Testimonials

“What a great day we had with the lovely Tom Collier of Kaewa Tours. It was a great itinerary – a full day, but easy going so nothing felt rushed. Tom is a mine of information and nothing is too much trouble for him. What makes this a great tour is that it’s “bespoke” in the way that he focuses on individual groups rather than large mixed groups so my husband and I enjoyed our day with just ourselves and Tom. All the sightseeing/visit stops are different in their own way so nothing was repetitive. The lunch platter at Poppies vineyard was superb – a “must-do”, and the cheese and chocolate shops were irresistible. The 2nd wine tasting at Cellar Door was informative and not too long which is great. Cape Palliser Lighthouse felt like NZ’s answer to Cape Horn (if you’ve been to Cape Horn you’ll know what I mean!), and the Seal Colony and iconic Ngawi beach topped off the day. Finishing with fish and chips at the Lake Ferry Hotel brought this perfect day to an end. Thanks Tom for your great guiding and lovely company.”
Kath D, Auckland

May 2021

“Had a fantastic day in Martinborough thanks to Kaewa Tours. Tom is very professional, friendly and a good laugh as he guided us from Wellington over to Martinborough and back. Tom definitely knew where to take us to impress – 3 wineries and a private tour at a winery, a chocolate shop, an incredible lunch and to the best cheese shop I have been too. Unlike others tours I have been on, Tom allows the perfect amount of time to have tastings and learn about the wine process without feeling rushed at each winery. Apart from the great places we visited, not having the hassle of organising which places to visit made life very easy! If I could give 6 stars I would!! Thanks Tom for a great day and I will be back for another tour soon :)”
Sam S, Wellington

May 2021

“We were very fortunate to experience one of Kaewa Tours lead by the very knowledgeable, interesting and humerous Tom. We travelled over the hill to the Wairarapa first stopping in Greytown at Schoc Chocolate and then onto the wine tasting. We visited Gladstone Vineyard, Tiwaiwaka Wines (and also had a lovely lunch there), Haythornthwaite Winery and Palliser Estate. Before leaving Martinborough we went to Olivo and tasted some very delicious oils. Our last stop was at C’est Cheese – definitely a must before going home. The tour would not have been the same without Tom we had such a great time and a great laugh too. Thank you Tom we had a blast Soo & John.”
Soo & John, Wellington

April 2021

“Tom and Jill at Kaewa are brilliant at what they do! We had a fantastic day recently when they took myself and my wife for a day-long Wellington Private Craft Beer tour.
Our personalized tour started at Kereru Brewing in Upper Hutt, followed by tastings and a delicious lunch at Te Aro Brewery at Brewtown. A visit to the boutique Abandoned Brewery in Avalon followed, then a Scenic tour around the Eastern and Southern bays with a visit to the Massey Monument – a part of Wellington we hadn’t seen before. Our tour progressed to two City breweries, Garage Project and Parrot Dog for final drinks. A well-rounded tour with plenty of variety.
Jill and Tom took wonderful care of us and delivered us safely home after a very satisfying day! Their professionalism and friendly rapport with management and staff at every venue was impeccable. We couldn’t have asked for better hosts, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kaewa Tours to local and international tourists alike.
When our borders open Kaewa Tours fully deserve to share in the benefits of the resulting influx of tourism.”

Pete & Kim H, Raumati Beach, Kāpiti Coast

January 2022

“Had an absolutely wonderful day with Tom Collier from Kaewa Tours exploring the Wairarapa region and south coast! Tom has thorough knowledge of the region and tailors the itinerary to the individual’s interests, all the while supporting local business and opting for eco-friendly initiatives. Despite having to fit in plenty of activities and long road transfers, nothing felt rushed and Tom makes sure you’re comfortable at each step. Warmly recommended!”

Ilse V, Auckland

May 2022

“What a great day!! Tom picked us up for our Wellington Foodie Tour in the morning and we headed into Wellington for our first stop at Fix & Fog where we sampled a fabulous range of their peanut butters, followed by coffees at Leeds Street Bakery before lunching at Shepherd Restaurant. We sat at the chefs pass watching the kitchen staff do their thing, awesome lunch definitely recommend it. We then headed to the Wellington Chocolate Factory, we all sat around tasting the mouth-watering chocolate whilst listening to their story – very interesting.
It happened to be International Gin Day so it was very fitting for Tom to take us to Denzien Urban Distillery – just perfect, just loved the Gins and the surroundings of their tasting room definitely a must!! Tom had one last trick up his sleeve and drove us out to Miramar to visit the Double Vision Brewery …… wow we just loved it such an awesome place with lots of atmosphere and great staff, we tried few tastings and then a couple more just to make sure it really was that good ….. yep it was, again definitely a must.
We have been on a tour with Tom before and again he just is so brilliant at what he does, from the moment he picks you up to the time he drops you off you experience an exceptional day, he is so informative, so humorous and so very good at what he does. We would definitely recommend Kaewa Tours – Thank you again Tom we had a blast!!”

Soo & John H, Wellington

June 2022

“We recently had the privilege of experiencing a Kaewa Tour with the one and only, Tom. Tom was a fantastic host who made sure we got to Martinborough safely, learnt along the way and had fun. The well thought out day had plenty of time built in for each vineyard and even included a private vineyard tour and incredible lunch at Moy Hall. Tom is very knowledgeable, friendly and has great relationships with the Martinborough locals. We would highly recommend Kaewa tours and are looking forward to booking in another adventure with Tom.”

Hannah P, Paraparaumu, Kāpiti Coast

May 2021

“What a great day!  Wine, cheese, chocolate – what’s not to love!  We even found time to sample a bit of craft beer!

Tom was a wonderful guide & the program was full but not rushed.

I’d never been to Martinborough before, but had intended to for years.  Doing it with Kaewa Tours, meant we could ALL enjoy the tastings, without worrying about the drive back to Wellington.  Highly recommend!”

Chris E, Auckland

April 2021

“Awesome day out with Kaewa Tours, Tom our host looked after everything allowing us to relax and enjoy. We slipped our away around the area hearing from the wine makers as we sampled their exquisite creations. Came away with a love for the region, a few choice wines, cheese and chocolate. Highly recommend.”
Lance J, Auckland

April 2021

“Awesome business with loads of knowledge, thank you was amazing.”

AVS Ltd, Paraparaumu, Kāpiti Coast

April 2021

“Tom was a highly knowledgeable and all-round amazing guide. The level of guest services was exceptional, right from before the tour started, throughout and after the tour ended. Bringing us along family owned wineries, we had the privilege to converse with the owners and wine makers, making the experience extremely special. Must also express the appreciation for sustainability, providing us with water bottles made out of plant matter. The experiences shared throughout the day will definitely be a great memory and one I will be sharing with others. Highly recommend and will book again in a heartbeat. Thank you again to Tom for such an amazing experience, and also Jill for baking beautiful orange muffins to enjoy on the ride back!”

Ling Y, Christchurch

November 2021

“We were more than fortunate to have chosen to do a Private Martinborough Foodie & Wine Delights Tour with Kaewa Tours and Tour Guide & Owner Tom Collier at the wheel. A pick up from our Wellington Hotel and a scenic and informative trip over the Rimatakas to Martinborough was the start of a full day of wine, food, area information and laughter. We sampled cheese, chocolates, wine and Olive Oil with Helen at Olivo Olive Estate a highlight. Another highlight was a lunch at Poppies and a box of wine sent home to enjoy on our return. We were also given a goodie bag to return to our hotel with that was an extra special touch. I suggest if you haven’t been and you get the chance – book with Tom & Kaewa Tours – It was superb!!!”
Kylie & Jason H, Hamilton

December 2021

“Have had the best experiences with Kaewa Tours. Tom is an absolute gent and looked after our whanau perfectly.”
Martin S, Paraparaumu, Kāpiti Coast

December 2021

“A perfect day out !

We booked the tour as a Christmas Present for our family of adults to enjoy. Tom is a great host for a day – driving us expertly for the day, providing humour and knowledge of the area and our stops.We enjoyed Chocolates at Kapiti Chocolate Factory / Limoncello tastings.
An exceptional experience and wonderful hosts with olive oil tastings and lunch among the olive trees at Totora Tunnel Olives.New Ciders to try (dry decilous ) at Elemental Cider rounded off with the famous Tuatara Brewing and tasting paddles – will return and stay longer.

Thanks Tom.”

Karen & Geoff S, Wellington

January 2022

“We could not have had a more enjoyable time on our Martinborough wine tour. Tom at Kaewa Tours is an incredible host! He had created an itinerary that gave us the best taste of the Martinborough wine region (especially as some of us had not visited before). We visited 3 winery’s and even had a private tour which was amazing, a delicious lunch, a chocolate lovers dream chocolate shop and a cheese shop. We contacted Tom prior to our tour and he was very willing to cater to our needs which created the perfect day. Tom made sure we were looked after and treated like VIPs at each and every stop. We could not recommend Kaewa tours enough. Thank you Tom, we’ll be booking again in the future for sure.”
Laura F, Wellington

May 2021

“I had the absolute pleasure of completing the martinborough tour on Saturday. Tom is the ultimate host great company with perfect choice of stops. Highly recommend Kaewa Tours and I am looking to book again.”

Karen S, Wellington

April 2021

“Great experience on a day trip to Martinborough with Tom. Friendly service, awesome knowledge of the region and some very cool spots visited in the Wairarapa! Highly recommended!”
Chris W, Auckland

April 2021

“Tom is an amazing Guide/Host – we had a fabulous tour of Martinborough- I highly recommend and will definitely go with Tom for my next time there.”
Doris M, Auckland

April 2021

“We booked a wine tour with Tom, who picked us up from our hotel in central Wellington.

From booking the tour Tom was great at communicating.

Tom chose four amazing family run vineyards which offered an amazing selection of wines. We were able to meet the owners and wine makers at all of the vineyards which made for a much more personal tour.”

Steven B, Christchurch

November 2021

“ From start to finish, this experience was perfect. Tom picked us up for our day of preplanned activities on a private tour which took us to the best of Wellington’s foodie and scenic highlights (and the best local beers). A drive around the bays showed us Wellington’s outer suburbs and the hidden Massey Memorial on the Miramar Peninsula. We learnt the reason behind the ‘Wellywood’ sign and even got to visit Gollum!
My favourite parts were the visit to Denzien Gin Distillery and lunch at Shepherd, whereas Sean most enjoyed a pumpkin spiced ale at Double Vision Brewing. I sense a theme here…
Our private Wellington foodie and scenic tour with Kaewa Tours was exceptional and we will definitely be back to try the Martinborough/Kāpiti tours too. Fantastic food, brews and great company. Thanks again Tom, you sure can’t beat Welly on a good day!”

Kate P, Christchurch

March 2022

“We did a full day Foodie tour to Martinborough, with Tom. It was epic! Everything was wonderful, from the pickup at our airbnb, to the informative drive up, and all the visits to the various amazing local food and wine producers in the area. A honey producer, an olive orchard, a cottage winery, and a cheesery! He topped it off with a little bonus – a stop off at the (LOTR) Rivendell filming location on the way home! Highly Recommended!”

Robin & Diane S, British Columbia, Canada

June 2022

“Tom our tour guide was fantastic. Very flexible and went the extra mile with grace and consideration.
The whole family loved the beekeeper and olive grove experiences. Thoroughly recommend this tour for my fellow Aussies wanting to get a feel for the beautiful country around Wellington NZ.”

Anne & Greg R, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

June 2022

“Tom was an amazing host. We had the best day. A big high light for me was the seal colony, but also Poppys winery. We will have great memories from our day”

Kelly, Andrew & Ella M, Canberra, ACT, Australia

June 2022

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