Dear Ron:
 
Now that we’re home and recovered from jet lag, we want to thank you and to give you a few thoughts about our New Zealand Grand Tour.  First, this was—from beginning to end—one of the best tours we’ve taken. We had a fantastic time!
 
Roberta handled all of the arrangements for the trip in a superbly efficient and cordial manner.  She is a pleasure to deal with.  “The Plan Ahead” was the best tour book we’ve ever received—a thorough, informative, and interesting read.  Particularly unusual and helpful are the culture/history and glossary sections.
 
In your early e-mails to us and on your website, the “Ayres Adventures Style” was a strong selling point.  You haven’t overstated its impact.  Specifically:
 
1.      Our small group of ten was the perfect size—large enough for diversity and small enough to be manageable in riding, restaurants, and other stops.  We were fortunate to have an extremely congenial group who shared lots of good conversation and humor along the way.
2.      All the hotels were excellent—more interesting and comfortable than we had 10 years ago on our last tour of New Zealand. Your choice to keep us away from large hotels serving the tour bus crowd was most appreciated.  Particularly noteworthy were Warners Historic Hotel (perfect location in Christchurch), Larnach Castle (a unique experience and great views), and the Cathedral Inn (warm and generous proprietors, lovely accommodations, and great service).
3.      Restaurant quality and variety were unsurpassed in our experience with organized tours.  

Last, but most certainly not least, were our tour leaders.  John Jesson handled tour details superbly.  His efficient management of hotel, restaurant, and transit arrangements made what can undoubtedly be a logistical nightmare look remarkably easy.  On the ride, John provided a biker’s smorgasbord of roads—some spectacularly scenic; others twisty, demanding, and great fun.  He’s a skilled rider who never failed to look out for the group’s safety and enjoyment.  As an added bonus, John is unfailingly interesting and fun as a traveling companion.
 
It was hard to believe that this was Pete Withers’ first time as a tour leader since he took to the role like the proverbial duck to water.  Backing up John, Pete performed his tour leader duties in a typically “no fuss, no muss” fashion.  We felt that Pete’s riding style matched ours perfectly and thoroughly enjoyed his company throughout the trip.  In particular, it was great fun to compare our adventures in long-distance U.S. bike travel and to share his excitement over his first New Zealand adventure.
 
In summary, it was a fantastic experience.  You have created a great tour model and assembled a terrific team.  We’re already researching our next Ayres Adventure!
 
Best regards,
 
Susan and Nick Vallario