I hope you have a wonderful time in New Zealand and get to do all that you want to. I am thinking of doing this trip in 2019. Do write a review on your return.

Regards

Jaya

Looking at the optional tours for Breathtaking New Zealand in October, I am unable to do the Kawarau jet boat as I have a neck problem not covered by my insurance. However Hobbiton, Rainbow Springs and Walter Peak and cruise are definitely on 🙂 There is also a chance of helicopter to Fox Glacier and flight over Mount Cook if weather permits.

Singapore Sling at Raffles is a hopeful- they are doing renovations at the moment and should be finished by then. Trans Alpine railway was being mended and that is finished now. We travel along the Kaikoura Coast road- last I heard, badly damaged in the last earthquake. We shall see what we get when we get there 😉 

Jan

Hi Jan, 

Hobbiton and Rainbow Springs were on the same day when I went in Oct '15 so you couldn't do both. All of our group did the Walter Peak cruise and had a fab night. Great food, we enjoyed the sheep shearing and then a sing song around the piano on the trip back was such a laugh. 

You're going to have such a great time, it's still my favourite trip so far!

Looking at the optional tours for Breathtaking New Zealand in October, I am unable to do the Kawarau jet boat as I have a neck problem not covered by my insurance. However Hobbiton, Rainbow Springs and Walter Peak and cruise are definitely on 🙂 There is also a chance of helicopter to Fox Glacier and flight over Mount Cook if weather permits.

Singapore Sling at Raffles is a hopeful- they are doing renovations at the moment and should be finished by then. Trans Alpine railway was being mended and that is finished now. We travel along the Kaikoura Coast road- last I heard, badly damaged in the last earthquake. We shall see what we get when we get there 😉 

Jan

That's a shame Jan, the boat ride is not what I was hoping for, it was all to gentle for me, when I questioned it they said it was in view of the age group of JT travellers, I did manage to do a fantastic thrill ride in Florida....I did manage the helo and land on the mountain..

Cindy

Singapore Sling at Raffles is a hopeful- they are doing renovations at the moment and should be finished by then. Trans Alpine railway was being mended and that is finished now. We travel along the Kaikoura Coast road- last I heard, badly damaged in the last earthquake. We shall see what we get when we get there 😉 

Jan

My personal opinion is excursions should be included in the price and then it is up to people to decide if they want to go or not and those who, like me, want to see as much as possible am not disappointed by optional excursions being cancelled.  What is the point of going somewhere and spending more time in the hotel by the pool or on the beach instead of exploring and seeing the sites?

Best wishes

Jaya

I agree, on my trip to Portofino & the Cinque Terre the one excursion I was really looking forward to

was the Carrara Marble Quarry, but it was cancelled as only five persons had booked.

Dave.

Best wishes

Jaya

I no longer book tours where a lot of the days tours are optional as I do not want to spend my holiday having  

days " at leisure " in the hotel . Too much of a risk for me if the optionals are cancelled.

Yxd , you will have to persuade all your fellow travellers to book them with you once you are at your destination if there are not enough people booked !

Hi Nelson,

I agree with you on the optional excursions.  I think more and more of JY excursions are becoming optional.  I thought about going to San Marino until I saw that the farewell dinner was optional!  It is the same with some other short stay tours.  Still it keeps the headline price down.

Sylvia

Yes I did the Grand Ol' Opry. This too was an optional tour with Thomas Cook. Think they took us to the Gaylord Hotel first as it was a Sunday. This was also the same day as Jack Daniels in the morning. This was a day off supposedly, I was exhausted 🙂 

Jan

Hello Cindy and Ian,

One of the problems we had with the Jack Daniels tour with Thomas Cook was that they ran it on a Sunday when Tennessee is a dry state. They could not buy anything and only lemonade to drink. I think it cost $35 for a half day and I am glad I missed it. Spent the day at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville instead which is amazing. Found a large selection of Jack Daniels at a shop in Gaylord Opryland Hotel 🙂 

Jan

Yes it is a dry state, so we could only buy, I got my husband a lovely bottle which did survive the journey home. I loved the time spent at the hall of fame, very interesting, did you do the grand Old Opry, ?

Cindy

On a point of detail Tennessee itself is not dry but the county in which Lynchburg (where JD is based) is dry. The advice we were given was to walk slowly and breathe deeply!! We had lunch in the town & were advised to try the sauce with the cheesecake - which our driver noticeably, and probably sensibly, passed on. The Country Music hall of Fame is well worth a couple of hours and the Grand Old Opry is a not to be missed national institution.

Ian

Hello Cindy and Ian,

One of the problems we had with the Jack Daniels tour with Thomas Cook was that they ran it on a Sunday when Tennessee is a dry state. They could not buy anything and only lemonade to drink. I think it cost $35 for a half day and I am glad I missed it. Spent the day at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville instead which is amazing. Found a large selection of Jack Daniels at a shop in Gaylord Opryland Hotel 🙂 

Jan

Yes it is a dry state, so we could only buy, I got my husband a lovely bottle which did survive the journey home. I loved the time spent at the hall of fame, very interesting, did you do the grand Old Opry, ?

Cindy