Types of Girl about the Globe (GatG) – Adventure GatG, Nature GatG

If you are planning on travelling to New Zealand, Australia or Asia 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, Australia and 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. 

Start your trip in Auckland

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 Stray 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. 

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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 from 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 trip before you go. 

Each of their bus routes New Zealand have different names. The Stray Bus South island pass is called ‘Takahe' and is over 11 days, starting and ending in Christchurch. The cost is $2,795 NZD and there's also the option to start from Wellington/Picton. Their North island tour called Pukeko runs for 8 days from Auckland to Wellington, costing $2,139 NZD. 

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 costing from $4,999 NZD. Or if you only have 11 days, their Kereru tour costs $2,989 NZD and starts in Auckland, ending in Christchurch. 

Accommodation on a Stray bus tour 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 waters edge. Activities include kayaking, sailing and adventure sports with breakfast included. 

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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. To travel the East Coast of Australia, jump on a Stray Australia 24 day Freestyle Tour to see the best of the coast from Sydney to Cairns. 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 can hop off in any destination and stay for longer, then join the next group when you’re ready!

Stray Bus Asia

Stray doesn't just offer bus travel in New Zealand or Australia. The Stray hop on hop off tours even extends as far as Asia where you can hop aboard in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Bhutan. They also offer Stray Asia trips to Borneo where you can explore the world’s oldest rainforest, get up close and personal to orang-utans, and dive in some of the world’s top dive sites.

If you’re planning on travelling Southeast Asia in two or more months and want the flexibility to go with the flow and meet lots of other travellers, Stray Travel Asia is a great choice. 

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Lake Pukaki

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 Asia app to book your buses, accommodation and activities along the way. With so many options for Oceania and Asia, 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.

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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.

“I travelled with Stray 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. 

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