Touring with Confidence - On Tour

Name Badge

For travellers receiving their documentation pack prior to arrival in New Zealand, please ensure you are wearing your personalised name badge upon arrival at the airport for easy identification. For all other travellers, your name badge will be included as part of your documentation pack made available at your first tour hotel in New Zealand. Please ensure you wear your name badge at all times whilst on tour.

New Zealand Airport Transfers

If your flight details have changed, please contact your Travel Agent or on the day of departure, contact GPT Australia. Transfer vehicles will wait up to 1 hour after the flight lands in New Zealand.

If you miss your pre-booked transfer for any reason or require assistance when in New Zealand, you can contact our North Island or South Island Operations. All emergency contact numbers can be located on your tour itinerary, on the Emergency Contact card located in your ticket wallet or via our website. Depending on the situation either a replacement transfer will be arranged, or you may be required to make your own way to / from the GPT tour hotel at your own expense.

New Zealand arrival and departure airport transfers are provided subject to GPT’s Booking Terms and Conditions. Transfers are based to / from the airport / tour hotel only and do not include inter-terminal transfers in Auckland.

Electricity

New Zealand’s electricity supply runs at 230 - 240 volts (the same as Australia). An angled 2 or 3 pin plug is used.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

All goods and services purchased in New Zealand are subject to a 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Smoking Laws

Smoking is not permitted in any indoor spaces in New Zealand hospitality venues. This means you cannot smoke inside places such as bars, gaming venues, clubs, hotel rooms and restaurants.

Time Zones

New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). In Summer, New Zealand uses ‘Daylight Saving’, with clocks put forward one hour to GMT+13. Daylight Saving begins on the last Sunday in September and ends on the first Sunday of the following April.

Time differences between New Zealand and Australian states:

• ACT / NSW / VIC / TAS 2 hours behind
• QLD 2 hours behind, 3 hours during daylight savings
• NT / SA 2.5 hours behind
• WA 4 hours behind, 5 hours during daylight savings

Weather

New Zealand’s climate varies from the North Island to the South Island, however, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures year-round. 

The average New Zealand temperature decreases as you travel south. January and February are the warmest months, and July is the coldest month of the year.

To learn more about New Zealand weather visit www.metservice.co.nz

Calling Home

There are many options available to call home, one is via a prepaid calling card that you can use from almost any touchtone phone (additional charges may apply if calling from your hotel).

Prepaid calling cards are available to purchase at most convenience stores, service stations and supermarkets around New Zealand. If calling from your mobile phone, you may incur increased charges.

It is recommended that you contact your telecommunications service provider for details on mobile roaming and coverage prior to your departure.

Hotel Information

GPT endeavours to utilise the most suitable hotels available in each location to ensure you enjoy a consistent level of cleanliness, comfort and service. In more remote locations, hotel standards and facilities may differ to city hotels. As hotel allocations are booked in advance, room upgrade requests are not permitted. Should the hotels on tour change for any reason, we will endeavour to ensure that the alternative hotel is of an equivalent standard.

Pre / Post Tour Accommodation

Hotel check-in time is approximately 3pm and check-out is approximately 10am. If early hotel check-in or late check-out is required due to flight schedules, additional accommodation will need to be purchased. The rates quoted in our brochure are only valid for one night, room only and subject to availability. Any additional meals will need to be ordered and purchased directly with the hotels, Bed and Breakfast rates cannot be provided. Additional nights are subject to availability and may be charged at the prevailing rate by the hotel.

Accommodation Room Requests

For single travellers paying the single supplement, this covers the sole use of accommodation only. On the Classic 48 seat coach you will be required to sit with a fellow traveller and rotate between seats together. On the Signature 32 seat coach you will rotate between an individual seat and dual seats with another traveller. Travel on the Ultimate 20 seat coach is Business Class style individual seats for the entire journey.

For travellers paying the twin share rate, a twin share room can be provided with a person of the same gender, and this will entitle you to travel at the twin share price. Special room requests are not permitted on this basis. It is your duty to disclose any medical or other conditions that may prevent you from being a suitable rooming partner (such as use of CPAP machine) and you must accept that compatibility with your rooming partner cannot be guaranteed. If at any time during the tour you consider your rooming partner unsuitable, we will endeavour to arrange single accommodation (room standard may differ) for you for the remainder of the tour, subject to availability and at your own cost. We accept no responsibility for the suitability of the allocated rooming partner. Single travellers sharing a room will also be required to sit together and adhere to the seat rotation plan. The option to twin share with another single traveller is not available on Ultimate Small Group Touring and selected Special Interest Group Touring.

For travellers paying the triple share rate and therefore electing to share a room, note that there will be restricted space as hotel rooms are generally sized to accommodate two travellers in comfort. 

A rollaway bed may be used for triple share bookings where three separate beds are required. Special conditions apply for triple share requests on the Milford Mariner and / or selected hotels and are subject to availability. Triple share arrangements are not available on Ultimate Small Group Touring, Signature Mid-Size Group Touring and selected Special Interest Group Touring.

Dietary Requests

GPT limit special dietary requests to Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Lactose Intolerant, Diabetic and any life-threatening allergies (whereby the traveller carries an EpiPen). These requests will be forwarded to the hotel and / or attraction suppliers but cannot be guaranteed and does not constitute a term of your contract with us. Tour meal options may be limited. As a volume group tour operator, contracting specific menus which range from Buffet to A-la-carte, the logistics of arranging meals meeting the correct criteria over an extended touring itinerary can be challenging and cannot be guaranteed to meet the expectations of the traveller(s). Therefore, religious dietary requests (Hindu Vegetarian, Kosher, Halal) cannot be accommodated. Any further intolerances needing to be managed are your responsibility. Airlines have restricted dietary conditions which vary.

Hotel Internet

Most hotels have internet access available. Not all hotels offer free Wi-Fi, charges may apply. GPT do not have any influence over hotel Wi-Fi access and related costs. Enquire at hotel reception.

Wine Time

GPT promote Wine Time (discounted drinks) as an initiative for travellers to gather and socialise at a designated time prior to dinner on selected days of the itinerary when dinner is included at the hotel. The discounted beverage price is at the hotels’ discretion and subject to change at any time. You must wear your GPT branded name badge to be identified by bar staff. GPT strongly encourages responsible drinking.

Coach Seat Rotation

For the enjoyment and fairness of all travellers, GPT operates a daily seat rotation system which all travellers must participate in as a condition of booking. There is no exception to this policy and special consideration to an individual’s specific needs cannot be accommodated. The coach seat plan is displayed inside the coach for your reference.

On the Signature Mid-Size Group Touring coach, the configuration of the coach seating is two seats on the left side of the aisle and an individual seat on the right side, all with panoramic viewing. All travellers will rotate and enjoy the variety of armchair comfort in the dual seats but also will experience the same Premium Economy Comfort on other days in a spacious individual window seat. For two people travelling together, the individual seats will flow in front and behind each other.

Optional Activities

It is important to take your Optional Activities Directory to New Zealand. These activities are to be booked with the Coach Captain and/or Tour Leader whilst on tour. Payment is direct to the operator of the activity. GPT does not operate these activities, as such no person employed or associated with GPT has any connection with the operators of these activities. Accordingly, GPT cannot and do not take any responsibility for any injury, action, loss, or damage of any type, arising in any manner from these activities.

Optional Activities are subject to availability. Once booked cancellation fees may apply.

Optional Supa-$aver Coupons

Located in the Optional Activities Directory, these activities are to be booked and paid directly with the tour operator. Our recommendation is to book in advance, prior to your arrival into New Zealand to avoid disappointment. GPT does not operate these activities. As such, no person employed or associated with GPT has any connection with the operators of these activities. Accordingly, GPT cannot and do not take any responsibility for any injury, action, loss, or damage of any type, arising in any manner from these activities. Each Supa-$aver activity is subject to availability. Once booked cancellation fees may apply.

Lost Property

GPT does not accept responsibility for the retrieval of lost or misplaced property. All costs associated in the retrieval of lost or misplaced property is at your expense.

Tour Farewell

Depending on your tour selection, you will enjoy a farewell dinner with fellow travellers on your last tour night. Unfortunately, your Coach Captain is generally not able to attend due to restrictions on driving hours.

Tipping and Gratuities

As GPT Coach Captain’s and / or Tour Leader’s work exceptionally hard to provide all travellers a memorable holiday, tipping is appreciated for extra special service. Many tours arrange an envelope to be circulated for a farewell group presentation to the Coach Captain and / or Tour Leader with any contributions based on individual appreciation.

Variation

GPT reserves the right to cancel or to vary the content of its tours including the replacement of the Ultimate and Signature coaches should the need arise under extenuating circumstances out of our control. Due to the limited number of Ultimate and Signature coaches available, any compensation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but not guaranteed.

Our Nominated Charity

GPT is an official National Awareness partner of Dementia Australia. A collection tin will be made available at your farewell dinner (selected tours only) for any loose change to be donated at your discretion.

Your Feedback is Important

Included in your Documentation Pack is a Tour Questionnaire. Once you have completed and sealed it for confidentiality, it will be collected on your last tour night by a GPT representative. If you are seeking a reply to your feedback, a personalised letter or email must be sent to GPT Australia. We do ask for your patience regarding the response time.

Validity

All information is subject to change at any time.