At RatPack we love abit of New Zealand and absolutely everything it has to offer, it’s THE home of adrenalin, beaut scenery – we’re talking lakes, mountains, glaciers and it’s THE spot for the adventurous and the explorers! Sammy boy spent 2 years bouncing around NZ and has seen so much of both the North & South Island and lived in the epic Raglan…. {epic little chill surf town make sure you get it on the list – yewww}
If you’re thinking of travelling New Zealand, you’ve may have heard of the Kiwi Experience. It’s a popular option for backpackers who want to hit up the many unreal spots in NZ and the epic activities it has to offer with an epic group of travellers and a driver/guide.
Click images to see more.
Ready for an adventure?
The Kiwi Experience is an experience like NO other and we love that >>> The Kiwi Experience is New Zealand’s most popular backpacker bus company, it’s a combination of transport, trips and destinations and a really EASY way to travel. With so much to see & do in NZ they have a range of different passes to suit everyone and hit different spots & routes. You can even choose your start and end point to suit your itinerary and budget > we can even get all RatPackers 10% off all passes.. EVEN if they are on sale, saving you $ every step of the way.
How do the passes work?
The buses are ‘hop on hop off’ which means you can hop on and off as much as you like along the route, the kiwi experience is not a group tour with a set itinerary, its a bus pass which allows you to hit up the best spots and do any activity you feel like with a group of fellow travellers. You can stay in places for as long or as little as you like, the beauty of the Kiwi Exp is that it’s YOUR trip and you can be flexible if you fall in love with a place {trust us… you will}.
You have a year to use your pass, so if you get stuck in a spot, it’s all good! With all of the passes there are minimum times – so bear this in mind when checking out the passes. The buses are super comfy, modern and you’ll have informative, entertaining commentary, plus heaps of activity discounts, walks and awesome photo opportunities!
Before you go...
- Decide when you want to go to NZ {FYI – Autumn/Winter runs from March – September & Spring/Summer runs from October – February}
- Work out how long you want to spend in NZ – we recommend spending at LEAST a month if you want to properly explore both islands
- Check out all the different passes here, there are SO many different options to suit each explorer and to tick off those bucketlist experiences AKA skydiving, bungy jumping, white water rafting and more.
- Not sure which pass? Hit us UP and we can help you for sure, don’t forget that we can also get all RatPackers 10% off any pass even if it’s on sale {all about that money saving… UNO}
- Once you’ve decided which pass you want, how long you’ll travel for and your start and end point, we’ll get it all sorted for you! The Kiwi Experience will book you on to all your buses and guarantee your first night accommodation in each place. We’ll send you your itinerary and you are G to G {Good to go in RatPack speak}
When you are in NZ...
- Now all you need to do is arrive in your starting location in one of the pickup hostels and begin the adventure.
- Your bus driver will be your tour guide, activity organiser and banter provider {what a job title!} whilst you are on the bus this is your GO to person and is there to answer any questions & change your buses.
- Whilst on the bus, your driver will tell you what epic activities are available at each location, they’ll pass around a clipboard and you’ll be able to sign up – E A S Y.
- Kick back… enjoy it and make those memories!
Our favourite spots in NZ
- Queenstown
- Franz Josef Glacier
- Taupo
- Milford Sound
- Paihia
- Lake Tekapo
- Raglan
About the Author: Sammy
with RatPack Travel?
5-Star Google Rated
From our RatPackers
Ryan did an amazing job and guided me through the alternatives of different campervan rentals and helped me to find what suits me for my trip
Planning a huge trip is always a daunting experience but George managed to make the whole experience stress free and enjoyable. Everything from start to finish was personal and easy! Booking with RatPack is like being on the phone to a mate. Super informative, really friendly and we got an amazing deal. All you can ask for really. Thank you RatPack!
Huge thank you to RatPack Travel! We left it pretty late to book our campervan for Tassie and couldn't find many affordable options ourselves. I spoke to Gregg from RatPack on Whatsapp and within 10 minutes he had found us a great vehicle at an amazing price. We've just landed in Hobart and found out we've been upgraded to an even better van at the same price!! Will definitely be recommending RatPack to everyone I know who is planning to travel and see Australia the proper way! Thank you Gregg! ❤️
My booking experience was such a pleasure and quite unique. I assumed I’d be dealing with computer generated prompts but instead had 2 calls with the lovely Anna who worked with our tricky time difference (I’m in Qatar) . Within 24 hours she secured me a great deal on the van that would work best for me. Can’t wait for my December adventure and couldn’t recommend RatPack Travel enough!!
Ryan was very helpful top bloke 👍👍
Super schnelle und gleichzeitig sehr persönliche Abwicklung der Buchung. Anna war sehr freundlich und bei Fragen stets erreichbar. Macht das buchen super easy, sehr guter Service!
I had an incredible experience renting a van with them for my road trip in New Zealand. Ben was exceptionally helpful and made the whole process smooth and enjoyable. We had a pleasant chat, and they were accommodating when I needed to make changes to my booking. Highly recommend this rental company for anyone exploring New Zealand! Can’t wait to get in the road.
Cannot recommend these guys enough!! We recently booked our 3 week holiday in NZ. We would be lying if we said the process of looking for a motorhome/campervan was easy. We spent days tossing up options that hardly met our budget. After a few days of stressing out like a pair of lunatics we came across RatPack Travel, lo and behold they were the saviours we desperately needed! We hopped on a call with Chris and got chatting. Within the hour we locked in a spacious motorhome (with insurance) that met our budget - WE’RE SO STOKED!! We wholeheartedly recommend RatPack Travel to any future holiday makers out there looking for a fast, reliable and friendly service! THANK YOU CHRIS!!! ❤️🔥
Haven't started my journey yet so can't say much but so far the customer service specifically from Ben has been incredible and he was able to find me a great deal and I'm very excited.
A huge thanks to George and Jenna for a great service! Kind, accomodating, and effective!
Anna has been really helpful and made sure I got the best deal for my last minute booking. She made it really easy as I had nothing to do, except for answer questions and review the details to confirm the booking. She was very professional and also answered my questions and gave me tips. The service is free for users as they get paid by the rental company. Thank you to Sammy and Tammy as well for finding a solution for me :). Will recommend your services.
Super helpful and friendly staff. They helped me plan an adventure with my dog in a rental camper and got the best deals. Thank you Ryan F and RatPack.
George was super helpful. He got us the absolute best deal and saved us so much money on our van!
Gregg was great to work with! Made the process so smooth and effortless!
These guys are lifesavers! Needed to book a van for ten days right before arriving in Australia and they did all the heavy lifting finding the van! Huge thank you to Anna for being incredibly friendly and helpful - RatPack is the best!
