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New Zealand Private Tour 2021

New Zealand Private Tour 2021: “Remarkable!”

New Zealand Private Tours with Akaroa’s #1 expert local guide: Marie operates regenerative tourism and a regenerative farm, that give back to the community and environment, telling our history in a completely new way, with personal authentic connections and indigenous spiritual concepts that will inspire hope for the future, this is a tour to watch!

Only operating for two years, this tiny company is homegrown, authentic and absolutely original. Marie will share with you her personal family history and her real life connections to the community and environment of Akaroa, Banks Peninsula.

As the seventh generation from the first French settlers who had a remarkable personal connection to Napoleon and Victor Hugo, the depth and breadth of Marie’s knowledge will surprise and inspire you.

Origional French Settler to Akaroa
Etienne Francios Lelievre arrived in 1837 and was the first European to build a hut in Akaroa.

Comfortably moving between geology to Maori culture, from nature conservation to European settlement, from regenerative farming to the Treaty of Waitangi.

In three hours you will have shared a completely new way of looking at the world, with the incorporation of spiritual and indigenous concepts that will leave you feeling connected to the land and culture like no other tour can offer.

Marie is a born storyteller, who has collected oral stories for all of her life, she weaves together Maori myth and family legend with the most up to date research and historical collections that has helped her to form a complete picture of her own world-view.

“Growing up I had questions, such as why would my ancestors be such fans of Napoleon and the French Republic, and in answering these questions each time it felt like a click as each piece of my own jigsaw puzzle fitted into place. As soon as I had my picture complete I started to tell stories to everyone that would listen, and that is when my private guiding company was born.”

Marie Haley, The Seventh Generation Tours
New Zealand Guided Tours Maori treasure
Ponamu is a toanga or treasure and key part of the Maori culture.

Stories Shape our World

Covid-19 has shaken the tourism industry and has not been easy for Marie either, but it has proven transformational as Marie’s passion for storytelling remains so strong that she has considered doing tours for free, just to keep telling stories!

The stories arise as though they have a life of their own and a will to be told. Telling stories is not just Marie’s purpose in life, it is a requirement for a happy life.

“Stories shape the world we live in, they shape our view and perception of the world around us. Stories are our very foundation and give to us our sense of tūrangawaewae (turanga:dig waewae:toes), knowing who we are and where we stand. Our tūrangawaewae is where we bury our toes and connect to the earth, and gives us power that comes up through the heals into the spine, it allows us to stand strong like the totara tree, for many generations.”

Marie Haley, The Seventh Generation

On the Akaroa Nature and History tour Marie weaves together all her stories over three hours to leave you with a sense of completion, of understanding of the whole and to leave you feeling inspired. That the future is really going to be okay, that remarkable progress is being made, and you will see this in real life on the tour.

There are different tour options available, to suit your needs. No group is to big (or too small), and you will find discount deals available on NewZealand.com

Marie provides private guided tours for the luxury Annandale coastal retreat with great reviews:

“My husband and I enjoyed a fantastic tour with Marie. Her knowledge of the history of Akaroa, and the wonderful way she shared it, made it a very special occasion.
Marie is warm and friendly and the few hours with her were relaxed and entertaining but also very informative. The ecological aspects were also fascinating and all of it was delivered in a spectacularly beautiful corner of New Zealand.”

Tripadvisor

Get away from it all, in one of the most beautiful and remote spots in New Zealand, yet so close to the major city of Christchurch. You will visit spots that other tourists do not go, and hear stories the local’s don’t even know! That’s Marie’s promise to you!

New Zealand Private Tours Get Away from it all.
Marie Haley, The Seventh Generation guide in Akaroa, has an extensive knowledge of the environment, nature and history of the area.

Marie Haley

I am your guide, Marie Haley, I was born and raised on Banks Peninsula. The seventh generation direct decedent of Akaroa’s very first French settler. I grew up on the family farm following in the footsteps of my Grandfather, and his Grandfather before.