Explore The World With Us

We are motivated and passionate industry professionals, proud to be running a company that’s  100% Kiwi owned and operated. Travel Connections brokers are located in the North and South Islands.

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FEATURED DEALS

Island Escape Cruises

Your Very Own Superyacht

This brand new Island Escape Cruises Superyacht is arriving in New Zealand late 2021.
Be one of the first New Zealand guests onboard to experience incredible New Zealand and Australia cruise itineraries offered for 2021 and 2022 on this stunning new boat.
This all-inclusive product will be luxury cruising at its best!
The Island Escape Cruises season is scheduled to start on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia in August 2021, and then sail New Zealand itineraries from November 2021.
Pricing starts from $7950 per person, and with only 32 guests onboard, these amazing voyages will fill up fast!

Pricing starts from $7950 per person

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Wild Earth – Heritage Explorer

Explore the Best of New Zealand’s Backyard

This New Zealand built expedition yacht, the Heritage Explorer, will allow you to explore the best of our country’s backyard while introducing new levels of bespoke comfort.
Expedition guides are on hand to interpret the natural history and lead the wildlife encounters.
These are cruises designed for those who prefer the in depth discovery and engaging with like minded travellers.
Scheduled cruise itineraries include the “Discover the Marlborough Sounds” in April and May 2021 and “Top of the South” in June 2021.

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Discover the Chatham Islands

Walking Tours, Fishing, Diving and more

Discover the incredible destination that is the Chatham Islands. Fly from Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch and enjoy either 5 or 8 days exploring this largely undiscovered New Zealand gem.
If flora and fauna, geology and wildlife is a passion, then the Chatham Islands have all of this in abundance.
These packages have been put together to enable you to experience all that these wonderful islands have to offer at a time that suits you.
From just $2630 per person plus flights, why would you not travel to somewhere so close to home to enjoy a new location?

5 days/4 nights (ex Wellington)
From $2630 pp/share twin plus flights

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Ponant Cruises Scott & Shackleton’s Antarctic Ross Sea Expedition

Scott & Shackleton’s Antarctic Ross Sea Expedition

Dunedin – Dunedin | Departs 13 January & 3 February 2022 aboard Le Soléal.

Ponant will give guests the truly once in a lifetime opportunity to sail Scott and Shackleton’s Antarctic Ross Sea Expedition. These cruises are Dunedin return 22 day expedition cruises at their best. You will discover some of the most extreme and pristine regions in Antarctica onboard a ship that is refined luxury. Encountering the incredible variety of wildlife species such as whales, seals, penguins and birdlife, will be just some of the memorable highlights of this incredible voyage.

With Ponant, the earlier you book, the better the fare rates.
If this is a voyage you have always imagined yourself doing, then now would be a good time to secure this adventure.

22 days / 21 nights from AU$26,250 per person in a Prestige Stateroom Deck 4 – book early and SAVE up to 30%

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* Rates and offers are subject to change and availability at the time of holding an option.

MEET THE TEAM

Rick Wood
Project Expeditions

Auckland

(09) 528 7788 or 021 654 462

www.projectexpeditions.co.nz

Project Expeditions - Rick Wood

Rick is a travel broker with 45 years of travel industry experience, based in Orakei, Auckland. Rick is an expert in all facets of travel, from holiday packages, organised tours, airfares, cruises and corporate travel. Throughout his years in the industry, Rick has gained a huge amount of in-depth knowledge on many destinations including the Pacific Islands, Australia, Asia, South America, Africa and Europe - as well as worldwide cruising, to name but a few.

Rick has a particular interest in soft/eco adventure groups, some of which are branded through his trading name of Project Expeditions Ltd which he formed in 1983. During the last 33 years Rick has sent over 70 successful tours to Asia, Australia, India, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South America.

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Tasi Afitu Hill

Auckland

027 490 9199

Tasi Afitu Hill

Tasi has been in the travel industry for more than 25 years, journeyed to over 65 countries, experienced hundreds of beautiful sights, met thousands of interesting personalities, eaten lots of amazing food and is proud and thankful for the fact that her passion and enthusiasm for travel only increases each day. Tasi thrives on providing outstanding customer service and developing a rapport with her clients to ensure their trip is the very best it can be.

Tasi's wanderlust for travel was ignited by the AFS exchange student programme, where at the age of 17 she travelled to Quebec. Not only was she fortunate enough to experience another culture but she met 150 other AFS students from all over the world who were sharing the same experience. A few years later, Tasi spent a year in Turkey working as a tour leader on the Fez Travel Hop-off bus in 1997. Tasi rates the dawn service on ANZAC Day at Gallipoli as one of her most memorable travel experiences. Tasi has a love for languages and is fluent in French, English and Samoan. In 2016 Tasi was voted one of three finalists in the National TAANZ Awards for Best Retail Consultant - it was then that she decided to branch out and become a Travel Broker.

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Roni Nilsen

Nelson / Marlborough

(03) 539 1214 or  021 548 747

Roni Nilsen

Roni has an amazing passion for travel and for life! Roni has over 25 years experience and feels extremely privileged to be part of the incredibly exciting travel industry. She has extremely strong industry relationships with all leading New Zealand tourism suppliers and worldwide operators. They provide Roni access to the very best range of travel products including airlines, cruises, coach, rail, walking and cycling.

From Roni’s Nelson based office, at the top of the south island, she designs bespoke and boutique packages, customised to every need for her clients. She prides herself on her high level of attention to detail. Roni understands that planning and researching is an important part of realising her client's travel dreams and she's extremely committed to ensuring that each trip she plans is special and unique. Roni credits her high repeat business to the fact that she always goes the extra mile for her clients, which sees them returning year after year.

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Sue Ketel

Nelson

(03) 541 8417 or 021 545 799

www.nelsontravelbroker.co.nz

Sue Ketel

I live in Wakefield which is in Tasman (or for those in the North Island the Nelson area). For the last 20 years, I have owned and operated my own travel business and with over 23 years in the travel industry I have many years of worldly experience. Many of my clients have been with me since I started in travel, and many are now life long friends, this is how I like to do business.

Over the course of my travel career, I have travelled to many countries (in excess of 42) and have experienced all facets of travel, from travelling on a shoestring to staying in 5-star resorts and travelling with group tours. I particularly specialise in organising and coordinating personalised travel itineraries, and also cater to a wide range of travel needs. It doesn't matter whether it is a business trip or that long awaited dream holiday, you will always get the right advice and price for your travel, but don’t take my word for it read what my many clients have written on my website.

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Samantha Fowler

Auckland

(09) 972 2030 or 0800 500 180

www.cruiseconnections.nz

Cruise Connections - Auckland

We are a team of Cruise and Travel specialists, passionate about cruising and travel in general.

Between our team of 5 we have well over 50 years of experience, product knowledge and multiple Awards which reflect our performance within the very competitive world of travel.

We live by the simple philosophy of creating a better experience for you before, during and after your holiday than you’ll receive anywhere else.

We would love the opportunity for you to experience our exceptional service!

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Libby Stafford

Auckland

(09) 972 2030 or 0800 500 180

www.cruiseconnections.nz

Cruise Connections - Auckland

We are a team of Cruise and Travel specialists, passionate about cruising and travel in general.

Between our team of 5 we have well over 50 years of experience, product knowledge and multiple Awards which reflect our performance within the very competitive world of travel.

We live by the simple philosophy of creating a better experience for you before, during and after your holiday than you’ll receive anywhere else.

We would love the opportunity for you to experience our exceptional service!

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Shelley Hibbert

Auckland

(09) 972 2030 or 0800 500 180

www.cruiseconnections.nz

Cruise Connections - Auckland

We are a team of Cruise and Travel specialists, passionate about cruising and travel in general.

Between our team of 5 we have well over 50 years of experience, product knowledge and multiple Awards which reflect our performance within the very competitive world of travel.

We live by the simple philosophy of creating a better experience for you before, during and after your holiday than you’ll receive anywhere else.

We would love the opportunity for you to experience our exceptional service!

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Amber Gilling

Auckland

(09) 972 2030 or 0800 500 180

www.cruiseconnections.nz

Cruise Connections - Auckland

We are a team of Cruise and Travel specialists, passionate about cruising and travel in general.

Between our team of 5 we have well over 50 years of experience, product knowledge and multiple Awards which reflect our performance within the very competitive world of travel.

We live by the simple philosophy of creating a better experience for you before, during and after your holiday than you’ll receive anywhere else.

We would love the opportunity for you to experience our exceptional service!

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Joanne Pett
Travel Connections
Head office

Auckland

(09) 972 2032

Travel Connections - Auckland

Joanne (Jo) joined the team at Travel Connections in June 2018.

Jo’s role as head office support/admin extraordinaire has enabled Travel Connections to continue to grow at an extraordinary rate.

Jo has been in the travel industry over 20 years and worked in both wholesale and retail environments. She is the very cornerstone of our business model and is always finding ways to help our brokers service their clients above and beyond. From sourcing competitive exchange rates, to implementing our own IATA plate. Everything Jo does supports our brokers and enables them to spend more time with their customers.

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Karen Pocklington
Travel Connections

Auckland

021 818 484

Travel Connections - Auckland

I always think I have the best job in the world because I spend my life completing other people's dreams. I've been in the travel industry for more than 30 years and I am fully committed to using that experience to build very special trips for all my clients. My clients range from very experienced travellers to first-time travellers and are all very different in their own way. To me, being a Travel Expert is all about taking the time with every client; figuring out what each of them needs, so I can genuinely prepare the perfect package to fit them. In one day, I could be sending a client to Queensland for a week of adventure rides with the family, to sending a couple on a bucket list trip around Europe! But you can guarantee, that I will have spent both the time and the effort, to ensure each of these trips brings the client great joy.

To me, it's about making each trip special, by handpicking the very best of products that the global network has on offer. We use the thousands of wholesalers who throw big business at airlines, hotels, tour operators, cruise ships, etc - any adventure you could imagine - to create nothing but the best experience possible, and at the best deal possible. That's why my most experienced travellers don't use the internet to book their travel. They come and talk to me.

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Our Model

We aim to develop and grow a market leading travel broker model where individual travel brokers own the business, and as such, share in all the benefits and rewards associated with their collective success. The Travel Connections business model is "the more you put in - the more you get out".

Broker/Shareholder enquiries to Sue Ketel
021 545 799 or

Our People

Entrepreneurial and highly motivated individuals united by a passion for travel and service excellence. Strong philosophy of transparency, trust and teamwork among all members. Customer centric and focused on harnessing the collective strengths of the group to create a competitive edge.

Our Customers

We make them feel special every time they connect with us. We are committed to delivering an unparalleled customer experience by providing relevant and high quality personalised products and services to every customer, every time. 24/7 support - personalised support every step of the way.