Creating immersive experiences right here in our backyard

  Having booked a small group tour of Tauranga on-line were we really didn't know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised when Carol took us on a relaxing and very... read more informative highlights tour. Carol is passionate and professional and we were so glad we didn't decide to be part of the "cattle class" on one of the larger tour coaches.
We highly recommend this tour to anyone stopping off in Tauranga. Thanks Carol for providing one of the highlights of our New Zealand cruise.

  Four of us got off the cruise ship at Tauranga and started looking for a small van tour for several hours. We found Carol of Wicked Wanders right at the... read more wharf and signed up with two more women from our ship. What a wonderful, fun, informative time we had for the next four hours! Carol was fun and full of great information which made our tour special. We loved the fresh fish and chips she picked up and then drove us to the perfect picnic spot to enjoy. Be sure to check our Wicked Wanders when in Tauranga!!

  When cruising it is easy to book excursions directly from the ship. We have found these can be very expensive and very impersonal. You have 50 on the coach and... read more time taken to get on and off can be wasteful. On our recent trip to NZ and Oz we compared the ship's prices with independent operators. They were often almost half price and everyone worked out really well.
This was our first excursion from our cruise ship and we were not sure what to expect. It was an excellent tour and Carol was a great driver and guide. She was very informative throughout. We visited a small town and the countryside that really gave us a view of NZ life. We visited a Honey farm, Kiwi farm and Avocado farm. She was very knowledgeable about all the growing processes. We tasted honey but were advised not to buy any honey products as banned from Western Australia and we were disembarking in Perth. We were introduced to Golden and Green Kiwis and she bought us kiwi ice creams. Finally she provided bread to enable us to taste the oil at the avocado farm. It was a most enjoyable trip which gave us our first introduction to New Zealand.

  This small group tour was very informative and we had the opportunity to see a selection of locations that had important historical significance. The guide was knowledgeable & able to... read more answer all our questions. Really liked the visit to the the Manuka honey factory & the Kiwi farm. The free sample of ice cream & kiwi was very tasty. The final visit to the avocado farm was also interesting.
Worthwhile way to spend your time

  Mum and I thoroughly enjoyed our day out. The tour guide picked us up from our accommodation and took us back the end of the day. The tour... read more guide was very informative and we learnt a lot about redoubts, kiwifruit and avocados. We enjoyed our fish and chip lunch at Maketu. Would recommend this tour to others.

  Our guide, Nicolle was excellent: professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. She kept us on track to ensure we didn't miss our ship. The tour was terrific: entertaining, educational, and beautiful.

  Carol from Wicked Wanda Tours was waiting for us as stated just outside the gates to the port. She gave us a cheerful welcome and said as soon as we... read more had everybody we would be on our way. Once every body arrived we set of to see the sights of Tauranga accompanied with her expert commentary. She said she liked showing and telling people a little bit of the area she calls home and I might add she was very good at it. At our visit to the Bee Farm she told us all about how a working hive operates and the jobs of all the different types of bees. Her wealth of knowledge was unbelievable. All to quickly we had seen all that was planned and she stopped at the port side shopping centre as well as at the port so that those that wanted to could stroll around shopping and still get back in time for "All Aboard".
A job well done.
Thank You Carol All 4 of us in our group had a good time and I never heard any unhappy words from the other travellers.

  The Kiwi farm was fascinating and our Kiwi sample tastings along with Ripe NZ Avocados and NZ cooking oils dipped in bread were a treat. Russell was most interesting in... read more his history and culture of NZ along the way. We enjoyed perfect stops to embrace the views, ocean, rose garden and shady green ancient Monmouth Redoubt. Russell is a good driver and clearly embraces a keen knowledge for all questions.

  our group of ten people toured the area of tauranga when we stopped there on a recent cruise. the tour guide, carol, gave clear instructions where to meet, and... read more she helped craft a tour that catered to our wishes. we were comfortable in her clean van as we cruised past beaches, mounts, lakes, and kiwifruit orchards. carol, in a familiar and pleasant way, offered informative commentary along the way. a picnic (on our own dime) was enjoyed at the government gardens. the things that we especially enjoyed on the tour were the stops at whackarewarewa in the geothermal area of rotorua where we saw a living maori village and were entertained by the maori people with song and dance, and the visit to the kiwifruit orchard where we learned about how the fruit is grown and had the opportunity to sample products featuring the fruit. carol was an excellent host...well-prepared, helpful, informative, but never intrusive. the price of the tour was significantly lower than the prices we paid for other private tours in new zealand, yet the quality remained comparable! well done wicked wanders!

  We booked our trip through Viator, but you may be able to book w/ Wicked Wanders directly online. Wonderful tour around Tauranga with stops for local Tea & Kiwi... read more Fruit tasting. Russell is an excellent guide and I'd highly recommend booking w/ him early.

  had a ball,Carol the driver operator had a idea of where we wanted to go but was very accommodating & suggested changes to the original ittinary that we had asked... read more for, her knowlage of the local area was excellent .can highly recommend this company to anyone visiting this area .

  Took this tour whilst on a day visit by cruise ship. Great choice. Was easy to find just outside of the wharf gate. Comfortable mini bus & Russell was a... read more knowledgeable & friendly guide. Would highly recommend

  We had an amazing day with Russell who showed us the beauty of Bay of Plenty. We stopped in Mount Maunganui where Russell told us the history of New Zealand... read more and specifically about Bay of Plenty. After a nice drive down to Hobbitland we were able to explore the fascinating set from the Hobbit movies.
Russell also took us to one of New Zealand beautiful waterfalls after the tour at Hobbitland.
The BIGGEST plus was definitely the orca Russell spotted near the beach in Mount Maunganui. For us who’s never seen an orca before, this was an experience of it’s own! I highly recommend Russell if you wanna have a tour with great experience.

  excelent attention to detail, small group of 10 Water bottles placed on each seat. Mobility an issue & a step for entering & exit the minibus, just there... read more not to be asked for & on our orchard visit he had a seat for me in the shade. Russell it is the little things that count the most, best trip ever,,
Thanks
Recomend any time.

  We had beautiful weather. This is a must to be able to experience the best views. Our guide was good and informative. Downside for anyone unable to walk unaided, not... read more for wheelchair, steps quite steep. Pushchair can manage,
money we'll spent.
PS: I have both knees reconstructed but able to get around the hilly terrain.

  This trip is well worth it, especially if you want to quickly learn more about the history of NZ. We've tried a few other cultural experiences here but they felt... read more impersonal and weren't as fun or knowledgeable.

Since it's a small tour we got to ask a bunch of questions, and Russ knows his stuff. He's also great to have a laugh with & I recommend asking for him when you book.

We went with a family group including parents, grandparents, Aunts etc. but it'd be perfect whoever you're with.

Thanks for the great day!

  We really enjoyed our 4-hour tour. Interesting and fun. The town is very near the port so you can walk in or take the ship shuttle. We were met at... read more the port gates by Russell and on our return we walked along the beach road which is very close to the ship. It was lovely.

  Our guide, Nicolle was excellent: professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. She kept us on track to ensure we didn't miss our ship. The tour was terrific: entertaining, educational, and beautiful.

  Our guide Russell was a local man who was at the pier to greet us. The tour showed us around the town of the "Mount", beaches, harbour, the adjoining... read more community of Tauranga, working port, shopping precinct. We then headed out from there to a honey producing company and samples the famous Manuka honey and other blends. Coffee break welcome. Then to a small farm seeing avocado trees laden with fruit (no sample sadly). We did though sample the oil from same. Following this we headed to another farm producing the famous Kiwi fruit and were told about the two main varieties (green and gold Kiwi fruits). Overall I enjoyed the tour and found Russell to be an engaging and helpful guide, but we (as older persons),found getting in and out of the mini bus a bit of a challenge. I enjoyed the visit to the greenhouse on the harbour, but would have liked to go inside the old missionary complex instead of looking from the street.

  I HIGHLY recommend to do this tour. You don’t have to rent a car, you just sit back, relax and enjoy your ride! This is also cheaper than renting a... read more car.

Russel was the best guide ever. So kind and service minded. We even got to see orcas on our way home, thanks to Russell’s great eyesight.

Thank you so much!

  Very worthwhile tour for cruise passengers. Carol is very informative and friendly. Had a lovely time and still had time for a walk round.

  Could not find a tour that suited us with the cruise line, so found Wicked Wanders online. really enjoyed the small group, the well thought out tour, the super tour... read more guide, Carol, and the Fush and Chups!!, and talk about service, Carol returned my Jacket to Australia after I left it on the bus

  This was a great tour with Russell so informative he certainly knows his stuff!
Definitely recommend this tour to anyone wanting a bit of history as well as small... read more tastings of the wonderful kiwi fruit and avocado that we definitely don’t get at home !

  What a fantastic tour guide Carol was can't fault her, very informative and also has a sense of humor which can be hard to come by these days

  Small group tour with Russell being very responsive in replies in enquires. Great, smooth and not rushed in timing which were good. A secret local lunch hideout (you will need... read more to join this tour to know this secret which serves fantastic food).
He went to the extend of getting red kiwi fruits for visual experimental which was a bonus.
Thanks Russell!

  I took a private tour of the Karangahake Gorge, Minden outlook and the Owhanga Falls, with lunch and a little train ride. I really got the feeling that there is... read more not much to do or see in this area - and that the guide was hard-pressed to take up the day showing us around. Scenery was pleasant, it was a nice sunny day, lunch was unremarkable; food average, service terrible. (I can't even remember where we ate; that's how blah it was). Owner/guide was engaging and fun - so it wasn't a bad experience. Just not over-the-top exciting, or something that I can recommend as a "must do"!

  This was a terrific way to see Tauranga and the surrounding area. Russell was extremely knowledgeable and lots of fun too. All the stops were great and so was the... read more ice cream. You should take this tour.

  Had a tour with Russell and it was fantastic!

Saw lots of interesting stuff, learned plenty of cool facts about what we were seeing, and had a great... read more time all round! Very knowledgeable and helpful, great sense of humour and very approachable!

Highly recommend these guys, cannot speak highly enough of their services!

  This was an absolutely amazing day trip and a great way to see more secluded thermal lakes. The walk down from the top of the valley was stunning with so... read more many plants and manuka bushes around you. Following the thermal river all the way to the lake provided some really interesting views and finished with a trip on the boat around the lake. Our guide was so knowledgeable with a was real pleasure to be shown around by him. Definitely recommend.

  Russell from Wicked Wanderers met our cruise ship on time for the 4hr scenic tour of Tauranga. Small group, very comfortable air conditioned van. Tour commentary was excellent & well... read more informed, Russell was very personable & helpful too. The trip needed to be adapted slightly due to poor weather to ensure we had a great time. Well done, Russell!!