New Zealand trip planning
CUSTOM TRAVEL ADVICE
Maybe you have a rough route for your New Zealand trip, and want help perfecting it. Or you don’t have time to sift through all the information available to plan your trip. Maybe you just don’t know where to start.
I might be able to help.
Book a call with me, a local, and get personalised help with planning your itinerary. You can use the button below, or just send me an email at hello@petrinadarrah.com to arrange a time.
HERE’S HOW I CAN HELP
We can talk through your planned itinerary and I’ll give you feedback on whether it makes sense. Is it feasible? Too much driving? Too many activities?
I can help you narrow down your options by giving honest opinions about which places are worth your time.
We can bounce ideas around — if you’re not sure where to start, I can talk through places you might not have thought about or considered, to see if they interest you.
I can help you decide how much time to spend in each place.
I can help you weigh up the best ways to get around — whether that’s taking an internal flight, driving, or taking a campervan.
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
As soon as I see your booking, I will send you a confirmation email with a meeting link. I use Google Meet.
I will also ask if you have any specific questions, or any itinerary notes you would like me to look at before we meet (not obligatory!).
On a video call, I share with you my advice on knowledge, so you can fast track your New Zealand trip planning. I can’t book accommodation or activities on your behalf, but I can send you links and help you get ready to book independently.
After the call, I will send you notes based on our discussion. This might be a day-by-day itinerary with personalised suggestions for places to eat, hikes, and other activities that interest you.
Consultations are priced as follows:
1 hour: 120 USD
1.5 hours: 150 USD
2 hours: 180 USD
I ask for payment when you book your consultation, but don’t worry; you can change the time free of charge and if you need to cancel, I’m happy to give you a full refund minus 5% to cover processing fees.
I’m also happy to refund you if you get off the call with me and feel like I didn’t help in any way. I want you to leave the call feeling excited for your trip and clearer about your goals, so just email me immediately afterwards if you would like refund.
If you book a call and then no show, I charge 50% of the booking cost, and will refund you 50%. This is just to cover my time.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
I’m not going to try to sell you anything; I’ll just help guide you plan your trip and guide you towards the activities that suit you best.
Please note that I do not offer a booking service. I am not acting as a travel agent and I will not make any bookings on your behalf. However, I will provide you with links to all the accommodation, tours, and services I recommend for you to book directly.
I don’t have a strict format for these calls — you can use the time as you like, and ask me anything you want.
My areas of expertise are; travelling in a campervan, outdoor adventure activities (camping, hiking, beaches), food (and coffee and wine).
I like to recommend small, independent businesses where I can, especially if they are owned by women or Maori people. I’m passionate about sustainable travel and part of that is supporting local.
I don’t have a family of my own so I’m not as familiar with activities oriented toward kids; I can still do my best to help you, just letting you know it’s not my main expertise.
I try to recommend accommodation places as much as I can, but quite often I have stayed at smaller, cheaper places (I’m often travelling alone) so sometimes I will recommend places I have heard about in the tourism grapevine, rather than places I have stayed myself. I’ll let you know when that’s the case.
I like to keep things pretty informal, so don’t expect me to be super serious!
YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, BUT WHY HER?
Here are a few reasons why me:
I have worked in New Zealand travel for years. First for Jucy Rentals (content writer), then for Tourism New Zealand (content manager) and as a freelance writer (projects have included updating a travel guide book, so I have literally helped write the book on New Zealand travel).
I have years of accumulated experience and know a few things about what goes on behind the scenes. I’m happy to chat about topics like what gets overhyped in travel media, as well as things like over tourism.
I travel New Zealand a lot. Truly, it is something I never get tired of. I have spent months on the road — in 2024 I drove from Auckland to Invercargill and back up over the course of several months. That was mostly just for fun, but I count it as research, too. In November I went back to Queenstown for three weeks of just hiking, again for fun. And in the past I have spent months living in my campervan, just to get more travel time in. So, I like to think I am somewhat up to date with what travel in New Zealand is like.
I’m passionate about New Zealand and will enthusiastically share as much info as I can to make your trip stress free and enjoyable. I love hearing about the trips people are planning to New Zealand, so these sessions are always fun for me too.
Judi and Eileen, Australia
“Petrina put together an itinerary that includes places and sights we wouldn't have known to see. She included suggestions for places to stay, eat and side trips not to be missed. It has taken a heap of stress away and added a level of excitement, we are so looking forward to it. Her local knowledge was invaluable. We would unreservedly recommend Petrina if you are planning a similar adventure in New Zealand.”
Gordon and Annie, Canada
“Her desire to help and provide useful and timely information for planning our itinerary made a significant impact on my ability to plan out our trip… Her professionalism and warm, friendly demeanor made the entire planning process a joy. Thanks to Petrina, we have new found excitement for our upcoming New Zealand adventure. We highly recommend her services to anyone planning a journey to New Zealand.”
HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD YOU BOOK?
The amount of time you might need for an itinerary consultation depends on where you are in your planning, and how much time you’ll be travelling for.
These are my suggestions for the length of time to book, but if you’re unsure just go for a one hour slot — we can always book a follow up session if you find it to be useful.
1 hour ($120USD): This is usually enough to walk through a one week itinerary in detail or to cover a longer itinerary more quickly — say, if you already have a pretty good idea of where you want to go.
1.5 hours ($150USD): This is perfect if you want to go over a 2 week itinerary and have questions around other topics, like how to manage your money in New Zealand, what rental car companies are the best, and so on.
2 hours ($180USD): This is the best option for itineraries of 3 weeks or more, or if you are just at the beginning of your planning and want to get up to speed quickly — in this block of time I can help prepare you for everything you need to know.
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED
Please note that I do not offer a booking service. I am not acting as a travel agent and I will not make any bookings on your behalf. However, I will provide you with links to all the accommodation, tours, and services I recommend for you to book directly.
I do not provide assistance in researching flights or travel to New Zealand. Nor am I able to provide information about visa requirements or advice on travel insurance.
I do not provide travel insurance - please take appropriate travel insurance / cover ahead of your trip.
Unfortunately, I am not available for assistance during your trip or in case of emergencies. If you contact me during your trip I aim to answer as quickly as possible, but I cannot guarantee that I’ll l be able to provide short-notice advice.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
To secure your booking, full payment is required in advance of our call. Payment can be made with credit card via Stripe.
If you do not show up for the call, there is a fee of 50% of the booking cost, even if you wish to reschedule. If you reschedule more than two hours before the call, there is no additional cost.
Under no circumstances can I book accommodation, transport, tours or activities on your behalf. Instead, I will provide you with links to streamline the booking process. Affiliate links will be clearly marked.
I can provide general advice about visas and travel insurance, but I cannot provide legal advice on these topics.
My Itinerary Consultations are designed to help you get the most out of your trip. Recommendations and advice are based on my knowledge and extensive research. I will do everything I can to make sure you have an enjoyable, safe and successful trip – but I will not be held responsible for any unforeseen changes or circumstances that may affect your trip.
All Itinerary Planning Services and related documents are governed by the terms and conditions set out here.
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