New Zealand Travel Testimonial

Jim has a unique blend of being professional with warmth.  He has integrity, humour and maturity, combining his driving, planning and people skills with finess. 

Eating an unhurried breakfast was part of our holiday - we saw other travellers on large coaches scurrying from the hotel breakfast room, some wheeling bags.  I did feel sorry for them. 

Because our timetable was flexible we were able to wait until the fog lifted so we could take our helicopter ride over the glaciers, something we wouldn't be able to do if we were in a large coach.

Our wish list was for spectacular scenery and this is what Jim delivered at every level.  I thoroughly recommend any holiday with Archer Tours.  My mother and I have many photos of a precious time of our holiday together.

 Sylvia Ralph

Parramatta

Sydney 

  

England

Thank you very much indeed or being our guide to Rotorua when we visited beautiful New Zealand on a cruise in early February.  It was our best day and that was thanks to you for your expertise.  You made the day such fun as we saw such amazing sights.  With my mobility being limited at that time, the day was made easy but I still didn't miss anything.  We found you by chance at the quayside when you were picking up some Americans and our luck was in as two of their party failed to turn up.  Thank you so much Jim.

Sue and Paul Culling

Derby

England

 I can strongly recommend Jim Archer Tours after recently experiencing the most wonderful holiday of my life, to which he greatly contributed.  He is a great guide and a safe driver.  He is a mine of information on New Zealand (and rugby football) and Maori culture.  He is unfailingly helpful and unceasingly thoughtful, always smiling, and his van as he calls it is more like a luxury coach, always spotlessly clean and very comfortable.  He organised a comprehensive and interesting tour tailored to our tastes.  He arranged excellent hotels en route, with the brilliant idea in Queenstown to put us in a luxury hotel suite which had a washing machine and dishwasher, enabling us to do some necessary clothes washing en route.

Thank you Jim for everything.

Lettice and Lyndon Palmer

Soberton, England

Just a quick but very sincere thank you for arranging such a wonderful tour of New Zealand for us, we really did enjoy every single moment, Jo says a particular thank you for taking care of her, particularly with her walking difficulty.  You have provided us with so many memories, and we have such a great number of photographs of everywhere we went.

Norman and Jo Chapman

Soberton, England 

Just wanted to say thanks again for a superb tour with you to the volcanic geysers and Jack's brief chief episode at the cultural centre.  We will remember you tour as one of the highlights of our cruise down under.

Regards

Jack and Pat Bowman

Canada

Hi Awhina

Last week you arranged two day tours for us with Jim Archer.  These tours were the highlights of our trip and we really enjoyed them.  Jim was fantastic and his Maori heritage provided a sense of authenticity about his explanations about Maori culture.  He also has a wide knowledge of native plants and animals of New Zealand and showed us some amazing things.  He is a natural story teller and kept us well entertained.

Because there was only me and my wife on the tour, Jim tailored the days to suit our interests and seemed to show us much more than was on the official itinerary.  So much so that on both days he seemed to do overtime for our benefit just so that we could see it all.  I now know why you recommended him so willingly. 

Thanks.  

David Buckland

My daughter and I booked Archer Tours 6-hour tour to Rotorua for the day our cruise ship was in the Port of Tauranga March 2009.

Jim was very responsive to my many questions prior to my booking the tour.  He was also very flexible in his willingness to include a visit to the Agrodome to see the Sheep Shearing and Sheep dog Show which was a "must see" on my list. 

Our day in Rotorua was the best port day of our entire trip thanks to Jim Archer.  The tour was wonderful from beginning to end.  The scenery was beautiful and each place on the agenda was worthwhile and special in its own way.  Jim's personal connection to the Maori Culture and his knowledge of its history, together with his vast general knowledge, made this a most informative and personalized tour.  In addition, his easy going, friendly and personable manner enhanced the whole experience.

Because of Jim's personal connection to the participants in the Maori Culture performance at Te Puia, a member of our group was chosen to act as the visiting chief and the rest of us representing his family were given the honor of sitting in the first row to view the wonderful performance.  What a fun experience for us.

Being a small group allowed us the opportunity for lots of conversation with Jim throughout the day.  As a result, we booked his full day tour of Auckland and environs, with transport to the airport on the day we disembarked the ship in Auckland.  This tour closely matched the marvelous day we spent with Jim in Rotorua.  We were really sad to say good bye to Jim when he dropped us at the airport.

We hope to return to New Zealand.  When we do, we plan to arrange a land tour with Jim.  I would recommend Jim Archer and Archer Tours to any one I know who will be visiting New Zealand.

In addition, I would highly recommend Archer Tours to any cruise ship passengers looking for a shore excursion for Rotorua while in the Port of Tauranga, or while in Auckland.  Jim delivered all that was promised in the description of the tour and more.  He was there at the pier where and when he promised to meet us and there was no problem returning to the ship on time.  In my opinion Archer Tours small group, personalized tour, is so much more enjoyable and rewarding than the large bus coach tours offered by the cruise ships.

Jean Becker                                                                                                                                                                                                                       New York, USA

CANADA

In February 2009 we were four ladies traveling by cruise ship, arriving at our first port in New Zealand - Tauranga.  We booked Jim Archer through the Internet and had no idea what to expect.  He met us at the port with a big smile and our day just kept on getting better.  The whole day was a beautiful scenic drive with many interesting stops along the way to take photos.  We saw among other things a Kiwi fruit farm, the famous geysers in Rotorua, the Maori cultural centre and show, and the Polynesian Spa overlooking Lake Rotorua.  He shared many stories of his homeland and had excellent knowledge of every site we visited.  His personal touch was a wonderful introduction to New Zealand.  We found ourselves wishing we could spend a few more days with him.  His great personality, sense of humor and excellent knowledge of New Zealand make him a fantastic guide.  I highly recommend him.

 Diane Weaver
Ontario, Canada

Being European and a person who is used to drive on the right side of the road, I enjoyed a lot that Jim was driving all the seven days (and not me). So myself and my wife Katri could lay back and relax.

We also found that the choices of hotels recommended by Archer Tours were excellent with good rooms and plentiful breakfasts. We enjoyed the treasures of the Northern Island a lot, and of course you as the personal tour guide – such a humorous, discrete and flexible companion.

Thank you Jim!

Meelis and Katri Liivak
Estonia

"This is THE way to see New Zealand. My wife and I had a very personable chauffeur, tour guide, and safekeeper in Jim Archer, for eight days and seven nights.

He gave door-to-door service, quickly learned our preferences, and we were shown sights that we never would have found on our own. We saw them in a more intimate way than we would have as part of a large group. And all of this for a very small premium over what joining a scheduled small tour group would have cost."

Ken Sommers
California
USA

Dear Jim

"You have made our New Zealand experience such fun. Have you considered 'stand up comedy' as a third career? Thanks from your new friends from Hawaii."

Cedric & Francine Chun
Tan Tek & Wei Ling Lum
Vernon & Rhoda Zane
Hawaii
USA

Dear Jim

"Jim Archer took our group of three couples on a fantastic journey through the total New Zealand experience. From the time Jim met us at the airport until we parted 19 days later, our days were filled with great sights, insightful commentary and wonderful service. Jim took care of everything: driving, luggage, accommodations, sightseeing, restaurant recommendations, and more. His smile and friendly service were contagious. He filled our days with the wonder of New Zealand and the cheer of its friendly people. He made our trip truly memorable. We're happy to recommend Archer Tours to anyone."

Tom and Janet Howes
Aiea, Hawaii
USA

"Touring New Zealand and taking in it's wonderful natural scenery is something we would encourage anyone thinking of doing, to do so. For that extra element of natural, authentic, New Zealand charm, we would highly recommend Jim Archer as your tour guide. Jim has a warm personality that blends well with anyone. Several times we were told by the staff at various lodgings, "Jim is one of the best tour operators we work with". We already knew that but coming from other professionals in the business is the best endorsement anyone can receive. He has a terrific attitude with everything he does, even when confronted with an obstacle. His flexibility was amazing."

"When we asked to make changes the answer was always, we can do that, everything is possible". He made everything possible with enthusiasm and a wonderful warm smile. His knowledge of New Zealand from the places, to the flora and fauna, to historical details is amazing. At the end of our 19 day tour of the South and North Islands not only were we pleased with all the sights we saw but we felt we had made a new friend with Jim"."

Dave and Rena Munson
raga, CA
USA

"It truly was a memorable trip and we are very happy to say to anyone who is interested that "we had the greatest tour of New Zealand that anyone could have.  And it could only have happened with someone like you as our guide."

"The fact that you, with your Maori heritage and background, were able to give us a first person perspective on the history of New Zealand from both the Maori and English view ,was not only enlightening, but very exciting. Both Irene and I were very happy with all aspects of the trip, but the fact that after that exhausting flight, we saw your welcoming sign and face greeting us at the airport stands out in our minds. True, the beautiful mountains, glaciers and country side as well as the wineries, restaurants, and excursions also helped in making it such a pleasant experience."

"Jim, it was so nice to meet you. In our minds you are much more than a tour guide. You are a great ambassador for your country and a friend to those of us who have toured New Zealand with you. Irene and I look on our trip to New Zealand as a "once in a lifetime adventure" and in large measure attribute it to you.

Your friends
Augie and Irene Keller
Plano Texas
USA

"Jim: Sally and I would like to commend you for your fantastic tour of the North Island of New Zealand. It was well planned and well executed, from the Bay of Islands to the Maori experiences. Your planning included some sandboarding thrills in the north and some really scenic waterfalls in the south."

"We are making plans to come back with you to see the South Island in the future. Thanks for your hands on approach. We felt like part of your family."

Mike and Sally Varney
Winter Park, Florida
USA

"Jim, thanks for everything. We had great trip with you. We were very happy with your services and companionship through out the trip. Your knowledge and expertise in touring was very helpful to us. You are always happy and nothing is "NO"."

"We really appreciate and hopefully we will see you sometime in the future in U.S.A. or in New Zealand."

Maya & Ramesh Shah
New Jersey
USA

"Dear Jim, Bob and I want to thank you so very much for the wonderful help you were to us. Choosing you to help us was without a doubt the best decision we made on our sixteen day trip to NewZealand. You took the worry out of where to go and how to find it, and especially getting us there ( because you Kiwi's do drive on the wrong side of the road ). All in all you were just great, again thanks so much.

"My group really enjoyed our 7 day tour with you, so much fun and so many laughs Jim. Thanks a lot."

Toki Tamura - Independent Tour Leader
Toyama
Japan

"This is just a short e-mail to let you know that Chris and I really enjoyed our tour with you to Rotorua. We missed so much when we passed through the first time and would like to thank you for all the interesting information. What really makes a tour such as this worth while is a guide who knows what he is talking about, friendly and helpful. You are all of the above. We shall certainly contact you again should we visit NZ again and will certainly recommend you to any friends making a trip over to NZ. "

Chris and Hilary Mancell
Brisbane
Australia

"Your tour was one of the best I have ever experienced. Well planned and comprehensive, it made the best use of the time we had there."

Hal Beach
Alabama
USA

"….we would like to thank you for being a big part of making our tour such a success. We feel lucky to have chosen such a friendly, easygoing person to show us a very beautiful country. I cannot express enough how satisfied we were with your tour….everything we asked of you, you were able to provide…thank you for a great tour with a fantastic "Kiwi Bloke".

Dubi Galezky
Embassy of Israel
Canberra,
Australia

"…we keep raving about our trip and about the services provided by you. You made us feel at home all the time and were never upset with changes in plans…you took us wherever we wanted to go smilingly…you can be certain about one thing and that is JIM TOURS will be our sole recommendation. We all wish you further success and prosperity in your business.

Raj Bhalla

USA

"…I just want to thank you for looking after my sister in law Gina Cassidy . …she enjoyed her day out with Archer Tours, coming from London she was a bit weary about going off for the day with a strange man…but she wanted you to know that she felt completely at ease and most importantly, for a women travelling alone, she felt SAFE. Well done Jim I will have no hesitation recommending you and your tours to anyone in the future."

NZ

"… very enjoyable trip. Would definitely recommend to any-one."

South Africa

"The best. Today topped our holiday off.

Australia

"Would gladly book another tour if time permitted."

Canada

"I will book another tour if possible. Also I will recommend it to my friends."

India

"..was personal and not rushed…vehicle clean and early for pick up, gives a good first impression.

UK

"Driver/guide was well informed and helpful. Arranged entry into special interest places. A careful driver and good company."

Canada

"My stay in NZ has definitely been more fulfilling…Jim's disposition has made the trip enjoyable."

Singapore

"…friendly, helpful, informative. Nothing is a bother."

Australia

"…timing of attractions is flexible, good personal guide and can stop anywhere on the way to take photo's."

England

"A very enjoyable day, one that won't be forgotten and very informative."

Australia

"…good trip for me and my wife. I think you are very pride in tour guide.

Korea

"Fare is very reasonable, tour guide is very kind, we enjoyed very much.

Japan

"…very knowledgeable tour guide…gives information in detail. We feel we have much laughs and smile during this tour.

China

"A wonderful tour worth every dollar."

UK

"We enjoyed it all and appreciated the information we were given in an easy and relaxed way."

UK

"Very nice …..did not feel rushed

Canada

"Excellent trip! Hope to be back soon.

Australia

"I will miss you, I love my trip, see you next time.

Taiwan

"We went for it, it was awesome, a really great time…thanks mate.

UK

"The world's best kept secret, seeing NZ only with Jim. A million thanks.

UK

"Thank you Jim for taking care of us during this pleasant and memorable trip.

Malaysia

"Amazing Time! Wonderful memories. Thanks for looking after us and making it so special."

UK

"Excellent, Jim is not just a guide but a friend.

Hong Kong