Excellent Small Group Tour to Te Puia and Geothermal Field (and maybe glimpse a Kiwi bird!) - Excellent tour for cruise ship passengers without the premium price or a similar tour sells out! Tour runs from 9am-3pm. Russell was very responsive to our pre-tour inquiries especially regarding return time being close to our ship’s “all aboard” time, and pickup/drop-off easily located just outside the port entry gate. Small group was a big bonus, and several quick stops along the way provided great opportunity to learn about New Zealand’s version of Bondi Beach, the kiwi frui industry, Rotiti Lake and the geothermal pools in Rotorua. Te Puia didn’t disappoint, and neither did the geyser (although she can be unpredictable - it’s not Old Faithful in Yellowstone). Even quite fortunate to see one of the 2 kiwi birds in the conservation center (no photos or videos allowed in the near-dark facility). Prompt return to ship ahead of “all aboard” call. Definitely recommend this tour!

Great Cruise Ship Passenger Independent Excursion - We took this tour on 12/15/24 at a port stop in Tauranga on the Viking Orion. When the shore excursions first opened for this site, it was sold out. Looking for an alternative independent tour to the same location, we found this. The close return time made me a little hesitant (didn’t want to be a YouTube video sensation running down a pier trying to catch our ship as it pulled away). Russell, the owner of Wicked Wanders, quickly responded by reassuring me they have many cruise passengers who use their tours, always getting everyone back in time. The day of the tour, Russell met us just outside the port entry gate (about 100 yards from the gangway) along with several other couples from the ship (3 couples on the tour total). At max, the van-style bus would hold 12, I believe. We drove alongside the beach in Tauranga, headed out to Rotorua with stops at a kiwi farm (no tasting, that’s a different tour), Rotiti Lake, and Rachel Hot Spring in Rotorua before heading to Te Puia (the Māori artisan center) and Whakarewarewe Geothermal Field. There is also a Kiwi (the bird) Conservation Centre here, home to two brown kiwi birds (brother and sister). We were incredibly fortunate in our timing to see the big sister in the dark setting of the enclosure (be prepared - no pictures or video recording allowed). This was a personal highlight for me, seeing her forage for food then do her cute little kiwi walk in the enclosure! The second bonus came in the geyser in the geothermal field. “She” usually erupts 4 times per day but can be sporadic and unpredictable (not like Old Faithful). But watching her increase in power and force to a full eruption in the 20-minute window we had was fantastic. As promised, Russell returned us to our ship on time and ahead of our “all aboard” call. The excursion lasted from 9am-3pm, and was exactly the same as the ship’s excursion (at a much more reasonable cost). The small group was a huge plus, and Russell responded to my questions prior to the excursion quickly and responsively. Highly recommend!

Great tour with a lovely guide - We had a lovely day with Nicolle as our guide. She looked after us very well and gave lots of interesting commentary. We had a few photo stops en route as well. We thoroughly enjoyed the Maori experience and the geysers and seeing the kiwi were the icing on the cake. We would highly recommend this tour.

Don’t miss out on a beautiful day! - Perfect tour for a longer day in port. While Tauranga Port is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and you could easily walk off the ship and have a wonderful day within walking distance of the ship, you’d be missing out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the Rotorua area and see the diversity of New Zealand culture and landscapes. Visiting Te Puia and learning about Maori culture like dances, customs, art, carving, weaving and so much more — really a must see! And the geothermal mud pools and geyser are easily accessible and so unique. And while redwoods are not native to New Zealand, the stop at the Redwood Forest on the way back to port was magical. We still had time for a dip in the water at the beach, a meal, a glass of wine and some shopping once we came back to the port area. Great guide (she was super friendly and looked out for the guests with disabilities with great care), comfortable van— I highly recommend this small group tour and Wicked Wanderer 💗

This tour exceeded my... - This tour exceeded my expectations and was very well presented, guide informative and venue beautiful, comfortable coach and instructions on joining the tour very clear.

Great trip - Great trip, engaging and informative guide, Te Puia Maori center was a very attractive and well organized, the mud pool and geysers were easily viewed and appreciated the train ride back up the hill. Would recommend the tour and the company, Wicked Wanders

5 STARS ALL AROUND! - We enjoyed our excursion very much. The Māori culture was a once in a lifetime experience! The kiwi were adorable! Our tour guide Niccolle was the best! We give the tour a solid 8 stars. Add in Niccolle and it’s a solid 10!! Thanks for the wonderful vacation memories!!

Wonderful Geothermal tour plus Te Puia experience - Enjoyed the tour - both the cultural show and the TePuia experience. Memorable and really fantastic and awesome.

Rotorua Geothermal Tour - This 6hr Rotorua Geothermal Tour was a well organized and the geysers were unusually high and active on the date of our visit Oct.21, 2024. The presentation by our guide was detailed and interesting and took us to see natural bush, geysers and mud pools with a remarkable walk along the Te Whakarewarewa geyser terrace. The presentation of the religious/tribal ritual was very interesting and lively with the kiku warriors. I would recommend this tour.

Amazing Places, So Much to See - Wonderful day learning about the Maori and the surrounding countryside. Very helpful and knowledgeable guide.