We're seasoned launch owners from Auckland and used to what the Hauraki Gulf can dish up when it misbehaves. Our return trip was in moderate sea and this big cat handled the conditions with ease. Large, comfortable departure lounges in both Bluff and Oban were much appreciated. Staff were friendly and accommodating. We changed the time of our return trip to Bluff - no problem. Recommend
Totrue B, The Foveaux Strait can be a challenging piece of water to cross at times and I can see from your review that you are experienced launch owners and appreciate that our catamaran handled the conditions appropriately. Thanks for recommending our ferry service and friendly staff, and for taking the time to post a review..
The Stewart Island Experience Team
This was my second time with Real Journey's travelling to Milford Sound. I specifically asked what bus Curlz would be driving and i was ecstatic to have here as our guide for the day. Both trips (approx. 2 years apart) were very enjoyable and largely this is thanks to the easy process and comfortable conditions that Real Journey's creates but also a big thank you to Curlz who is an absolute legend! Curlz has been in the business for a long time but she makes everyone feel very relaxed and comfortable and she is just a pleasure to be around. Thank you Curlz and the whole Real Johrney's team!
J Spence
JESpence19, Curlz gets lots of positive comments in reviews and is definitely seen as a "legend". We are really pleased to hear that your most recent trip with us to Milford Sound was relaxing and comfortable. We will pass your kind words to her and the rest of the Real Journeys team. Thanks for our five star review. The Real Journeys Team
A one hour pleasant trip in a catamaran delivered us to Oban town wharf, and because it was raining we headed straight for the lovely South Sea Hotel where they served up the most tender fresh blue cod cooked in thin crisp beer batter.
Once the rain stopped we strolled up the road to their excellent Museum, well worth the $2 entry.
Around the corner is The Boathouse Theatre where for $10 we saw 'Lola'. A locally made movie narrated by a dog. Lola herself was hiding under the counter so we got to meet the star.
A walk to 'Bathers Beach',a big golden sand beach which was a surprise as we didn't expect golden beaches on Stewart Island.
On the return journey we saw albatross swooping. A lovely ending to the day.
mary h, Thanks for detailing your trip to Stewart Island. We can't always control the weather, but we are pleased to hear that your catamaran ferry ride with us to Oban was pleasant. We look forward to welcoming you to the island again in the future. The Stewart Island Experience Team
I must admit I was a bit hesitant at first, as I knew that we’d be going to a location later in our trip that had glowworms on site. The boat ride over to the cave included a commentary that seemed to be like “going through the motions”. Visiting the actual Glowworm cave in Te Anau, however, exceeded my expectations. I found it most interesting to be educated about the glowworms and to experience the phenomenon of seeing the caves “light up” with these creatures. I found even their “fishing lines” to be beautiful. Equally fascinating was the experience of being inside that mountain, complete in all these rock formations and waterfalls. Real Journeys has adapted a “ride” created by Mother Nature that is more amazing that anything at Disney!
We booked return on the ferry for our holiday and we were pretty impressed going over(in spite of swell maps on google looking pretty bad) and the strait was pretty flat.
Coming back today was windier but the captain and boat performed very well. Imagine our horror though when we realized that they had left our luggage in the bin on the island. We put it where we were told so it was definitely their fault. Lucky for them we were stopping in Invercargill over night so it caught up with us5 hours later!
Hilary51, Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sorry to hear that your luggage missed your return ferry to Bluff. We sincerely apologise. We will be looking at our procedures, how this happened and ensure that it won’t occur again. We will follow up with the Stewart Island team as we take all feedback seriously. We hope that you still have good memories of Stewart Island from your trip. The Stewart Island Experience team
