Horizon Tours

31/03/2023

Did you know, the Black-billed Gull (Tarāpuka) is the only gull native to New Zealand?
How to spot one?
They are about the same size as red-billed gulls, but their bills are black and they have reddish-black legs and lighter-coloured wings.
Unfortunately, the number of black-billed gulls is going down. All of the bird species that nest along the Canterbury and North Otago rivers have seen their numbers drop because of hydroelectric projects and irrigation. (info sourced from teara.govt.nz)
www.horizontours.co.nz

28/03/2023

What is important to us? It is so important to us that we are giving back to places we visit.

For every person who journeys with us, a portion of your tour price, a koha - contribution - is offered to support the areas we visit. This koha in turn supports predator control, tree planting, maintenance of historic structures and monitoring of visitor impacts at sites we visit on the Otago Peninsula.

We are a local family. We are passionate about supporting the Dunedin community and conservation of our natural and cultural heritage for future generations. We are proud to be working with other organisations who share those same values.
​
For more information, or to give your support by booking one of our tours, visit our website.
www.horizontours.co.nz

26/03/2023

When is the best time for star gazing? In Winter!

Winter is definitely the best time to sit beneath the realm of Ranginui, our sky father and go stargazing. It provides the perfect environment in which to hear the stories of the heavens and enjoy the clear dark skies of southern Aotearoa.

Haere i mua, i te aroaro o Atutahi.
Go before the rising of the star, Atutahi.
​
We invite you to join us on our unique stargazing experience. The whakatauki (proverb) above refers to Atutahi (Canopus), the second brightest star of the Carina constellation. Atutahi was the first born child of Ranginui (sky father), and a sign that Winter was on its way. The Southern Skies Stargazing tour takes you on a journey of discovery to learn about the unique celestial features of the Southern sky, while also sharing stories and waiata (songs) about how Māori viewed the night sky.

For more information or to book an amazing star gazing experience. visit our website:
www.horizontours.co.nz

23/03/2023

Winter southern skies offer magical star gazing experience

Winter is definitely the best time to sit beneath the realm of Ranginui, our sky father and go stargazing. It provides the perfect environment in which to hear the stories of the heavens and enjoy the clear dark skies of southern Aotearoa.
Ōtepoti’s sky scapes offer a stunning astronomy adventure with views of the milky way, the southern pointers, southern cross, and even the Magellanic clouds - clusters of billions and billions of stars that can be seen in our southern hemisphere skies.
If you strike the right night, you’ll also see the jewel in the night sky crown, the aurora australis or southern lights, known as Tahu-nui-ā-Rangi in Māori.
Co-owner of Dunedin tour operator Horizon Tours Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana (Ngāpuhi) says she loves sharing the beauty and stories of the southern skies with visitors.
Kylie’s enthusiasm for the night sky and astronomy comes from a lifelong love of the stars. “
“Our whanau lived in small towns throughout Aotearoa and my sisters and I would go outside at night and sleep on blankets with this huge big teddy bear, and we would look up at the night sky. There were no city lights, just darkness and the stars around us.”
The experience stuck with Kylie into adulthood. “I wanted to learn as much as I could about the stars, the importance they played for Māori and how connected we are to them.”
While living and working overseas Kylie developed a passion for educating others about Aotearoa’s Māori culture, and later returning home to work with Tourism New Zealand where she was able to continue with that passion.
Kylie got her opportunity to combine her love of storytelling, and sharing with visitors what it is like to live in Aotearoa, and her passion for the stars when she started Horizon Tours with husband James Karawana (Te Arawa and Ngāti Porou). Now they offer star gazing tours to visitors to Ōtepoti.
“There’s a saying in life that we don’t stop enough to smell the roses. Well, it is also very rare for people to stop and look up. What we do is give people the opportunity, the time and the desire to do just that.”
The experience can be therapeutic and moving for guests. “When you are sitting under the stars and it is quiet, it opens your heart. People form a greater connection with me as the host, with the land on which we stand, and of course the natural world that surrounds us.”
“They will often share things about their life. Personal things that they feel happy to share, and listen to the stories I share about my family. We become connected as more than just host and guest beneath the stars,” says Kylie.
Visitors who sit with us beneath our southern skies, learn a little about the constellations they can see, before they take a step back in time to learn how Māori navigated the open waters of the Pacific Ocean thousands of years before the modern-day compass was invented, utilising the stars above them at night. Then, we take an even bigger step back through time and space and understand through a Māori lens how the world came to be, and how we are of the stars and the stars are of us.
“We also share about Matariki our Māori New Year, and maramataka, the traditional Māori lunar calendar. They hear about preparing for winter and sustaining the whanau through the winter which also leads to some of the lessons we can learn in life,” say Kylie.
“What I love is that we are looking at it from a Māori perspective, sharing the stories of our ancestors and the cultural significance of the stars and the seasons with people. It is something that has resonated with every single guest we have been honoured to host.”
Kylie says the winter months are the best time to take a stargazing tour, because it offers both longer hours of darkness and clearer skies, due to winter rain showers clearing dust particles from the atmosphere.
www.horizontours.co.nz

22/03/2023

Who are Horizon Tours?

Kia ora. Horizon Tours is a locally owned Māori whānau (family) business. Owned and operated by James Karawana and Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana and Lyndon Perriman and Diane Ruwhiu.
​
Launched in 2018, we set out with our commitment to offer 'top-notch' small group tourism experiences and we love that this is reflected in customer feedback to Horizon Tours or on social media platforms like TripAdvisor.
​
It is also so important to us that we are giving back to places we visit. Our tour fees help support a number of community conservation programs.

Join us on one of our tours, we look forward to sharing Dunedin’s and the lower South island's unique history, wildlife and landscape with you, sharing our love of this place as seen through our eyes.
​
Nau mai, haere mai - Welcome!

www.horizontours.co.nz

20/03/2023

Are you ready to sit back, relax and be enchanted? Experience a star gazing tour!

Visitors who sit with us beneath our southern skies, learn a little about the constellations they can see, before they take a step back in time to learn how Māori navigated the open waters of the Pacific Ocean thousands of years before the modern-day compass was invented, utilising the stars above them at night.

Then, we take an even bigger step back through time and space and understand through a Māori lens how the world came to be, and how we are of the stars and the stars are of us.

“We also share about Matariki our Māori New Year, and maramataka, the traditional Māori lunar calendar. They hear about preparing for winter and sustaining the whanau through the winter which also leads to some of the lessons we can learn in life.” Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana (Owner-Operator)

Sounds magical right? ✨
To find out more or to book a star gazing experience, visit our website.

www.horizontours.co.nz

16/03/2023

Did you know, Dunedin's Forsyth Barr Stadium is the only stadium in the world with a full roof and natural grass! 😲 The construction of the stadium began in 2009 and was opened in 2011 by former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key. Check out this cool time lapse of the construction process!

The full time lapse construction video of Dunedin's new Forsyth Barr Stadium up to December 2010.

15/03/2023

What does manaakitanga mean?

Manaakitanga is a Māori word that means "hospitality" in a general way. In Māori culture, it is very important to take care of guests and treat people well.

So how does Horizon Tours incorporate manaakitanga?

When we first started to think about the possibility of Horizon Tours, one of our goals was to provide avenues for us as a whanau through our business to support local community conservation programs.

For every person who journeys with us, a portion of your tour price, a koha - contribution - is offered to support the areas we visit. This koha in turn supports predator control, tree planting, maintenance of historic structures and monitoring of visitor impacts at sites we visit on the Otago Peninsula.

We are a local family. We are passionate about supporting the Dunedin community and conservation of our natural and cultural heritage for future generations. We are proud to be working with other organisations who share those same values.

If you would like to experience Dunedin’s and the lower South island's unique history, wildlife and landscape, and the love of this place as seen through our eyes, book a tour with us today!
Visit our website for bookings and more information.
www.horizontours.co.nz

12/03/2023

Do want an experience like no other? ✨
We invite you to join us on our unique stargazing experience. The Southern Skies Stargazing tour takes you on a journey of discovery to learn about the unique celestial features of the Southern sky, while also sharing stories and waiata (songs) about how Māori viewed the night sky.

The Otago peninsula coastline provides a clear and breath-taking view of the night sky, along with a magical backdrop of coastal bird calls echoing across Hoopers inlet.
If you strike the right night, you’ll also see the jewel in the night sky crown, the aurora australis or southern lights, known as Tahu-nui-ā-Rangi in Māori.

For more information or to book an amazing star gazing experience, visit our website:
www.horizontours.co.nz

09/03/2023

Do you want to know the beautiful story that connects our logo to our business and what we love to do? Read on!
The Horizon Tours logo has the graduated colour scheme from green to blue to reflect the connection between the sea, landscape and the sky.

The two tree silhouettes are horoeka, or lancewood a unique small tree that has a distinctive juvenile stage with long spear-like leaves that changes dramatically into wider and greener leaves when the plant reaches a height of between 2-3 metres. It is believed that this is an adaptation to life in the New Zealand forest, shared with giant (but now extinct) birds called the Moa. The purplish-black fruits are an important food source for many native bird species because they ripen over the cooler months of the year, providing a food source over winter.

​The bird silhouette is a tītī, or sooty shearwater. They are a common seabird of Southern New Zealand, breeding in millions on Islands south of New Zealand's main Islands during our summer. A traditional food source, the young are harvested at traditional sites around Stewart Island by descendants of Rakiura Māori. In Autumn these birds migrate well over the horizon, they go up into the North Pacific Ocean to feed before returning to New Zealand in the following spring. They can be seen along the Dunedin coastline at this time.
Want to know more about Horizon Tours? Visit our website:
www.horizontours.co.nz

08/03/2023

Are you visiting Dunedin soon, or know someone who is?
Book a tour with us! At Horizon Tours we look forward to sharing Dunedin’s and the lower South island's unique history, wildlife and landscape with our visitor, sharing our love of this place as seen through our eyes.

What would you like to do?
✔️ Star Gazing
✔️ City Sights
✔️ Cruise Ship Excursion Tours
✔️ A Customisable Taste Of Dunedin

​For more information or to book one of our great tours, visit our website:
www.horizontours.co.nz

05/03/2023

Are you looking for an amazing experience this Winter? We invite you to join us on our unique stargazing experience. We love sharing the beauty and stories of the southern skies with visitors!

Winter is definitely the best time to sit beneath the realm of Ranginui, our sky father and go stargazing. It provides the perfect environment in which to hear the stories of the heavens and enjoy the clear dark skies of southern Aotearoa.

Ōtepoti’s sky scapes offer a stunning astronomy adventure with views of the milky way, the southern pointers, southern cross, and even the Magellanic clouds - clusters of billions and billions of stars that can be seen in our southern hemisphere skies.

For more information or to book this amazing experience, visit our website.
www.horizontours.co.nz

01/03/2023

A lovely Facebook review. Thank you for sharing your review with our community. It means a lot to us!
www.horizontours.co.nz

27/02/2023

At Horizon Tours, you are always welcome.
​
Premium small group tours with a focus on wildlife, stargazing, Māori culture, history of Dunedin
and the Otago Peninsula.

Join us for high quality, authentic and memorable experiences. Broaden your horizon by exploring ours. Book your tour online today.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

23/02/2023

What will you learn at Horizon Tours?
You will learn about how different cultures have shaped Ōtepoti, Dunedin.

Our visitors particularly enjoy a visit to the Lan Yuan, the Dunedin Chinese Garden, a miniature of a traditional Chinese garden which celebrates Dunedin’s heritage and sister city relationship with Shanghai.

Did you know, the Garden was built in Shanghai on a site that was the same size and shape as the one in Dunedin. It was then taken apart and moved to Dunedin, where it was put back together by craftsmen and supervisors from Shanghai.

It's a very special place located in central Dunedin ❤️
www.horizontours.co.nz

21/02/2023

Why choose Horizon Tours?

The Māori value of whanaungatanga, or connection is a big part of Horizon Tour’s mahi (work). We invest time in connecting and partnering with tour operators, talking with students, and Kylie chairs the Dunedin visitor sector’s industry body DunedinHOST.

We love showing visitors the hidden gems and history of Ōtepoti providing a deeper experience through whanaungatanga, building connections with our guests and in our industry so that ultimately our environment, culture and people can thrive.

Horizon Tours partners with a range of operators on the Otago Peninsula to bring visitors wonderful experiences. These include Monarch Cruises, Larnach Castle and the Royal Albatross Colony.
We would love for you to join us on one of our amazing tours, book online today!
www.horizontours.co.nz

19/02/2023

Are you ready to explore the lower South Island of New Zealand? Do you want a special, memorable experience?
Kia Ora! Welcome to Horizon Tours!
​Premium small group tours with a focus on wildlife, stargazing, Māori culture, history of Dunedin
and the Otago Peninsula.
Join us for high quality, authentic and memorable experiences.
Visit our website for more information or to book one of our fabulous tours
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

16/02/2023

Whanaungatanga central to building resilience in tourism

At Horizon Tours we love showing visitors the hidden gems and history of Ōtepoti providing a deeper experience through whanaungatanga, building connections with our guests and in our industry so that ultimately our environment, culture and people can thrive.
Horizon Tours is an award-winning whanau-owned and operated Māori tourism business providing visitors to Dunedin with stargazing, city sights, taste of Dunedin and excursion tour experiences.
Visitors learn the settlement history of Ōtepoti by Māori, European and other settlers who have made Dunedin their home. “This area has a rich history and a tapestry of the many cultures who have settled here, and it is important to us to be inclusive of that,” says owner Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana (Ngāpuhi).
The Māori value of whanaungatanga, or connection is a big part of Horizon Tour’s mahi (work). We invest time in connecting and partnering with tour operators, talking with students, and Kylie chairs the Dunedin visitor sector’s industry body DunedinHOST.
An important part of our whanaungatanga is sharing and transferring knowledge to visitors, tour businesses and the generation of tourism operators to come.
“Our mahi goes further than connecting people to wonderful experiences. We want to ensure that there are elements of cultural, social, and environmental benefit for everyone involved, and that these benefits also come back to the broader community,” says Kylie.
The Horizon Tours experience gives visitors an opportunity to learn about the places they visit and the people they meet in a deeper way. “We talk from a Māori perspective about building a resilient community for our families to come back to or return too. We are utilising tourism as a vehicle to do that and educate others.”
“We also talk about how different cultures here have helped to shape Ōtepoti Dunedin. My hope is that they look at the multiple cultures that have influenced where they live and where they choose to travel, and that this builds tolerance and cultural understanding.”
We talk about early Māori arrival to this land, then how the English and Scottish both forged a place for themselves in this land, and in our histories, then of course the Chinese who sought their fortunes and futures here during the gold rush days.
If we can open our guests minds to what we have here, then the hope is that they look at their own towns and cities through a different lens.
Kylie is passionate about giving others opportunities to innovate and thrive in tourism and spends time speaking with tourism students at polytechnics and universities.
“It is important that we educate those coming behind us in the industry to give them an understanding of where we have been, where we want to be and what we need to collectively do to get there,” she says.
While tourism has been challenged by the Covid 19 disruption, Kylie believes working together across the industry is key to instilling resilience so that operators can weather disruptors which may come in future.
“We need strong connections, business planning and support systems. Partnering and working collaboratively with other operators is our way of building resilience for all. Encouraging visitors and operators to give back to their communities is how we foster that resilience beyond our sector’s touchpoints.”
Horizon Tours partners with a range of operators on the Otago Peninsula to bring visitors wonderful experiences. These include Monarch Cruises, Larnach Castle and the Royal Albatross Colony.
www.horizontours.co.nz

14/02/2023

Did you know that Ōtepoti, Dunedin is home to the steepest residential street in the world?!
Baldwin Street won the title of the world's steepest street in 1897, awarded by the Guinness Book of Records.
So where can you find it?
Baldwin Street is located in the suburb of North Dunedin, about 4km from the Octagon.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

12/02/2023

Are you visiting New Zealand soon or know someone who is? Send them our way!

With Horizon Tours you get a deeper encounter, a personal connection to the people and place of Ōtepoti, Dunedin and precious memories to take home with you.

We’re an award-winning whanau-owned and operated Māori tourism business and we are all about whanaungatanga – forming relationships and connecting communities – with our environment, conservation efforts, and culture.

Join us on one of our amazing tours of the lower South Island, book online today.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

09/02/2023

What does whanaungatanga mean?

It means a close connection between people. At Horizon Tours, the Māori value of whanaungatanga, is a big part of Horizon Tour’s mahi (work). We invest time in connecting and partnering with tour operators, talking with students, and Owner/Operator Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana chairs the Dunedin visitor sector’s industry body DunedinHOST.

“Our mahi goes further than connecting people to wonderful experiences. We want to ensure that there are elements of cultural, social, and environmental benefit for everyone involved, and that these benefits also come back to the broader community” says Kylie.

www.horizontours.co.nz

07/02/2023

Did you know? Horizon Tours is an award-winning whanau-owned and operated Māori tourism business providing visitors to Dunedin with stargazing, city sights, taste of Dunedin and excursion tour experiences.
In 2020 we celebrated wining the Westpac Otago Māori Business Award!
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

05/02/2023

Happy Waitangi Day!

Waitangi Day is a historic New Zealand public holiday. On this day every year, New Zealanders mark the day that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, on the 6th of February 1840.
It's also a time to think about the debate over the document and how it has changed the way people live in New Zealand today.

Why is it called Waitangi Day? The name comes from the name of the treaty document, which was named after the place where the treaty was signed in the Bay of Islands, just a 3-minute drive from Paihia.
The house where the treaty was signed can still be visited today in the Bay of Islands.


www.horizontours.co.nz

01/02/2023

Many of our visitors come from afar for our stargazing experience, but we are all connected💜
We love sharing the environment, culture and history of Ōtepoti, Dunedin with our visitors and giving them a beautiful and memorable experience.
We would love for you to join us on one of our amazing tours, get in touch today.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/southern-skies-stargazing

30/01/2023

What is special about Horizon Tours?

Horizon Tours is a locally owned Māori whānau (family) business. Owned and operated by James Karawana and Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana.
​
Launched in 2018, we set out with our commitment to offer 'top-notch' small group tourism experiences and we love that this is reflected in customer feedback to Horizon Tours or on social media platforms like TripAdvisor.
​
It is also so important to us that we are giving back to places we visit.

Join us on one of our tours, we look forward to sharing Dunedin’s and the lower South island's unique history, wildlife and landscape with you, sharing our love of this place as seen through our eyes.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

26/01/2023

Are you looking for an extra special, memorable NZ tour experience?
This is what's important to us at Horizon Tours.

Something that sparks our joy is when a guest shares a memory in their Facebook feed from years before of the special time they had on their Horizon tour. It sparks a happy and joyful memory for them and shows that we remain connected.❤️

Get in touch today
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

24/01/2023

Meet Horizon Tours Owner & Tour Guide James Karawana!

i te taha o tōku matua
Ko Pukepoto te maunga
Ko Waengaehe te awa
Ko Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe te moana
Ko Te Arawa te Waka
Ko Ngāti Whakaue te iwi
i te taha o tōku whaea
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Ngati Porou te iwi

James was raised in Wellington, by his grandparents and parents in a Māori urban community. Māoritanga (Māori culture and way of life) was a central part of his upbringing and is something that still resonates strongly today. James left a 30 year career in IT to begin Horizon Tours to further his passion for sharing Māori culture and history which he would love to share with you!
He is a storyteller and loves continuously learning more history. When you go on a tour with James you’ll not only make a new friend but learn a lot of interesting information and stories of times past.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

22/01/2023

What is our point of difference?
With us you get a deeper encounter, a personal connection to our people and the whenua (land), and precious memories. We provide star gazing, city sights, cruise ship excursion tours and accommodation packages.
We’re a Dunedin whanau-owned Māori tourism business and we are all about whanaungatanga – forming relationships and connecting communities – with our environment, conservation and culture.
We would love for you to book one of our fabulous tours, visit our website today.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

19/01/2023

Have you heard about New Zealand's only castle?
Larnach Castle is one of New Zealand's most fascinating tourist attractions right on the Otago Peninsula!
Dunedin is super lucky to host this historic and most beautiful building ❤️
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/

17/01/2023

Why the name, "Horizon Tours"?

He rangi tā matawhāiti,
he rangi tā matawhānui
The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon,
the person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon

The name Horizon Tours means a great to deal us. The Māori whakatauki (proverb) means that a person with a narrow vision has limited ideas/views, whereas, the person with wider vision is more embracing of new things and the world before them. As the excitement for our business built, we were taken with the idea of the ‘horizon’ also as a space of connection between human-beings and the natural world; as a place where past, present and future intersect.

It is a name that reflects a time when James was looking for something new - new horizons! The creation of a business venture that combined their passion and commitment for culture and conservation. Many cups of tea, and the odd beer later, Horizon Tours was born as a Dunedin based tourism experience that offers a dynamic blend of tourism experiences through a cultural lens.
https://www.horizontours.co.nz/