Coast to Coast Tours

Coast to Coast Tours

Coast to Coast Tours
4.9
City ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate ToursWine Tours & Tastings Day Trips
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About
Sheepworld tour, Wilderness tour, Private Tours, Shore Excursions, enjoy this with our guide/operator Peter. All-inclusive [pick-up, lunch, wine, and all fees] and geared for cruise ship passengers to enjoy a memorable time around the Auckland region. Half day tours and private tours available. Contact us for more details.
Auckland Central, New Zealand
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Tours and Tickets by Coast to Coast Tours

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4.9
4.9 of 5 bubbles324 reviews
Excellent
306
Very good
15
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
1

Joyce K
Toronto, Canada27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Couples
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this full day tour on Oct 22 and consider it good value for the price. Allan, the driver and tour guide, greeted us and another couple at the cruise port in Auckland. First up was the city tour. Our first stop was on the eastern hilltop to visit the MJ Savage Memorial Park with gardens and a panoramic view over the harbour. Then passing along the waterfront we headed to the neoclassical War Memorial Museum situated on a hill which is a dormant volcano. We drove around the impressive property and noted the names of all the major battles inscribed on the walls. Next we stopped at the Winter Gardens, 2 historical greenhouses that showcase rare and wonderful plants and flowers. A fernery is located in the rear and there is a reflecting pool and sculptures. Then we got into the minivan and headed to west Auckland countryside. As we drove along, Allan explained the neighborhoods, districts, businesses, land features and answered our questions. After an hour we arrived at the summit of the mountain and got a fantastic view of the Auckland harbour and area. There was the visitor centre with a Māori totem with carved tikis, which we visited. It had information about the flora and fauna of the area and a gift shop. Then we headed to Muriwai, a half hour away, passing through forested areas. At Muriwai, Allan parked the minivan by the ocean side of the road, high on the cliff to give us a good view to the gannets roosting on the nearby promontory and offshore island. Then we drove down to walk onto the black sand beach, so fine grained and chiefly comprised of iron grains washed up from the sea floor. Then Allan took us to a lovely winery for lunch, West Brook Winery where the 5 of us shared 4 different pizzas. They were delicious. My husband and I had diet ginger beer which was great and the other couple ordered a set of 3 glass wine tasting. Then Allan drove us back to the ship via another route and over the bay bridge, all the while continuing to explain sites and scenery. What a perfect day. I would recommend this company and this tour. Allan was a great driver and guide.
Written 24 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Ora Joyce Wow, where do I start. Well firstly thank you for one awesome, thorugh review. Its the most detailed review I have ever come across. Thats very pleasing and proud to be part of this company when I receive reviews of this magnitude. Tell your friends about us. Many thanks Peter
Written 12 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

grmagno
El Centro, CA20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2015 • Couples
Auckland was the last stop of our 2 week vacation. We did several tours including ones in Sydney and Melbourne. Coast to Coast was by far the best tour we did. We were picked up by Stu on time at our hotel at the Skycity Grand. My husband and I were very fortunate to be the only ones to take the tour that day, so it was like we had our own private tour. Stu was great and very knowledgable about the places and history of Auckland. Unlike the packaged meals we got from other tours, we were taken to a restaurant that had great food made to order. Donna was great as well introducing us to their homestead with their friendly sheep, dogs, and birds(the magpie was my favorite). The cheeses, fruits, jams and pavlova made by Donna were all a treat and very delicious! I highly recommend anyone visiting Auckland to take this tour. You will be treated well and spoiled by Stu and Donna.
Written 23 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia ora, Many thanks for your prompt review. Yes, we were fortunate to have you all to ourselves on this day…(usually we are fully booked and have to turn disappointed people away!). It’s great to hear you enjoyed your time with us and we are astonished that it was your best tour of the many you did. I have passed your comment on to Stevie Magpie, she would agree of course (!) since life is all about HER ;) You are welcome to join her Facebook page too. We are due to break for our winter months 1 May – 15 Aug (but still available for bookings). It was lovely hosting you and showing you our home and farm and we wish you safe travels for the future. Ka kite, Donna & Stu.
Written 25 April 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

TomTurlock
New England31 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
On a recent trip to the French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia, had easily arranged for the "Coast to Coast Tour" offered by Donna & Stuart was easily arranged in advance via email.

Reflecting back on this month long trip, with its many tours, all agree that the "Coast to Coast Tour" is truely one of a handful of the vacation highlights. Being only in New Zealand, North Island, for 3 days one struggled on how to make the most of the time. The full one day "Coast to Coast Tour" was a really rich solution for one of the days. It was not just what one saw; e.g. rain forest, coastal views, gannet colony, hearty food, visit to the family farm....but the positive attitude and energy Donna, Stuart and their family brought to the tour.

The tour was very comprehensive, but at no time did one feel shepherded along (so often seen on other comprehensive tours). It was great to be treated as long time family friends, while the group poked around inside their home and out on the farm. Then there's the remembrance of Donna's Kiwi Pavlova. Yummy. And for the lunch on the road, Stuart just said order anything one wanted from the menu. You don't see that very often. Finally, the Coast to Coast Tour vehicle was very comfortable.

Bottom line, this is a 5 star tour *****

Tom
Written 15 March 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DarbyandStan
Gearhart, OR3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2012 • Couples
We reserved a private tour for 4 adults. Stu picked us up at our hotel on time and began our tour with a drive to the rainforest outside of Auckland. We had a full day of plans that included interesting commentary of the history and current events happening locally and internationally. Other sights included a short visit to craftworld, a winery, the black sands of Muriwai beach where we saw colonies of gannets, volcanic rocks and surfers on the Tasmin Sea. We were taken to an outstanding restaurant for lunch which included tasting several types of honey after observing local bees making honey. Our final stop was at the home of our tour guide Stu and his lovely wife, Donna. Here we enjoyed learning about the life of a sheep farmer and tasting various local chutneys, food and teas finishing with a fabulous homemade pavlova dessert. Although one member of our group argued that pavlova was originally an Australian dessert, Donna nicely convinced us with news articles that New Zealand was the true home of this delicious famous dessert. We have travelled many years ( both couples ) and have taken many tours but we all agreed that Stu and Donna provided us one of the most outstanding tours in all of our experiences. For some reason we cannot understand why they were listed as #4 on Trip Advisor because Coast2Coast was a plus #1 in our recommendation. Don't hesitate to chose this Tour because it was perfectly done. Thank you Stu and Donna
Written 4 February 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi to you all! Many thanks for your very speedy action in posting this review on TA, we really enjoyed hosting everyone. When you said you specifically wanted something special for your first-ever visit to Auckland, we were thrilled that after discussing your requests that our (unaltered) itinerary suited everyone’s tastes! Yes, we are small… (-but a 10 year experienced-) owner/operated tour company. We cater to the discerning customers (such as your group) who are not into “mass tourism” and want something different. The bigger the boat the larger the haul, so consequently being small is a limiting factor when it comes to getting the number of reviews which is one of the quantifiers of TA ranking. Also our elite [private] tour clientele do not (normally) post on these write-a-review websites ;) However, we are very grateful with the consistency of our reviews, and especially content with the favourable reports on how we operate our tour. Your trip would lose its unique concept if we employed lots of guides and had tours going off in all directions as most other Auckland tours do when they patronise the (free) Public places. We also just happen to be our “normal” selves too, and find that if one has “to try to do extra to please”; one cannot remain authentic with your guests! Thank you also for feedback (again) on how it was our itinerary (which also included the unique visit to our own farm & Homestead), that “sold” our tour to you all. Hope you did get a head-start on the wine cruise, and if Pavlova was served, trust you had all that sorted as well…(do use the NZ flag for the occasion!!) All the very best, Donna + Stu.
Written 5 February 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MANESQUIRE
Tropea, Italy6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We visited New Zealand from December 19, 2008 until the end of the year. I wanted to write this review immediately upon our return to Los Angeles because of how much our entire family loved our day spent with Stu and Donna!

This tour was unlike any tour we've ever been on--and I mean this in the most positive way. Even before we met Stu at our hotel in Auckland, we had already conversed with Donna on several occassions by e-mail. She responded the same day to all of our pre-tour inquiries, and we knew we were in good hands even before we left on our trip.

From the moment that Stu picked us up at our hotel, we knew that we weren't on an ordinary tour. The best word to sum up the experience--authentic. There was nothing fake or pretentious about Stu or Donna. Their love of the Auckland countryside and of their beautiful sheep ranch is genuine, and their desire to share this love with others is a rare and wondeful thing, especially to our jaded Los Angeles family members!

The tour itself is described elsewhere in these reviews, but basically, a good part of the day is spent touring the countryside with Stu, including a stop at a New Zealand crafts store, and the balance of the day is spent touring their sheep ranch/farm.

We also want to comment that our kids (23, 20 and 16), who are sometimes difficult to please, loved spending time with Stu and Donna.We also were fortunate that their two adult daughters were home for the holidays, so we had the pleasure of meeting them as well.

The bottom line: if you want to really experience the "true" New Zealand and spend a day in the Auckland countryside with two wonderful people, then you MUST book a tour with Coast to Coast. Believe me, it is an experience that you will treasure for the rest of your life!
Written 6 January 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello N. family! So many thanks for this review. Gosh, we now have a lot to ‘live-up-to’ An interesting point you have mentioned is; our prompt reply to your booking inquiry. YES, we feel this is very important. People have the time, effort (and these days the cost) of making a journey; (some for the very first time), to a far away land, and there are questions etc. that need sorting out! We were in email contact with you since early July for the tour you took in Dec….and you can’t have a conversation like this with a standard booking form, can you? PS. we have been trying to send through your photo, but it keeps bouncing back(?) All the very best to your family for 2009. D&S
Written 16 January 2009
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Robin K
Missouri13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
My sister and I visited Auckland and Rotorua, New Zealand August 8-14, 2008. On Sunday we had booked a tour through Coast to Coast Tours after having read several glowing reports about it.

Stuart picked us up early Sunday morning and took us lots of places explaining about the history, the culture, and little tidits of interest along the way. He was a charming host and we enjoyed the tour very much. The van was new and comfortable, and Stuart was a great driver
After lunch at a nice restaurant (included on the tour) and a few more stops, we went back to his farm where we met Donna and she took over to give Stuart's poor voice a rest!

She welcomed us into their home with a traditional Maori greeting. We got to feed baby lambs; visit her extensive aviary and the rest of the animals; plant a tree for the environment, and have a wonderful tea with yummy pavlova.

We felt completely like honored guests, not just the "tour of the day" . We had the best time and feel like we have made new friends. Stuart even took us by to meet his lovely daughter on the way back to the hotel.

If you go to Auckland, by all means, take the Coast to Coast tour. It will make your whole trip!
Written 4 September 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Sisters! Many thanks for taking the time to write this review. It is amazing just how many people use Tripadvisor these days...it is a wonderful record of "as-it-is", and only thanks to folks like yourselves that continue our rating. We are pleased you enjoued your tour, as we enjoyed meeting you both. Best regards for your future travels. Donna & Stuart.
Written 10 September 2008
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

BigFanOz
Sydney1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I had the pleasure of taking this tour in my last week in Auckland and I’ll confess that when our friends were booking our trip I was in favor of doing one of those double decker bus tours. Well, was I wrong! I’ve taken many tours around the world, and this was easily the best by far. I can’t imagine a better tour of Auckland.
The transport was just as advertised and was driven by a real pro who took great pains to make the ride as smooth as possible.
I particularly want to praise our guides. They had the wit of comedians, the knowledge of historians, the vocal strength of opera singers and a warm, welcoming manner. The breadth and depth of their expertise was truly impressive. There was not a question that couldn’t be answered, and in depth. Its take not only great local knowledge but a good amount of work and dedication to possess that kind of knowledge.
Thanks again for a most memorable day, and keep up the good work!
Written 29 June 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

erving
pittsburgh1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Wonderful tour of Auckland countryside and nearby regions at an affordable price with a down home feel. The hosts are freindly, experienced, knowledgeable and accomodating. We enjoyed views of at a
national park and a black sandy beach, met several friendly sheep at
the operator's farm and enjoyed several types of honey at a native honey farm..Further, the operator treated us to lunch at a lovely country cafe and his wife made us homemade pavlova, a native desert. All our questions were answered, we experienced many wonderful sights and the affordability was excellent. All in all this tour receives my highest recommendation.
Written 13 January 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MelbournePeter
Melbourne1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I recently took the full day excursion from Auckland offered by Coast to Coast tours. It was a thoroughly enjoyable daytrip, led by Stuart who later in the day introduced us to his wife Donna on their farm. During the tour, we saw a craft shop; a bee-hive; an excellent beach; and the wonderful farm which is operated by Start and Donna. The tour included a very substantial lunch and a very enjoyable home-made afternoon tea, and this daytrip from Auckland should not be missed by an visitor keen on seeing more than just inner city experiences while in New Zealand.
Written 25 October 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

George D
Sydney, Australia26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Couples
After three years we again had the pleasure of touring with Stu, our Coast to Coast host to the northern beaches of Auckland. What a surprise and particularly to one of their prestige vineyards for lunch.
Stu and Dona are perfect hosts and we highly recommend them if you would like a different type of tour to the normal where you will go to places not covered by most other tour operators,
They certainly know the best places to see in Auckland for New Zealand culture and history, the best places to shop for those unique N Z made souvenirs and top eating places.
Perfect hosts and good value tours.
Written 28 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia ora George and Bettine, It was great seeing you again and we felt quite honoured that you wanted to spend your day with us after you had already taken our tour previously. You could have gone with any of the many other Auckland tours...so we do feel very special indeed! Stu was able to show you both some of the other parts of Auckland so we are pleased you enjoyed the trip, as we did catching-up with you again.. Thanks so much for posting another review, and also for the lovely calendar of Australia. We wish you both a very happy 2016, and if Tripadvisor allows, we would like to take this opportunity to also wish the same to everyone we have met over the past 12 months. Plus, a big thank you to all our reviewers...we say it over and over again, but we would not be here if people didn't post their reviews Ngā mihi nui, Donna & Stu. .
Written 4 January 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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