Sustainable New Zealand Small Group Tours
For more than 50 years, our family has had the privilege of showing New Zealanders some of the most remarkable places in our own backyard. Since 1971, we’ve believed that great holidays should do more than create wonderful memories – they should also help protect the landscapes, wildlife and communities that make New Zealand such a special place to call home.
Our small group tours, with a maximum of 18 travellers, naturally encourage a more thoughtful way to travel. We spend more time connecting with local people, supporting regional businesses and enjoying authentic experiences, all while travelling at a relaxed pace.
Sustainability isn’t something we’ve added to our business. It’s simply part of how we’ve always travelled.
Why Small Groups Make a Difference
One of the simplest ways we reduce our impact is by travelling in small groups of no more than 18 travellers.
Smaller groups create a better holiday for everyone. We spend less time waiting and more time enjoying each destination, can visit places that larger coaches often can’t, and have greater flexibility throughout the day.
Travelling in smaller numbers also means we can support family-run accommodation, local cafes, regional attractions and small businesses that are such an important part of New Zealand. It creates a more personal style of travel while helping spread the benefits of tourism into the communities we visit.
Supporting the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre
The Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre holds a special place in the MoaTours story. Each year, we support the Centre with a financial donation to help with its important work rescuing, caring for and rehabilitating injured native birds.
Our support also extends to bringing travellers through its doors. Guests on our Northland Odyssey: Cape Reinga & Bay of Islands and Christmas in Northland tours visit the Centre, meet some of the birds in its care and hear directly about the dedication involved in protecting New Zealand’s native wildlife.
A particular favourite is Sparky the kiwi, who has helped generations of visitors gain a closer appreciation of this much-loved native bird.
By supporting the Centre both financially and through our tour visits, we help contribute to its conservation work while introducing more New Zealanders to the people working tirelessly behind the scenes to protect our birdlife.
Supporting Conservation Across New Zealand
Our partnership with the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre is one example of the way conservation is woven into our tours.
Throughout New Zealand, we visit locally led wildlife, plantlife and habitat restoration projects where passionate people are protecting native species and restoring special places for future generations.
These experiences give our travellers the opportunity to enjoy remarkable landscapes while also learning about the work taking place behind the scenes.
Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
On our Te Urewera, Mahia & Gisborne tour, travellers join a guided walk through one of the world’s largest pest-proof wildlife sanctuaries, where native forest and some of New Zealand’s rarest wildlife are thriving.
Featured on: Te Urewera, Mahia & Gisborne
Pukaha National Wildlife Centre
Travellers on our Wairarapa Wandering tour visit Pukaha with a specialist guide and learn about its work protecting native species, including kaka, kiwi, kokako, takahe and tuatara.
Featured on: Wairarapa Wandering
Orokonui Ecosanctuary
Our Far South & Milford Sound tour includes a visit to Orokonui Ecosanctuary, where native forest and wildlife are being restored within a protected sanctuary near Dunedin.
Featured on: The Far South & Milford Sound
Kiwi West Coast Wildlife Centre
On our Doubtful Sound & West Coast Odyssey, travellers enjoy a special behind-the-scenes visit and hear the conservation stories of two of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi.
Featured on: Doubtful Sound & West Coast Odyssey
Okarito Lagoon
Travellers on our Karamea & Wild West Coast Trails tour explore Okarito Lagoon, New Zealand’s largest unmodified coastal wetland and an important habitat for native and migratory birdlife.
Featured on: Karamea & Wild West Coast Trails
These are just some of the conservation and restoration stories our travellers encounter. Each tour is different, but many include opportunities to meet knowledgeable locals and see first-hand how communities are caring for New Zealand’s natural heritage.
Supporting Local Communities
For more than five decades, we’ve believed one of the best parts of travelling is meeting the people who call these places home.
That’s why many of our tours include locally owned accommodation, family-run cafés, regional museums, gardens, farms and visitor attractions. These experiences help keep tourism dollars within local communities while giving our travellers a richer understanding of each destination.
When you travel with MoaTours, you’re helping support the people and businesses that make regional New Zealand such a wonderful place to explore.
Caring for Our Backyard
Looking after New Zealand is something we all share responsibility for.
That’s why we’re proud to support the Tiaki Promise, a nationwide commitment to protecting our environment, respecting our culture and caring for the places we visit.
Although the Tiaki Promise was originally created to encourage international visitors to travel responsibly, its values are just as relevant for New Zealanders. Respecting nature, supporting local communities and leaving places as we found them are principles we’ve embraced since MoaTours began, and we’re proud to stand behind them today.
When packing to come on tour, one thing you can do to contribute is to bring a reusable drink bottle and keep cup in your day bag.
Our Sustainability Commitment
MoaTours is also a proud signatory to the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment, joining tourism businesses throughout the country that are working towards a more sustainable future.
This commitment encourages us to continually improve the way we operate by:
• reducing our environmental impact
• supporting local communities and regional businesses
• protecting New Zealand’s natural and cultural heritage
• creating memorable travel experiences that benefit both travellers and the places we visit.
Respecting Our National Parks
Many of New Zealand’s most treasured landscapes are protected by the Department of Conservation.
Where our tours visit National Parks or conservation land, we operate as a Department of Conservation concessionaire, meeting the requirements to visit these remarkable places safely, responsibly and with respect, helping ensure they can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Explore New Zealand Responsibly
When you travel with MoaTours, you’re not only discovering some of New Zealand’s most remarkable places – you’re also supporting the people, communities and conservation projects helping protect them.
We’d love to welcome you on one of our relaxed small group tours and introduce you to more of the places, people and stories that make New Zealand so special.