Traveler Reviews

• Dognannytraveller 20-Feb-2020

  I joined a small group on Wednesday , and definitey recommend this tour. Our guide Sean was the best! He is a former ranger who worked in the park for many years, and there was nothing he did not know. He was funny, although sometimes I was the only one who "got" his humour. Our lunch was good, as we went to a bakery/cafe where we could chose our own main dish (sandwhich or salads) and a yummy baked product, and a drink. In addition, there was thirst quenching juice and a taste of Manuka honey at the end. If you want to experience the "true" Newzealand and all it's beauty and history, take this tour.

• Sharon M 14-Apr-2019

  We recently done this tour and found it to be excellent. Our tour guide Wayne was very informative and alot of fun. The rainforest was great and very interesting we also went to Piha beach with its black sand. All in all a Fantastic tour we would highly recommend doing this tour to anyone visiting Auckland.

• Lynette M 13-Feb-2019

  Tamara and Wayne with Bush and Beach tours gave us an enjoyable, picturesque and informative tour of the rain forest and beaches surrounding Auckland, NZ. I liked that we had some free time off of the bus to enjoy walks along the beaches as well as a guided hike through the rain forest. The guides even treated us to some cookies, cold beverages and local honey. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Auckland.

• Bibitasmania 28-Nov-2018

  A true, down to earth New Zealand nature experience . You feel you are with friends from the moment you are picked up until you are returned to your hotel. The caring, knowledgeable guides, share their love and pride in their country. We learnt about the origins of New Zealand, the arrival of the Maori, the clearing of the land by the early settlers and the current reforestation. We were shown many types of native plants, learnt how to identify them and how they can be used for medicinal and culinary purposes, for example Manuka Honey. We learnt about the native birds and the dangers from introduced animals and how these preditors are being controlled. As we were shown the black sands of the Piha beach we learnt about the geology of the area and were shown ancient volcanoes. At Karekare we paused to walk down to a beautiful waterfall. Together with the many camera stops to take snaps of beautiful coastal scenery and a panoramic view of Auckland, the whole tour was a trendously interesting educational experience, not to be missed.

• Martomsak 10-Nov-2018

  We really wanted a chance to walk in the rainforest of New Zealand and this tour provided an excellent opportunity to do that. We were picked up at 12:12 pm in a very comfortable van by our guide, David, and driver, Allen. We first visited the Arataki Visitors Centre. This is a nature centre with a strong Maori theme. After touring the centre we split up into two groups: the energetic, younger people went with David while the less energetic people who wanted to walk slower went with Allen. Both groups did a tour of the rainforest but at different walking speeds returning to the centre at about the same time. The walk was very interesting and we learned a lot about the flora in the surrounding forest. We got back on the bus and traveled to the Karekare waterfalls. Most of us walked down to the base of the falls while my wife stayed with Allen on the bus. It was a short but steep walk down to the pool below the waterfall. We had a great view of the waterfall and pool. While doing that Allen showed my wife different sights in the immediate area while turning the bus around. You can see the waterfall plainly from the top of the trail and don't have to walk down if you think the walk will be too difficult. We boarded the bus once more and drove to the black sand beach at Piha. We walked on the beach for about an hour enjoying the scenery and taking photos. Allen and David served coffee, tea and biscuits at a small table they set up. They offered us a chance to try Manuka honey with our tea and biscuits. There are public toilets at this stop. I strongly recommend this tour. There are plenty of opportunities to view the beautiful scenery, to stop and to take photos. David and Allen are excellent at their jobs.

• Jeff206 23-Oct-2018

  I was looking for a day trip to do while in Auckland and easily booked it through the i-site center, and opted to do the Coast & Rainforest Walk Tour. Low and behold, it was a super small "group", which consisted of only myself and a girl from Australia, and of course our guide David Oakes. This is a full day tour and please be aware, that trip seekers WILL be doing alot of uphill hiking (and the uphill part was usually on the way back). Aside from this small consideration, the tour was wonderful! First, you'll go to this visitors center and learn about the area that will be visited shortly on a hike, and take a quick hike up to this summit where you'll 360 views of Auckland in the distance and be able to see both the Pacific ocean and the Tasman Sea! Following that, you'll make another drive out to this really cool black sand beach and even cross into a freshwater river near the sea. Next, you'll make your way along a coastal walk along mountainous ridges and get some of the most awe inspiring views of the western coastline out into the Tasman Sea which was such a beautiful turquoise blue! This place was probably one of the highlights in the trip and you can really see a ways down south along the coastline. This is where you'll have to be prepared for the hike back up and it's alot of uphill walking! To continue, you'll travel down the mountain to the small town of Piha (which is a big surf town and you can also do bodyboarding as well!) This is where you'll stop for lunch (and the cost in included in the trip and you can order whatever you like). There's also a small gift ship next to the cafe where you can buy cool hats and shirts with Piha Beach featured on them (and where I picked up a cool t shirt). After that, you will travel up that same mountain, and to another region not far away. There you'll do a short walk through a rain forest and out to a dam and back (although this walk was not all that interesting to me and probably liked it the least). Although then again, it is about just getting outside and being in the great outdoors. Finally, you'll board the van one more time and return to Auckland (which is about an hour's drive) but it's amazing what lies out along this coast just a short trip from the big city and I think if I lived there, I would definitely make some trips to Piha Beach and the black sand beach just because they feel distant and secluded from hoards of people (although I don't really know what they're like during the summer months). In conclusion, I would certainly recommend this tour company (as long as you're up for alot hiking throughout the day), you'll see epic scenery, and David gave great commentary throughout the day and was great to talk to along with the other traveler I was with.

• Stellarrat 20-Sep-2018

  We had a great time on this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. It was only us and another couple. We loved the bird watching, hikes through two different forests, the waterfall, the kauri tree, and the beach. Lunch was included and pretty good. I would recommend this to everyone that wants a good overview and hands on with the environment of New Zealand. For what you get I think the price is very reasonable as well (roughly $100 per person US.)

• Needlepointaddict 17-Aug-2018

  Allen gave us a wonderful tour around Auckland and its beautiful spots. We took the half day tour and Allen was a wealth of information regarding New Zealand and Auckland history. The bus was comfortable and clean. We saw the rainforest from above and then walked through it below. Went the to black sand beach in Phia and had a quick afternoon tea and biscuit stop. Plenty of bathroom stops and walking/hiking in this tour as well. There were other spots that we stopped in the rainforest and around. Really recommend this company and Allen the tour guide. We found this and some other tours at the very helpful visitor info center by the ferry building.

• Gretasav2 21-Feb-2018

  As we finished our cruise in Auckland, we arranged a few days stay there before our departure back home. We had a tour arranged to see some amazing coastal places and some nature of New Zealand. This tour was approximately 5 hrs and it was definitely value for money. David, our tour guide and driver, was extremely knowledgeable, very friendly and down to earth guy. Even though we got off the ship on that day and we were quite tired, we absolutely loved the experience and all the places that we visited. It was definitely a highlight of our stay in Auckland!

• Mitch R 13-Feb-2018

  We spent a day with David and Erin and several other vacationers on the Coast and Rainforest walk. David was an engaging and knowledgeable guide and sensitive to the needs of his guests. Erin was an excellent driver and guide for persons who chose a shorter hike in the coastal rainforest. We saw a variety of natural habitats and learned a lot about native plants and birds, as well as New Zealand history. Most enjoyable!