Christchurch to Queenstown 2 Day Tour via Franz Josef (One Way)

On the first day of our tour, Rosie was fantastic! Punctual, conscientious, and determined to keep us on track to arrive at Franz Josef at 6:30PM. The van was a very well-appointed Mercedes sprinter and was in excellent shape for a tour van -- clean, leather seats, good intercom, outfitted with all the latest safety features including wind assist (which Rosie definitely ended up needing). Rosie was a very safe driver despite extremely windy & rainy conditions. We also did all the stops and were pretty fortunate to arrive at breaks in the weather for Castle Hill (used for Narnia movie scenes), the waterfall at Arthur's Pass, Hokitika Gorge, etc. Rosie was a font of knowledge and strove to be engaging with NZ facts on geography, history, flora & fauna, culture, and politics -- all whilst driving a van in inclement weather for 7 hours! On the second day, Kristina was a wonderful guide who kept her energy up for a long day of driving and chatting. Our stops included a variety of locations: lakes w/ beautiful reflections, glaciers, beaches, waterfalls, and other scenic vantage points. Lunch was arranged at a decent restaurant along the way. There is only one major road along the west coast of NZ, and this was a great way to see the change from temperate rainforest to the interior land in the range's rain shadow. The scenery and road all felt very remote, so it was nice to see this part of the country with an experienced and knowledgeable guide. Kristina remained focused and willing to engage but also allowed time for us to just enjoy the scenery and listen to her playlist of NZ artists. Overall this whole trip was a great way to get to Queenstown from Christchurch and see some great scenery and absorb some local knowledge at the same time. Well worth it! Oh, this particular tour only runs in the summer when the pass over the mountains is reliably accessible.