16 Mar 2024
On a 3 week trip to both New Zealand Islands we had the good fortune to be booked into a Canterbury Trails tour from Queenstown to Christchurch via Mt. Cook. Cantebury Trials provided a safe and comfortable van with an interesting itinerary. Our guide was Hugo Flaus. We had many guides in our NZ time but Hugo Flaus set the standard for informed, flexible, personable, with an instinct for what we might enjoy beyond then providing it. Yes, Arrowtown was an interesting way to begin but he knew the very scenic "back way" to get us to Cardrona Hotel for lunch. He knew the dairy farmer who would welcome an impromptu visit for milking time. He easily explained any question we had ranging from milk versus wool exports, possum fur collection for Merino wool, to Maori history and flat white coffees. Hugo Flaus, as guide for Canterbury Trails tours, made this an extraordinary two days on the road across New Zealand's South Island's fine valleys/lakes/mountains/and agricultural planes.