http://www.youmeandfriends.co.nz/

You, Me & Friends - Small Group Hosted Tours, PO Box 640, Whangarei (2024)

07/10/2022

WOW! Wellington turned it on for us last night for our "You, Me & Friends - WOW Wellington" tour, on our night to see
the World of Wearable Art show. Stunning blue skies, crisp windless evening - we couldn't have asked for more. And what a great show. Part cirque du soleil, part fashion show, part rock opera. It was an international extravaganza!

05/09/2022

Attn Travel Friends! Are you thinking of planning a trip?

Pop into the office and take a look over our Trip Planners Library. We've been collecting travel guides to destinations all around the world - and you are welcome to borrow them.

(Oh...and if you have any Travel guides gathering dust on the shelves at home, we would love to add them to the collection. Share the Knowledge - Share the love of travel!)

25/08/2022

Fantastic News!

You, Me & Friends has been selected to be a supplier for CashPassport Foreign Currency Cards to Whangarei’s Travellers.

- Load up to 10 different currencies on one card
- Lock in exchange rates each time you load and reload
- Manage and track your Cash Passport funds on the go via your mobile, tablet, laptop or PC
- Use your Cash Passport like you would a credit or debit card, except with your own prepaid funds
- Spend in-store, online or to withdraw local currency at ATMs
- Protected by chip, PIN and signature
- Cash Passport is also protected by Mastercard zero liability fraud protection

CashPassports are the secure way we prefer to carry our funds overseas. Now you too can travel like a pro!

There’s a $75.00 initial card set up fee, then decide which currencies you want, and how much you want to load.

Contact us at:
You, Me & Friends – small group hosted tours and designer trips
p. 09-955 1116
e. [email protected] or [email protected]
or make an appointment to come in and see us at:
Inside The Whangarei Club, 18 Rust ave, Whangarei

23/08/2022

It was great to meet some new Travel Friends at our You, Me & Friends Dargaville Travel Club evening. Many thanks to Sue Crump & Wayne for opening up the Northern Wairoa Boating Club especially for us. What a great venue.

Thank you all for your interest in our tours, and we will be over to see you again in a couple of months time!

15/08/2022

You, Me & Friends - Dargaville Travel Chat

When: Tue 23rd Aug22. Arrive between 5pm-5.30pm
Where: Northern Wairoa Boating Club, Totara Street Dargaville
Timings:
5pm-5.30pm. Arrive & mix & mingle.
5.30pm-6.00pm. David & Karen will talk about what’s new in the world of travel
6.00pm-6.30pm. David & Karen will talk about Small Group tours coming up
6.30pm-7.30pm. Stay & chat with David & Karen, and ask any travel questions

No cost to come along. There will be Nibbles at the Boating Club. (Drinks from the bar at your own expense).

We'd love to see you there, but please do let us know that you are coming.

If you have a friend that might be keen to go away with us, please invite them along as well. If you haven't travelled with us before but think you might, this is a great chance to pop along and meet your potential new Travel Friends!

e. [email protected] Ph or Txt 021-438 493
e. [email protected] Ph or Txt. 0275 505 383

see you there!

19/10/2021

Patience is a virtue....but you should still keep planning and dreaming. Here are our upcoming tour departures & events for you to ponder on.

Sat 13th Nov21: The “Forgotten Highway Tour”
Wed 24th Nov21: “You, Me, & Friends” Travel Club meeting
Thu 25th Nov21: “Black Adder II” Show & Dinner
Wed 1st Dec21: “Matakana, Waiheke & Tiritiri Matangi”
Tue 7th Dec21: “BIG shopping Day in Auckland”
Mon 17th Jan22: “Coromandel Peninsula”
Wed 19th Jan22: “Top of the South Island” with Karen
Mon 24th Jan22: “Great Barrier Island Getaway”
Wed 2nd Feb22: “Great Barrier Island Getaway”
Thu 10th Feb22: “Stewart Island and Catlins” with Karen
Sat 12th Feb22: Wicked” The Musical at Sky City
Thu 17th Feb22: “Deco & East Cape Tour”
Sat 5th Mar22: “Foodies Tour - Top of The South (incl. Wild Food Festival)”
Fri 18th Mar22– “South Island Experience Tour” with Karen
Thu 7th Apr22: Chatham Island Week
Wed 27th Apr22: Chateau, Kapiti, & Somes Island
Wed 11th May22: “Great Barrier Island Getaway”
Sat 18th Jun22: Raro Escape
Sat 23rd Jul22: Queensland Reef, Rail & Rainforests
Fri 12th Aug22: “Niue Getaway”
Sat 27th Aug22: “Tahitian Islands with Karen”
Wed 14th Sep22: Orient Explorer – Singapore & Japan
Wed 5th Oct22: “World of Wearable Art Wellington”
Sun 9th Oct22: “Fiji Encounter Cruise” on P&O Explorer of the Seas
Sat 22nd Oct22: “Taste of Tasmanian”
Thu 12th Jan23: Australian Tennis Open Tour with Karen
Sat 25th Mar23: Vietnam & The Lost City
Sat 3rd Jun 23: Visit the Rellies in the UK (escorted flights up & back)
Sat 3rd Jun 23: London, Ireland & Croatia
Sat 7th Oct23: Rugby World Cup in France Tour with Karen

These are all small group hosted tour departures from Whangarei.
Let me know if you want more info on any of them.

e. [email protected] ph/txt 021-438 493

Don’t hold back on your dreams. Let us help you fulfil them!

30/09/2021

Thanks everyone for coming to our You, Me & Friends Travel Club presentation & dinner last night. We had a room full of 50 travel friends, over half of which have travelled with us in the past. So many exciting trips coming up!

16/09/2021

You, Me & Friends "Favourite Places"
***Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre***

When in Blenheim, an absolute "must do" is the superb Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre. Call it a museum, call it an exhibition, or call it a dedication to the gallant flying men (and women) of the world. However you describe it, you will have to concede that it is so very cleverly done.

We spent our first hour wandering through the WW1 "Knights of the Sky". This was the first stage of the project, and one very dear to the heart of the centre's founder. Peter Jackson's love of vintage flying machines is well known, and many of the rare and beautiful craft on show are from his own collection of WW1 aircraft and artefacts. These stories of aviation in the Great War are brought to life in sensational sets with lifelike mannequins created by the internationally acclaimed WingNut Films and Weta Workshop.

In the adjacent building, we spent a further hour at the WW2 "Dangerous Skies" exhibition. Here we read the stories from World War II. Tales of daring, valour and tragedy stretching from Britain to Germany, and Russia to the Pacific Islands.

One of my favourite displays details the "night witches", the Russian women pilots who terrorised the German invaders with their night time bombing raids.

Another full sized diorama depicts the moment in time that the famous Red Barron was shot down, and the British soldiers who found the wreckage souveniring pieces of it!

Incredibly detailed, emotionally enthralling, and inspirations of human courage. You will thoroughly enjoy this little piece of Blenheim.

05/09/2021

You, Me & Friends "Favourite Places"
*** Aoraki - Mt Cook ***

Even en-route to the mountain, the scenery is stunning. In particular, the last 40 minutes of the journey as you travel along the sparkling shores of the Lake Pukaki, with the water made milky blue by the rock ground to powder by the Glacier that feeds it.

As you pull up to the Hermitage Hotel, you know you have arrived somewhere special. This beautifully designed complex makes the most of the amazing views. From our hotel balcony, a fantastic snow capped range dominated the vista, including a sneak peek of Mt Cook every once and a while when the clouds parted. At 3,724 metres high, Hillary practiced his climbs on Mt Cook before tackling Everest, claiming Aoraki to be the more technically difficult to summit.

The morning following our arrival, we set off on our tour. It started with a bus ride into Mount Cook National Park, then a brisk 20 minute walk along the tussock and scree paths to where our speed boats were berthed on Tasman lake. We boarded our craft, and sped out on the still waters to the ice face, with our national park guide giving us narrative all the way.

At 27kms long, up to 2kms wide, 600metres deep, and 2 million years in the making, the Tasman Glacier is NZ's largest mainland ice-flow containing nearly one-third of all Glacier ice in New Zealand.

Our visit to Tasman Glacier still remains as one of the highlights of all of our South Island tours.

01/09/2021

Stewart Island & The Catlins (*** 4 spaces left ***)

14 Days 13 Nights: Departing: Sun 21st Nov21:
Visiting: Stewart Island/Catlins /Te Anau/Dunedin

This trip explores the Bottom of the South from Coast to Coast!

Join me on this Hosted Tour from Whangarei.

We fly from Whangarei to Christchurch for a 2 night stop including a day trip to Akaroa for a Nature Cruise. After Christchurch we continue to Oamaru for an overnight stay to see the Blue Penguins with lunch in Geraldine.

We then continue on to Dunedin for our 2 night stay where we travel to the Albatross Colony, Lanarch Castle and visit the
Speights Brewery.

Next we spend 2 days exploring the Catlins – including the Petrified forest, Cathedral Cove, Mclean and Purakaunui waterfalls (which is one of the most photographed falls in New Zealand).

After a quick stop in Invercargill we fly over to Stewart Island for our 3 night stay. We will have a guided tour of Ulva Island and an evening Kiwi spotting.

Then we head off to Te Anau for our Doubtful Sound cruise and visit to glow worm caves. We finish off our tour in Queenstown before flying home

30/08/2021

You, Me & Friends "Favourite Places"
*** Nugget Point ***

There is a place on the northern coast of the Catlins that affords one of the most dramatic and breathtaking sea views in all of New Zealand. This place is Nugget Point.

Located 15 mins from the small township of Kaka Point, the road takes you to the spacious Nugget point car park, then it's a 20 minute walk along a ridge of sweeping views of the ocean.

The track winds around the steep headland leading out to its tip, where a lighthouse watches over the rocky islets called "The Nuggets".

From the lighthouse scenic lookout, The Nuggets look like sentinels, huddled in close formation, guarding the coast from the crashing sea. Again and again, the waves launch attacks that smash on their sturdy lines, sending frustrated plumes of spray high into the sky.

If I sound dramatic, it's because it is a truly beautiful scene to behold. A scene made all the more majestic crowned by a seemingly ever present rainbow.

The Catlins is a very special piece of New Zealand, and Nugget Point is definitely a jewel in the Crown of the Catlins.

Karen will visit Nugget Point again on her Nov 2021 trip to Stewart Island.

25/08/2021

Hi All. We would love to hear about your favorite places in the NZ that we can work into our tour itineraries.

Suggestions like amazing places to visit, cute cafe's, awesome restaurants, not-to-be-missed scenic stops, brilliant attractions...anything that you think is too good to miss.

Lets start with the North Island first.

What can you recommend???

23/08/2021

You, Me & Friends "Favourite Places"
*** Stewart & Ulva Island ***

A short flight from Invercargill across the turbulent skies of Foveaux Straight lies New Zealand's third largest island - Rakiura Stewart Island.

The town centre of Oban is dominated by the 1880's South Sea Hotel, nestled on a corner, across the road from the bay. Being the main watering hole for locals and tourists alike, it seems that all roads on the island lead to the South Sea!

A must do when you visit here is an Ulva Island excursion. Our ferryboat sailed past a flock of very inquisitive Black Browed Albatross. These mollymawks are only slighty smaller than their cousins, the Royal Albatross and made an impressive sight as they took to the wind currents behind the boat, and literally levitated a few metres above the rear deck!

We landed on Ulva and set off into the untouched inland Bush. Our keeneyed guide, Lynettte was soon spotting birdlife for us. The first of the day was the rarest bird on the island - the Stewart Island Saddleback. Like many birds on the island, the rain on the day had enticed them down from the high cannopies as they sort to feast on the worms and grubs forced to the surface by the precipitation.
An extraverted Stewart Island Robin quickly joined us, bouncing around at our feet, then we passed the tiny Rifleman. This wren is our smallest native bird, weighing only 5gms.
We also saw Kaka, and then amazingly, a morepork, a small speckled brown bundle asleep in the branches.

Another highlight of the island started with a 4pm meeting at the Four Square for preordered pies, muffins and a Bottle of Ned Pinot Gris. We feasted on the tables outside the supermarket, then checked in for our 5pm Kiwi Encounter tour. We boarded our catamaran and sailed over to "The Neck" where our kiwi spotting was to take place. "The Neck" is a long peninsula of land attached to mainland Stewart Island, but thin enough to be able to maintain a predator-free environment for the kiwis. We landed just after dusk, then armed with torches we followed our guide into the cold, cold forest night. We hadn't been walking for more than 10 minutes before the guides white torch light turned to red, indicating he had found our quarry. The red light lit up the forest floor, showing off a young bird feeding on grubs. So fantastic to see this rare bird, the symbol of our country - in the wild!

Further along, the bush track turned to sand as we emerged onto the beach, and spotted another kiwi so completely engrossed in digging for sand hopper bugs that it paid no attention to us at all. Again the red light lit up the scene, and we crowded round to view this special bird.

Afterwards we spent some time on the beach taking in the Stewart Island Dark Sky reserve. The coast night sky showed us in minute detail all of the constellations that the Southern Hemisphere had on display. We even saw shooting stars, satellites, and a strange unidentified slow-moving light high in the heavens. A very special night in a very special place!

Situated at the very bottom of the world, Rakiura still feels like a frontier land. The early inhabitants were hard men and women in an unforgiving climate. I think it still takes some fortitude to live the island life, but what a fantastic place to visit!

Karen will be leading one of our Small Group Hosted Tours to Stewart Island this November 2021. We'd love to have you join her!

21/08/2021

Wed 15th Sep21: “YOU, Me, & Friends” (Travel Club meeting). Pop along to the Whangarei Club for a casual catch-up with your Travel buddies, learn about our upcoming trips, then if you are keen we’ll go out for a meal after. (Cost: Meal & Drinks – just pay for your own)

Thu 16th Sep21: “Black Adder II” (Show & Dinner) A stage adaptation of Ben Elton’s hit TV riddled with English wit, at the Octagon Theatre in Whangarei. (1 seat left) (Cost: Show & Dinner
$ 50pp)

Sat 25th Sep21: Wicked” The Musical at Sky City (day-tour). A day trip to the Sky City Theatre in Auckland for a Matinee session of Wicked–hit Broadway musical that tells the story of The Green Witch of Oz before Dorothy arrives. Whangarei back to Whangarei, with seats in the stalls & a Lunch in Auckland. (2 seats left)
(Cost: $255 per person)

Sat 2nd Oct21: “World of Wearable Art Wellington”: (4 Days / 3 nights): Wellington’s premier event – The World of WearableArt, plus a bit of sightseeing around Wellington (Now full) (Cost: From $1290pp)

Tue 12th October 2021 – “Top of the South Island” with Karen (11 days / 10 nights): Blenheim, Nelson, Pelorous Cruise Hanmer Springs to Christchurch (Cost: From $4950pp)

Wed 27th Oct21: “Matakana, Waiheke & Tiritiri Matangi” (3 days / 2 nights): A scenic visit to Matakana with an afternoon cruise from Warkworth, then a two-island island getaway staying overnight at a central City hotel in Auckland. (3 spaces left) (Cost: From $995pp)

Wed 3rd Nov21: “Great Barrier Island Getaway” (4 days / 3 nights) A four-day island getaway! (Includes island touring & Dark-Sky experience) from $1695pp (Now Full) (Cost: From $1695pp)

Wed 17th Nov21: “YOU, Me, & Friends” (Travel Club meeting). Pop along to the Whangarei Club for a casual catch-up with your Travel buddies, learn about our upcoming trips, then if you are keen we’ll go out for a meal after. (Cost: Meal & Drinks – just pay for your own)

Fri 19th Nov21: “Day Walks on The Great Walks – Top of The South”: (10 Days / 9 nights): This tour concentrates on day walks through our South Island natural wonders. Hike during the day, then and relax in a comfortable bed at night. Whangarei-Blenheim-Queen Charlotte Sound-Durville Island-Abel Tasman Park-Nelson Lakes-Hamner Springs-Christchurch-Whangarei (Cost: From $5595pp)

Mon 29th Nov21: “Day Walks on The Great Walks – The Deep South”: (10 Days / 9 nights): This tour concentrates on day walks through our South Island natural wonders. Hike during the day, then and relax in a comfortable bed at night. Whangarei-Queenstown-Milford Track-Overnight Milford Sound cruise-Doubtful Sound – Kepler Track heli hike-Holyford Track Routeburn Track-Queenstown- Whangarei (Cost: From $5895pp)

Sun 21st Nov 21: “Stewart Island and Catlins Escorted Tour” with Karen: (13 nights): Christchurch, Oamaru, Dunedin, Catlins, Stewart Island and Te Anau (Cost: From $5950pp)

Mon 17th Jan22: “Coromandel Peninsula” (6 days / 5 nights) Explore the Coromandel - their Gold Mine Heritage, remote beaches, rugged scenery, & steaming Hot Water Beach (Cost: From $2185pp)

Wed 2nd Feb22: “Great Barrier Island Getaway” (4 days / 3 nights) A four-day island getaway! (Includes island touring & Dark-Sky experience) (Cost: From $1695pp)

Thu 17th Feb22: “Deco & East Cape Tour” (9 Days / 8 nights): Combing The fabulous Napier Art Deco Festival with exploring the East Cape, this tour is a once a year possibility! Whangarei-Rotorua-Art Deco Festival-Gisborne-East Cape-Whakatane-Hobbiton-Whangarei (Now Full) (Cost: From $2880pp)

Fri 18th Feb22 – “South Island Experience Tour” with Karen
(15 days / 14 nights). Train from CHC to Greymouth, Hokitika, Franz Josef, Haast, Queenstown, overnight cruise Milford Sound, Mt Cook
(Cost: From $5950pp)

Wed 9th Mar22: “Top of The South Foodies Tour”: (11 Days / 10 nights): This tour is all about taste! Starting at the Nelson Wine region, then down to The West Coast for the Wild Food Festival, then across to the Waipara Foody area, on to Kaikoura for seafood, then finishing in the Blenheim wine region. Whangarei-Nelson-Greymouth-Hokitika-Christchurch-Waipara-Kaikoura-Blenheim-Whangarei (Cost – To be advised)

Thu 7th Apr22: Chatham Island Week (8 days / 7 nights). Spend a week exploring remote Chatham Island. Whangarei-Auckland-Chathams-Auckland-Whangarei (Cost: From $4490pp)

Wed 27th Apr22: Chateau, Kapiti, & Somes Island (7 days / 6 nights). We minivan to Auckland (1 night) then Train to Chateau Tongariro (2 nights). Then continue by train to Wellington (3 nights) with a day tour to Kapiti Island & a day tour to Somes Island & Zealandia. Fly back to Auckland then drive minivan home. (Cost: From $2875pp)

Sat 18th Jun22: Raro Escape (8 days / 7 nights). Escape the oncoming chills of winter in the sunny & warm Cook Islands. 7 Night resort stay, with days spend exploring the island. Whangarei-Auckland-Rarotonga-Auckland-Whangarei (Cost – To be advised)

21/08/2021

Welcome to "You, Me & Friends" - Small Group Hosted Tours.

Our name may be new, but both David & Karen have each been working in the Whangarei Travel industry for over 30 years!

Between us, we have taken tours away to: The Rugby World Cup, The Australian Tennis Open, Asia, USA & Canada, UK & Europe, Australia, The Pacific, and in the last year and a bit...literally all over New Zealand!

Our tours are all "Small Groups" (6-16 people), and our tour "Hosts" look after you from start to finish.

We like to make travelling easy, so on overnight tours or longer we pick you up from your central Whangarei or Waipu homes.

Our tours are always changing. We are always looking for new and exciting things to do.

Our tours are about about having a bit of fun, new experiences, spending time with good friends, and making great memories!

For a complete list of our upcoming tours, e-mail us on:
[email protected]