New Zealand itinerary consultations

Maybe you have a rough route and want help perfecting it. Or you don’t have time to sift through all the information available to plan your trip. Maybe you just don’t know where to start.

I might be able to help.

Book a call with me and get personalised help with planning your itinerary. Use my calendar, or just send me an email at hello@petrinadarrah.com to arrange a time.

Here’s how I can help

• We can talk through your itinerary and I’ll give you feedback on whether it makes sense. Is it feasible? Too much driving? Too many activities?

• I can help you narrow down your options by giving honest opinions about which places are worth your time. If you’re not sure where to start, I can talk through places you might not have thought about or considered, to see if they interest you.

• I can help you hash out the details How much time to spend in each place, or the best ways to get around, whether that’s by car, campervan, ferry or flight.

Search for a time in my calendar →

Why book time with me

• I spend a lot of time travelling New Zealand, because I love it, but increasingly because I love getting to do this for work. If I’m not travelling, I’ll be planning a trip, with the mindset of seeking out the best places to eat, stay, and explore; all so I can share with travellers like you.

• I’m also working towards doing all of this independently — as in, paying my own way for everything. I have some strong opinions about the way travel media/travel influencers accept free or sponsored travel and don’t always disclose this, while letting this bias what information they share. I want to pay for everything so I can give honest opinions and run my business on my own terms.

• Booking consultations helps support me towards this goal, so thank you in advance!

• I’m passionate about New Zealand and will enthusiastically share as much info as I can to make your trip stress free and enjoyable. I love hearing about the trips people are planning to New Zealand, so these sessions are always fun for me too.

• If you’re interested in quieter travel, getting off the beaten track, steering clear of anything overly touristy, and getting closer to nature; there’s a good chance I’ll be able to help you, because this essentially sums up my travel style too.

Costs

The amount of time you might need for an itinerary consultation depends on where you are in your planning, and how much time you’ll be travelling for.

These are my suggestions for the length of time to book, but if you’re unsure just go for a one hour slot — we can always book a follow up session if you find it to be useful.

• 1 hour ($130USD): This is usually enough to walk through a one week itinerary in detail or to cover a longer itinerary more quickly — say, if you already have a pretty good idea of where you want to go.

• 1.5 hours ($165USD): This is perfect if you want to go over a 2 week itinerary and have questions around other topics, like how to manage your money in New Zealand, what rental car companies are the best, and so on.

• 2 hours ($200USD): This is the best option for itineraries of 3 weeks or more, or if you are just at the beginning of your planning and want to get up to speed quickly — in this block of time I can help prepare you for everything you need to know.

How it works

As soon as I see your booking, I will send you a confirmation email with a meeting link. I use Google Meet.

I will also ask if you have any specific questions, or any itinerary notes you would like me to look at before we meet (not obligatory!).

On a video call, I share with you my advice on knowledge, so you can fast track your New Zealand trip planning. I can’t book accommodation or activities on your behalf, but I can send you links and help you get ready to book independently.

After the call, I will send you notes based on our discussion. This might be a day-by-day itinerary with personalised suggestions for places to eat, hikes, and other activities that interest you.

I ask for payment when you book your consultation, but don’t worry; you can change the time free of charge and if you need to cancel, I’m happy to give you a full refund minus 5% to cover processing fees.

I’m also happy to refund you if you get off the call with me and feel like I didn’t help in any way. I want you to leave the call feeling excited for your trip and clearer about your goals, so just email me immediately afterwards if you would like refund.

If you book a call and then no show, I charge 50% of the booking cost, and will refund you 50%. This is just to cover my time.

What you should know

• I’m not going to try to sell you anything; I’ll just help guide you plan your trip and guide you towards the activities that suit you best.

• Please note that I do not offer a booking service. I am not acting as a travel agent and I will not make any bookings on your behalf. However, I will provide you with links to all the accommodation, tours, and services I recommend for you to book directly.

• I don’t have a strict format for these calls — you can use the time as you like, and ask me anything you want.

• My areas of expertise are; travelling in a campervan, outdoor adventure activities (camping, hiking, beaches), food (and coffee and wine).

• I like to recommend small, independent businesses where I can, especially if they are owned by women or Maori people. I’m passionate about sustainable travel and part of that is supporting local.

• I don’t have a family of my own so I’m not as familiar with activities oriented toward kids; I can still do my best to help you, just letting you know it’s not my main expertise.

• I like to keep things pretty informal, so don’t expect me to be super serious!