Auckland area guide

New Zealand guide Donald Cater says he specializes in tours to Rotorua. Photo: Soderstrom

Four years ago we were introduced to the Auckland, New Zealand, area by an excellent and very knowledgeable tour guide, Don Cater of Southern Cross Tours (14 Rimu Rise, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand; phone/fax +64 9 415 8793, mobile phone +64 25 990450, e-mail cater.da@xtra.co.nz or visit www.southerncrosstours.co.nz).

We reported our find at the time in ITN (Aug. ’00, pg. 130) and have kept in touch with Don since then. In November ’03 we were happy to revisit New Zealand and found him the same charming gentleman as before.

He works on a private-hire basis. With a small coach, he is both driver and guide and can take up to 10 on a tour. He charges NZ$67.50 (near US$45) per hour for his services on an Auckland tour and NZ$675 for a 10-hour Tauranga/Rotorua tour (including taxes but excluding meals and entrance fees). The website has all the details.

For those planning to visit New Zealand, we can’t think of a better way to see the Auckland-Rotorua-Tauranga area.

JOHN & ELIZABETH
SODERSTROM, Littleriver, CA