961 6860       Fax:  +64 3 961 6861 www.southpacifictravellers.co.nz

Hi Nev
I absolutely loved the Rail trail and I’ve been raving about it to my friends and family ever since. I think I’ve probably secured a couple of bookings for you already! Nothing like positive word of mouth for a bit of free marketing! Overall I think it is a fantastic NZ tourism experience and I was very impressed by the high level of professionalism of your operation. 
As a customer, I felt our holiday ran smoothly throughout the experience. As a fellow tourism industry person, I think you have an excellent operation with good quality facilities and gear and great staff. I think it would definitely appeal to the Australian market. Are there similar rail trail experiences in Australia that you can hook in with?  I know mountain biking trails are very popular in lots of regions of NSW but I’m not actually aware of any products like yours – but that might be because they are only targeting the Australian domestic market. 
The accommodation operators on the route are all very passionate about their products and they were very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the history of the local area. I liked the variety of accommodation along the way from historic homesteads to new cabins in Wedderburn and the standard of accommodation was higher than I expected.
Kate Strange, Tourism NSW, Australia

5th February 2010 A totally awesome experience. Excellent hospitality, lovely friendly people. Trail Journeys personal wonderful to deal with, could not find fault with anything.
Leigh Elder

12th December 2009
My husband (Lee Whiley), 15 year old (Elliot) son & I (Jan Whiley) completed the rail trail last week & had an AWESOME time. Very impressed with whole package (persuaded husband to book the 'executive' package!!) Took my gel seat for the bike & didn't even use it!!
Have already recommended your company to a number of people incl 2 Air NZ employees who were loading luggage onto carousel & were going to remove my rail trail tag until I explained  what it was & why I wanted to leave it on my bag - they had been discussing rail trail possibilities earlier in the day!!
Pls convey our sincere thanks to your staff - we usually take the cheaper budget option & usually like to organise our own details but was great to be so well organised, & I was so pleased I didn't have to carry all my gear on the bike
Keep up the good work & we'll be back
Jan Whiley

Bill and Gail Harrison – New South Wales Australia
Self guided 4 day trip Your company organised our trip so well, this made it so easy especially coming from Australia. Each days travel was well spaced so the journey was very easy to complete. The accommodation places you had booked for us were all quite different but all terrific in their own way - friendly people and fabulous food.
All the people we met along the way and the staff at Trail Journeys were very friendly and a delight to meet. We will certainly recommend your company to others.

Em Saunders – UK
Fully Guided Tour – I thoroughly enjoyed the trail and would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved in organising, booking, hosting, servicing the bikes and baking the muffins. Special thanks to our guide for his fantastic service, always with a smile and his jovial charming stories. I would also like to say how good the lunch stops were. I will happily recommend your company and give it a 5-star rating for all elements and 5-star plus for fun.

Moffatt Family – Tauranga
(spent Christmas day on the trail) Your company is definitely getting right. From my first email, to which I received a prompt rely with a follow up phone call. To attentive listening and processing of our needs, combined with your expert recommendations, made for a fantastic experience. Amazing staff and service providers, who genuinely care and made for lasting memories. Great gear - bikes and helmets etc – first class – made for happy bottoms!! Thank you so much for helping us to create such a special experience for our family. 

My husband and myself and six other friends, just enjoyed ourselves so much, keep doing what you are now, and I'm sure we will do this again, I have mentioned it to several people already, and they are interested, word of mouth the best form of advertising.

I had my own bike which got a broken spoke and bent rear wheel on day one, was delivered a hire bike from you at Chatto Creek. When i arrived back on last day my bike was fixed. The service from you all from FANTASTIC! We have already recommended you to others and will continue to do so. thanks for organising brilliant accom and being so willing to help me

Hello! I have just completed your survey, but wanted to add that my trip on the Trail was one of the highlights of my tour of New Zealand.  In large part, that is due to the simplicity of booking the trip through you, the excellent service that you provided, and the friendliness of the local business-people along the way. Since my return to Canada, I have told numerous people of the Rail Trail. Some of these people have plans to travel to New Zealand in the next year and I will be referring them to you to make their arrangements. The service was great and the price appealed to my Scottish heritage. I hope your business continues to thrive.
Thanks again.
Malcolm Campbell

Hi Trail Journeys team I have returned the survey form - it should arrive in the post any day.
I would like to say a big thanks for putting together a great trip for us. All dealings, via email and telephone while we were in the planning stages, the bike hire, the accommodation bookings, the shuttle to Pukerangi, the moving of our bags from day-to-day; the whole process was handled professionally by your team, right to the last detail.
We all had a great time cycling the rail trail, and the autumn of Central Otago was at it's best. We chose the best week to cycle, as I understand the winter is settling in down there!
I have no hesitation in recommending Trail Journeys to anyone considering cycling the Rail Trail. There is even talk among some of our group of a 'reunion tour' in a few years.
Cheers and many thanks,
Lesley Demler

To: Trail Journeys
Subject: Thank you
Hi Our group hired bikes off you 8th April for the 3 day trip and I found your service and quality of cycles second to none.
Last year we cycled the "Murray to the Mountains rail trail" in Australia and hired bikes for that as well. We got second rate bikes and a see you later attitude.
Keep up the good service and many thanks
Bill Finnerty

Estelle Anderson Whitianga
Very impressed from first email contact through to being welcomed by name at your centre in Clyde. The presentation of the bikes workshop area gave us great confidence that our hire bikes were going to be trouble free. All accommodation staff were so friendly and very helpful as were the locals – wished it went on further. Definitely will be recommending yourselves to friends and will be back again ourselves. A great kiwi holiday !

Deborah Hood & family & friends – Raikaia
This experience rated 10/10. Our group of 2 families aged 8 – 70 absolutely loved the whole experience. Loved the fact that the hotels came at just the right time all along the trail. Thanks you so much for the fantastic organising by Trail Journeys – it took the headache out of it. Wonderful to have our bags transferred. All we had to do was bike and enjoy the views.

Maria Clark – Tauranga
We had an awesome time. Excellent bikes, far superior to others we saw on the trail. Your service was amazing – bikes ready for us on arrival, wonderful explanation of service and ride ahead. Our bags were always there waiting for us even to meet the 1.00pm train at Middlemarch. Thanks you for all your help. We will definitely recommend your company.

Peter Tachauer - UK
1 day Auripo Road to Clyde TripOur Rail Trail ride was one of the highlights of our holiday in NZ. The scenery was fantastic and, for us old codgers, gave us a sense of achievement – 2 of our party hadn’t ridden a bike since their teens!
The quality of your setup there is really excellent …. From making the arrangements to the quality of the bikes. I thought the cost was eminently reasonable.
When we come back to NZ, you will be on our list for a re-visit.

Ian and Jenny Paterson – Victoria AustraliaSelf guided 4 day trip October 2008 & 1 day ride April 2009
After having one of our best times ever last year doing the whole trail, in April this year, we hired your great equipment for a day ride. As we were already staying in beautiful Queenstown, we were able to pick the best weather day.   We had a marvelous day riding to Chatto Creek for one of the famous lunches, then riding back to Alexandra followed by a ride around the town, then along the river. It was yet another wonderful experience. We are already looking forward to our next holiday in Queenstown in September/October, so we'll certainly be hiring your bikes again!!

Lynne Farrelly – Auckland Self guided 4 day trip
Our Rail Trail trip was a flawless experience. Good bikes, good information both before the trip, during the organisation and while doing the trail. Able to take a non – biker along on the bus while we cycled the trail was also a major advantage.

Tom & Lynda Aitken - New Zealand Fully Guided Tour
Our rail trail trip was a wonderful experience. All accommodation was great and each night was different. Food was plentiful and very good. Side trips at the end of each days cycling were a perfect end to a days peddling. Especially enjoyed St Bathans and the curling at Naseby. Our tour guide could not have been better. His local knowledge and obvious enthusiasm for the area could not be faulted. We would love to do it all again and maybe spend a little more time exploring this wonderful part of our country.

 

Testimonials from our Guided Trip Clients

December 2009.  We just wanted to thank you and Trail Journeys for the fantastic week we had doing the Otago Rail Trail.  We had a wonderful time and all the planning done by Trail Journeys was great.  The whole week went without a hitch.
We would especially like to thank Allen for his superb organisation and interesting tours and excursions.  We had a great group and we enjoyed every moment of the four days.  The meals and accommodation were outstanding.  The bikes were perfect for the job and a joy to ride.  So much so that we are going to invest in some the same as the bikes that you provide.
We especially like the carrier/carry bag arrangement.  Can you please let us know where these can be purchased from?  Or do you sell them.  We would love to know some details if possible.
We have told all our friends and work colleagues about the terrific week we had and passed on what pamphlets we had to some people but would really like a few more if it is possible for you to mail us some.
There is a lot of interest from this end of the country and a lot of people are keen to experience the trail for themselves.
If there are ever any similar trails happening we would love to hear of them and would make the journey again it was such a great week.
Once again our thanks to Allen for making a wonderful trip a fantastic experience, and thank you to Trail Journeys.
Kind regards
Clive and Judy Buttery

To: info@trailjourneys.co.nz
Subject: Great HolidayHi, Shane,
Just a short line to say how much the four of us from Sydney appreciated the care and attention given to us by you and the crew on our recent bike trip across the Otago Railway line.  The scenery was absolutely superb, the company really great and the lunch time and evening locations were out of this world, giving us a glimpse into the past and also a taste of truly typical New Zealand warmth and hospitality.
We have spoken to so many friends about the trip and hope that some of them will be tempted to make the journey over to the South Island and find out for themselves what a great holiday is there for the taking .

Best regards to everyone who made it such a memorable trip.

Kindest regards,
Pete and Wendy Hurdwell

Lois Follas – Auckland
Fully Supported Tour We all thoroughly enjoyed our Rail Trail experience as part of my brothers 60th birthday celebrations.  Allen was great as our support and guide.  He complimented our group and we valued his care and also him showing us the local history.  The accommodation and food was fantastic and we are recommending Trail Journeys as the best way to do the Otago Central Rail Trail.  Thanks you for posting back my gel seat and the other things we left behind.

Robyn Grayson – Auckland
Fully Supported Tour I was part of a group on your guided tour and I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed it and a lot of it was due to the wonderful organisation of Trail Journeys.  Our guide, Alan, was wonderful and nothing was any trouble to him.  I am sure when he saw the group of geriatrics he wondered what he had struck to start with!!  I think he was suitably impressed that we all kept up and made good time each day. 
It was wonderful to be able to visit different places at the end of the day such as the McRaes mine and the experience of curling at Naseby.  I found these all added bonuses and the guides knowledge of the area was great.  Our accommodation was also great as were the wonderful huge southern meals.  Central Otago certainly is a beautiful part of the world.

 

Testimonials from Company, School and Sports Groups

Sent: Thursday, 8 May 2008 6:42 AM
WELCOME TO..INSPIRE CYCLE, ADVENTURE AND WINE TOURS
Kia Ora (Hello) and Welcome to what will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. Envisage scenery of momentous mountains, vivacious valleys, wicked wineries, Queenstown-where adventure meets daring and Dunedin announces itself to not only the steepest street in the world, but also a city steep in tradition, architecture and culture.
That is the “Inspire Cycle, Adventure and Wine Tour” to the gorgeous Central Otago of New Zealand, your tour guide is an Australian Personal Trainer of the Year Winner and Multi Award Winner of the Queensland Fitness Professional of the Year. Joe Waide knows the land as he was raised there, the secrets will be revealed and the history will be told, wineries will be visited, great cycle trails-with Rail Trail Journeys over 150km and 3 days will be achieved (with a 3 month cycle training lead up provided complimentary), Queenstown will allow you to go the gondola for the laid back, hit the bungy for the leap of faith, skim the Shotover Jet for the Speed adrenalin or Skydive for the serious adventure addict.
Thanks bro, next tour will be Feb next year-I have to present in Auckland and around Australia in November so it was to hard to organise the trip. So the people organised for November are more than happy to do end of Feb next year.

Joey