The story so far

Juliearna Kavanagh imagined the idea back in 2010 when she wanted to have a wine tour where people made their own choices. Being a wine connoisseur and Executive Chef she has extensive knowledge of the food and wine industry in New Zealand. The initial design was written down on a piece of paper and the idea was born. There was a delayed start, due to earthquakes in Christchurch in 2010 & 2011.  Instead her efforts were put into her hotel, the award winning Escape to Picton.

Then in 2013, Juliearna’s automated map of Marlborough cellar doors was created. This was a very different, up-market tour in Marlborough where clients could pick their own cellar door by making a wish list. The original www.escapetomarlborough.com is still running today. Customers travel in luxury Mercedes with the knowledge they had planned their own day with assistance along the way.

In March 2014, Hop on Hop off Wine Tours was launched. The Queenstown, Bannockburn, Marlborough and Nelson tours are constantly evolving with new operators, specials and improved scheduling.

We look forward to welcoming you on board.

Carbon Footprint and Katiakitanga

As a company we are always making a conscious effort to reduce our carbon footprint.

At Hop on Hop off we recycle all cardboard, plastic, and glass bottles. All staff are made aware of this in staff training. Our goal is to reduce our general refuse by 50% by next year. We have also taken all of our processes online and to a cloud based environment. 

Where possible we reuse printed paper (as scrap paper). We try as much as possible to work electronically, so we are using less paper/ink/plastic. For example, all of our manuals, contracts, and NDAs are all signed and filled in electronically, so we don’t need them to be printed off multiple times.

Currently, we are looking into our options to use electronic logbooks to preserve paper. Additionally, we are looking into options for more energy-friendly vehicles, and ways we can decrease the amount of diesel we use. We use diesel filters in our vehicles and train our drivers on energy saving driving tips.