Types of Girl about the Globe (GatG) – Adventure GatG, Nature GatG
If you are planning on travelling to New Zealand or Australia and are looking for a fun, adventurous tour company, look no further than Stray Travel. This article covers why they are solo female friendly.
More for the adventurous GatG, Stray Travel is a hop-on hop-off bus tour offering bus passes around New Zealand and Australia and soon to come, Southeast Asia.
As well as going to the iconic hotspots, you can also go off the beaten track and see areas of the country that others don't visit. It's flexible, and you decide which parts of NZ you want to travel to on your pass.
My Experience of Stray Bus New Zealand
I loved Stray Bus NZ when I travelled with them through New Zealand. I spent a month travelling from Auckland to Auckland, exploring the north island before venturing down to the south.
What I really loved about them is the flexibility to get off whenever I wanted. I travelled to New Zealand solo and soon made friends on the tour. Because we wanted to spend the same amount of time in the destinations that we stopped at, it meant that we were able to stay in our group for the whole month and see the best of the country whilst trying new adventurous activities on the way.
For me, this New Zealand travel bus was the best way to travel New Zealand. My highlights were seeing the waterfalls at Milford Sound on a boat trip, trying deep sea fishing (where I actually caught a fish!) and seeing the glowworms during my first black water rafting experience.
Being with the same people meant that we were able to dine together and share the same experiences, and a month on a Stray bus tour is a great amount of time to build a bond.
What I really love about the Stray company is that they support the local community and aren't for mass tourism. They look for one-of-a-kind experiences and seek out secluded destinations. * Check rates and availability for Stray tours
Start your Stray trip in Auckland but make sure to see the views from the Sky Tower before you leave
Bus Travel New Zealand
If you're looking for a New Zealand hop on hop off service that has great New Zealand travel reviews, Stray journeys are not only sociable but they allow you to explore every part of the country at your own flexibility.
Join one of their Stray Tours New Zealand and see the iconic hotspots such as Queenstown, Wellington, and Rotorua in New Zealand, or take the ultimate north island road trip to see the very best that the North Island has to offer. There’s a reason it’s referred to as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’, and you can capture all the adventure with Stray.
There is also the option to take one of their hop on hop off New Zealand tours from 3 days to 27 days. These include transport, accommodation and activities (they even throw some meals in too!) They even have articles on how to pack. If you visit during the peak season, you may need to pre-book all sections of your Stray trip before you go.
Have as much solitude as you need with the benefits of a group tour
They have a great bus network and each of their bus routes in New Zealand has different names. Take one of their bus tours around New Zealand and see all of the country in 18 days with the ‘Ruru' pass that starts in Auckland and ends in Christchurch.
The Stray Bus South island pass is called ‘Takahe' and is over 11 days, starting and ending in Christchurch. Or if you don't have 11 days, there have their ‘Kaku' tour which runs over 9 days from and to Christchurch.
Their North Island tour called Pukeko runs for 8 days from Auckland to Wellington. Or explore both islands over 11 days from Auckland to Christchurch on their ‘Kereru' tour.
Accommodation on a Stray bus tour in New Zealand is usually twin share rooms, so as a solo traveller, you'll be paired with someone of the same gender. Hotels are generally 3-4 stars, with some in National Parks or close to the water's edge. Activities include kayaking, sailing and adventure sports, with breakfast included. * Check rates and availability for Stray tours
If climbing a glacier is on your list of things to do then you have to visit the South Island of New Zealand
Stray Travel Australia
As well as Stray Bus Tours New Zealand, there's also a Stray Bus Australia meaning that you can explore Oz at the same time. The East Coast is where it's at and is ideal for the adventure traveller.
To travel the East Coast of Australia, jump on a Stray Australia ‘Kookaburra' tour for 19 days to see the best of the coast from Cairns to Sydney.
This epic Stray bus Australia trip squeezes in all the highlights, including Fraser Island, sailing around the Whitsundays, and seeing the Queensland rainforest. Tours depart twice per week, and you can hop off at any destination and stay for longer, then join the next group when you’re ready!
Or if you only have 12 days, the ‘Cassowary' tour starts in Cairns and ends in Brisbane visiting Magnetic Island and the Whitsundays in-between. If you prefer to see Sydney on your Australia trip (and who wouldn't!) there's an 8 day ‘Galah' tour that starts in Brisbane and ends in Sydney, stopping at the funky town of Byron Bay on the way. * Check rates and availability for Stray tours
See the gorgeous Lake Pukaki on a New Zealand trip
Stray Bus Pass
Whichever part of the world you decide to explore, just decide which Stray tour you want to do, choose your pass, then download the Stray Mate app to book your buses, accommodation and activities along the way.
With so many options for Oceania you can create the adventure that you want. You don’t need to worry if you don’t see everything either, as your Straytravel pass is valid for 12 months, so you don’t have to see everything in one trip. * Check rates and availability for all Stray tours
You get to meet like-minded adventurous souls on your trip
Stray Travel Reviews
If you're unsure whether to take one of the Stray bus tours, read our Stray New Zealand reviews below, as recommended by our solo female community.
This is my Stray Travel review: “I travelled with the New Zealand Stray bus for a month and found the whole bus experience amazing for a solo traveller. I met some fantastic people to travel with, tried new activities such as black-water rafting and saw the best of New Zealand at the same time.” – Lisa Imogen Eldridge
“Best choice I ever made to go with Stray Travel New Zealand and discover New Zealand! The concept of hopping off and on whenever you want is great and the fact that you can retravel for a year makes it definitely worth the money! Had an awesome 5 months with Stray!” – Iris van Dam.
“I had an amazing time travelling New Zealand with Stray (I did the Cook Summer tour – 23 days). Our busdriver/guide Lantern was absolutely great. His neverending enthusiasm was extremely contagious and I'm pretty sure everyone is still yelling ‘Sweet as' and ‘Good morning, good morning!' every day while missing the loveshack and the final countdown…
For me it was the first time I travelled with a group and honestly it could not have been any better; our group was amazing! All activities were great but spending NYE in doubtful sound was definitely the highlight of our trip. Only improvement I can think of is spending a little more time in Wellington. I would definitely recommend travelling with Stray if you want to make the most of your time in New Zealand.” – Kirsten Withagen
Hobbiton
Questions about Bus Travel in New Zealand
- How long do you need to travel New Zealand? If you want to see the best of New Zealand, you need at least a month for getting around New Zealand.
- Is this the only New Zealand tour bus? No, there is also the Kiwi Experience. I took the Oz experience in Australia, and as much as I enjoyed it, it felt more for the party traveller. In my opinion, Stray offers bus tours around New Zealand for the more adventurous traveller.
- Can you travel around New Zealand by bus? Yes. There are intercity buses as well as trains and ferries between the north and south islands.
Related Posts
