Our Experience

30 years of developing and leading tours on six different continents.

24 years of business in an ever-changing and almost always challenging business environment. Think 9/11, SARS, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Gulf Wars 1 and 2, foreign currency fluctuations, Christchurch Earthquake, and now, of course, Covid 19.

What does this mean for you? It means that:

A) The itinerary is simply going to work, which maximizes your enjoyment. The walks are going to be beautiful, and not too long, and not too short, and with lots of variety. The day’s timing will be right. The transfers won’t be too long, you’ll get to lunch just when you are getting hungry, and there will be a loo stop just at the right moment! The accommodations will be the best that can be found in the area, and they will all have been personally checked out beforehand for their location, cleanliness, and noise levels. The restaurants have been carefully selected, right down to the tables we want. Getting a tour right is about the details as well as the “Wow” moments that we create for you.

B) Your guides are going to be the best. After thirty years of guiding Brett has worked with guides from all over the world and he knows how to choose the right people to lead his tours.

C) Brett has partnered with all types, from Tuareg nomads in Algeria to Michelin starred chefs in France. Again, he knows how to pick the right people to provide you with amazing experiences during your time on tour.

D) After thirty years of guiding, Brett knows that you have to plan for disruptions, so there is always a plan B through Z. How to deal with extreme weather events, accidents, and even the occasional extreme client! (Happily, that doesn’t happen very often, but we have to prepare for it.) When something unforseeable happens, we know how to come up with an alternative on the fly. For example, see HERE (and then scroll to the bottom of that page) how we responded to the Routeburn track closure in February 2020. 

E) The company is financially robust. 9/11 taught me that variables beyond my control would impinge on my business and therefore I have always planned for a total shut down. We won’t go belly up becuase we have enough liquidity to get us through to 2023 even if we have zero revenues for three consecutive years. The point is, you can have peace of mind booking with us. 

F) Finally, three decades of incredible travel experiences with wonderful people in some of the planet’s most stunning places has simply served to provide me with the energy and enthusiasm to create more amazing travel memories here in magnificent New Zealand. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, I know that this too shall pass and I am super enthused about sharing with you the gorgeous hikes and dazzling views that I have recently discovered while putting these tours together for Hike NZ.