We're regularly amazed by the incredible group tours that feature in our pages, which give Shore students, sports players, and performers a chance to experience travel together. Here, we talk to the team behind Westlake Choirs' recent tour of Italy, Tour Time.

Originally established in Palmerston North 26 years ago, Tour Time is a 100% New Zealand family-owned and operated, Shore-based business that specialises in group travel. Having worked with Shore clients since 1991, they opened a North Shore office in 2001 and, in 2013, shifted all operations to the Shore. As well as Auckland, they now have offices in Sydney, Argentina and the USA.

We quizzed Brett Imrie, Director of Tour Time, to find out more...

Channel Magazine: What was the most recent trip you ran?

Brent Imrie: I've just returned from touring Italy with the Westlake Choirs, which was featured in your last magazine. One of the highlights for us was arranging for the Westlake Choirs to sing David Hamilton’s Mass in St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, along with the multiple other performances that we arranged throughout Italy.

CM: What size groups do you cater for, and what age ranges?

BI: We are a group travel specialist that caters for groups ranging in size from 11 - 250+ people, and across multiple types of tours:  educational, sports, music, golf, VIP and special interest tours with ages that range from primary school-aged through to over 60s.  

CM: Which destinations will feature in upcoming tours?

BI: We have an exciting special Interest tour going to the UK in May. Hosted by prominent Auckland musicians Peter and Katharine Watts, “A Feast of Music” is a two-week music appreciation tour to London, Bath and Oxford. Peter and Katharine will personally lead this exclusive tour to explore the sights and the vast array of music, culture and history on offer as they share their extensive knowledge of music and their personal highlights of London having lived there for many years.

Is there a most memorable tour and why?

We have so many memorable tours as Tour Time is all about 'Creating Moments that Matter'! Every tour is different and specifically tailored to each groups requirements and interests. If we were to mention only one, we would have to say taking 36 participants on tour throughout Europe and the UK where we walked “In the Footsteps of the Reformers”. One of the unique moments we created, was an exclusive tour of the Parker Library by Dr de Hamel at King’s College, Cambridge, (which is not open to the public) where the library holds most of the surviving raw material for the history of the English Reformation. This was a unique moment for the tour, having traced the steps of the Reformers from Prague through Luther country (Germany) to Switzerland, and then crossing over to the UK for the English Reformation.

CM: How does the Tour Time team make trips extra special?

BI: With us being a family-owned business that really does care, you will notice how well you are looked after on a tour with Tour Time. A tour manager travels with you to look after everything, as we want you to relax and let us take care of all the details.

Tour Time are also known for including several 'moments that matter' in every tour. These are moments that create once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you won’t find with other tour operators. Whether it be a masterclass, or question & answer session with experts in their chosen field, singing Mass at the Vatican, access to private collections, or tickets for a student group to sit in the audience of American Idol, Tour Time has a huge network of contacts and will always go the extra mile to create those special moments for you.

 

CM: Which destination that Tour Time hasn’t travelled to, would you like to experience? 

BI: A jazz festival in Cuba! (Watch this space for more info.)

 

CM: If you could have anyone join one of your tours, who would it be and where would you go?

BI: A food and wine appreciation tour in Italy with Jamie Oliver (we’re all loving Italy at the moment!)

 

CM: And finally, travel is one of life’s great pleasures because…

BI: It opens your eyes to new experiences and leaves you with moments that matter.