Six weeks and 19 tour groups made their way to the Land of the Long White Cloud for the highly anticipated British & Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand 2017.

Pictured L-R: Ricky Davies (Haka Orange Tour Manager), Andy Thompson (Haka Singapore Tour Manager), Jody Allan (Silver Fern Tour Manager), Frank Armstrong (Platinum Tour Manager), Steve Avery (Kiwi Tours Manager), Lucy Pegler (Haka Blue Tour Manager), Crispin Read (Haka Hong Kong Tour Manager), Hayley Roddwell (Haka Green Tour Manager), Jeff Smith (Kiwi Tours Manager), Ali Randall (Ground Operations), Neil Rayer (Haka Red Tour Manager), Georgina Clark (Ground Operations), Caroline Readings (Prestige Tour Manager), Lisa Yorath (Waka Express Tour Manager), Sam Seward (Managing Director).

Not pictured: Rob McGeever (Short White Cloud Tour Manager), Murray Scott (Long White Cloud Tour Manager), Rob Dickson (Maori Wanderer Tour Manager), Henry Kirchner (Haka Fiji Tour Manager), Leigh Weatherhead (Ground Operations & Flights), Vicky Cheevers (Ground Operations & Marketing).

Here, three of our tour managers give their viewpoint for different aspects of the tour...

From Rob McGeever, Tour Manager of the Short White Cloud Tour (Provincial matches)

After months of anticipation, the first departures of our Lions Tour to New Zealand were finally here back in May! With our Long White Cloud and Short White Cloud Tours departing for the Land of the Long White Cloud first, the red shirts started to descend on Heathrow and you could sense the excitement in the air for the next six weeks. Arriving in New Zealand, we were met by the typical NZ winter weather at our first stop in Paihia, Bay of Islands, but that did not dampen anyone’s spirits.

First up was the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei. This was a team of young individuals looking to impress and cause a quick upset for The Lions including a certain Bryn Gatland. They were fearless straight from the kick off, but it was Sexton’s penalty which put the first points on the board for The Lions. It wasn’t long before the Barbarians' determination scored a converted try, and took a 7-3 lead into half time. With a Laidlaw penalty and Farrell converting Watson’s try, The Lions were 13-7 winners over a very proud side.

The day after the match, our clients were lucky to experience the traditional Maori welcome to The Lions team, at the Treaty Grounds in Paihia. An emphatic welcome followed by a meet and greet by some of the players.

With a couple of days' leisure to help our clients acclimatise to the time difference, it was shortly on to the next game at the iconic Eden Park against the Auckland Blues. It started well for the hosts; Rieko Ioane had galloped clear early on for the first score but Stander was the beneficiary at the back of a rolling maul and the boot of Halfpenny pushed the Lions to a 10-5 lead in an energetic first-half display. But on the stroke of the interval, Sonny Bill Williams dived on a loose ball after a Stephen Perofeta penalty had hit the post to give the Blues a somewhat fortuitous half-time advantage, 12-10. In the second half, two Halfpenny penalties seemed to have gained The Lions a narrow victory, but, Ihaia West had other ideas - converting his own try - The Blues recorded a famous 22-16 victory over The Lions.

Just a short flight to the South Island, our next stop was Christchurch, with some of our clients here 12 years ago, this was an emotional return to a city which was devastated by the 2011 earthquakes. We took the opportunity to take in the sights in Akoroa on the Banks Peninsula, and had the luck of the weather on our side this time as well! Next match was the Crusaders, a team who are unbeaten all season, so The Lions knew this would be a very hard game to overcome. A gutsy and hard fought defensive game from The Lions and clinical kicking from Farrell, converting four penalties, saw The Lions home with a 12-3 win against the no longer unbeaten Crusaders.

The next stop was vibrant and beautiful Queenstown. This is where a lot of our clients took the opportunity to relax in the mountainous surroundings, take a scenic trip to Milford Sound, or take a ride on the powerful speedboat on the Shotover River. Queenstown has more bars per square foot than any other place in the world, so we were not short of a watering hole. If they didn’t think the weather was cold enough, we took our clients to a local Ice Bar! In between all that excitement, was our trip to Dunedin for the Highlanders match. In a fully covered stadium, the echoes of the fans boomed onto the pitch to the players - what an atmosphere! A brilliant game of rugby, and with tries from Joseph, Seymour and Warburton, it was not enough to overcome The Highlanders, Marty Banks’ late penalty ensured they secured a 23-22 win over The Lions.

Rotorua was the next destination for the Short White Cloud and Long White Cloud groups, and you could certainly smell it. No, the smell wasn’t their Tour Managers, it was the smell of sulphur from the natural springs! And we were now joined by our Maori Wanderer and Silver Fern Tours. The groups were treated to a tour around Te Puia, New Zealand’s living Maori cultural centre, exploring the geothermal valley to see the geysers and mud pools, and also experienced an incredible Maori cultural performance. Our clients also became world record holders, joining in with the other 7,700 people in the world’s largest Haka! This was a great build up to the next, and the highly anticipated, unofficial 4th test against the Maori All Blacks. In a wet, cold game in Rotorua, it was The Lions who were triumphant. With a penalty try, a first ever try from Itoje and 20 points from Halfpenny maintaining his 100% kicking record, The Lions won 32-10, in a game which was hard fought and sent confidence through the players and the fans.

Our clients were then treated to a couple of days in Tauranga before the Hamilton stop for the Chiefs game; this was a chance to relax by one of New Zealand’s famous beaches, hike to the top of Mount Maunganui or bathe in the hot pools at the bottom. We also enjoyed a fantastic evening for our End of Tour Dinner. Soon after, we were in the town of Hamilton for the Chiefs game, with a hotel near to the stadium, the area was buzzing, you could see more and more red shirts descending on the area as we get nearer to the 1st Test! Nowell dived over from close range in the first half while Dan Biggar booted the rest of the points as the Lions led 13-6 at the break. But in the second half, Warren Gatland’s side turned on the style with the forwards earning a penalty try before Nowell and Jared Payne both went over after fine attacking moves. With Biggar adding the extras, The Lions added another convincing performance for a 34-6 win over the Chiefs in Waikato. What a game to finish off our Short White Cloud Tour and with even more confidence and high hopes going into the 1st Test!

The provincial tour certainly didn’t disappoint with the matches, seeing some fantastic sights, and really exploring the ‘real’ New Zealand. It was now time to travel home for the Short White Cloud Tour with lots of happy faces and to get back to the UK to watch the 1st Test with a cup of tea rather than a beer in their hands. LIONS, LIONS, LIONS!

From Jeff Smith, one of the Tour Managers of the three Kiwi Tours (campervans)

The Kiwi Tours consisted of three groups, Kiwi Adventurers, Kiwi Explorers and the Kiwi Trekkers. These were designed for those Lions enthusiasts that wanted to explore more of New Zealand at their own leisure.

After some long but very smooth flights, the Kiwi Tours begun arriving from the 20th of June to a well earned drinks reception with their Tour Managers - myself (on the left) and Steve Avery (on the right) - followed by a good night's rest!

For the Kiwi Adventurers, after only one night in a hotel, they were all eager to get into their campervans and and explore New Zealand for the next three weeks at their own leisure. All excited, they left the main bulk of the group in Auckland bound for their chosen overnight camping locations - but not before watching the 1st Test in Auckland of course! On the other hand, the Explorers and Trekkers spent their first three nights in hotel accommodation in Auckland city centre in anticipation of the up and coming 1st Test before embarking on their campervan adventure.

All the Kiwi tourists were invited to the Gullivers Forum held in the Sky City Convention Centre the eve before the 1st Test, which they all thoroughly loved and met some great Lions Legends; Scott Quinnell, Ryan Jones, Ben Kay, Gavin Hastings and Rob Henderson. Matchday arrived, and with everyone parked up and early into the city, the atmosphere was building with over 30,000 Lions fans expected into Auckland. Our very own Ryan Jones enjoyed meeting with our Kiwi Tour clients at the stadium ahead of the nervous first match.

After a great night (and a few too many drinks) the Kiwi tourists were ready to start their exploring! They headed out into the North Island with many great stories of where they will go and what they will do. Some headed for Rotorua, some to the Bay of Islands and the Coromandel, and some to the National Park or Taupo. The next time Steve and myself would see them would be either en-route or in Wellington!

As the Kiwi Tour clients began to arrive for their three night stay for the 2nd Test, the smiles were beaming with what they had already seen and done. Friday was the Gullivers Barbarians vs Poneke Pies RFC match in Wellington which was an amazing day for all. The Kiwi Tours joined the rest of Gullivers' alternative tours such as the Haka's and watched Lions Legends Ryan Jones and Rob Henderson play for Gullivers. A perfect entree to the 2nd Test the next day! There were also some All Blacks - past and present - at the game. Huge success!

The next day and matchday was upon us...history will tell you all about this game and the immense atmosphere when the Lions levelled the series 1-1...wet but incredible for all. Let the party commence!

Sunday 2 July came, along with plenty of hangovers and sore heads (except for the drivers, of course), and our Kiwi Tours headed off again to explore more of this outstanding country. With a win under their belts, the Kiwi Tours looked forward to a week exploring places such as Hobbiton and Waitomo.

The Kiwi Explorers and Trekkers sadly said goodbye to their old friend the campervan on Friday 7 July, and returned to hotel beds ready for the 3rd and final Test. The Kiwi Adventurers were still not done as they parked up ready for their final last days!

With all three Kiwi groups checked in safely in Auckland, they headed down to the End of Tour Party at the Sweatshop for a proper knees up with the rest of the Gullivers Tour Party...and what a party it was! Plus of course some Legends here and there!!

In the most anticipated 3rd Test in years, the city of Auckland filled with the colour red ready for the final showdown. The Kiwi Tours enjoyed the Lions Den today along with thousands of other Lions Fans, and they loved every minute of it.

After biting all our nails hoping to keep the All Blacks out and then potentially win, the series was drawn at 15-15. This just gave another excuse to party on into the night! Amazing ending to an amazing time in New Zealand!

Sunday morning, we said goodbye to Steve the Kiwi Tour Manager and the incredible Kiwi Explorers and Kiwi Trekkers who boarded their flights back to the UK with memories that will last forever.

As the last team standing, the Kiwi Adventurers checked their trusted vehicles back into campervan HQ on Monday for their last night in Auckland and a normal bed! Departure day came on Tuesday, and the Adventurers too leave with fond memories and big smiles and a big hug for their Tour Manager as we headed home to the UK...phew!

From Henry Kirchner, Tour Manager of the Haka Fiji Tour (All 3 Tests plus Fiji extension)

On 21 June, the Haka Fiji tour departed to New Zealand. On arrival in Auckland we were met by our Gullivers ground team and transferred to our hotel for the next three nights. The hotel was very well located on Queens Street in the heart of Auckland. We had a few hours to relax, have a shower, shake off the flight and then meet in the reception where we walked to the Sky City for welcome drinks and the first function. We were welcomed by figure head that is John Bentley who shared some brilliant stories and got everyone pumped up for the 1st Test the next day…. Well I definitely was! We then moved to a fantastic room with theatre style seating with big screens either side of the stage for an evening hosted by Scott Quinnell with Gavin Hastings, Ryan Jones, Rob Henderson, Gavin Mairs, and Ben Kay. They all had a lively debate about team selections, view on the game, their experiences on previous Lions tours and also some amusing personal stories. After the formalities had finished, the length of the flight had caught up with everyone and an early night ready for the big game the next day!

As you started walking the streets of Auckland on the Saturday morning you would have been forgiven to think the Lions were the home team. As the day went on, the streets got busier and the number of Lions crests also at the same rate. We had our HQ on the waterfront which was busy from when the doors opened at 12. We left the HQ and got the free train to Eden Park with nervous excitement and of course the occasional breakout of LIONS LIONS LIONS. After the game, we headed back to the HQ to meet back up and toast a good game but not the result we wanted. Still two Tests to go, though!

The next day after breakfast we got on our bus and headed north to the Bay of Islands. We arrived and got a quick tour of the town of Paihia before we got dropped at our hotel. We all got checked in and we went off to explore the local town and culture. The next day the whole group got the ferry across to Russell for the afternoon before we had to pack ready to depart the next day. Paihia has the largest food portion sizes in the world (I have no evidence at all on this statement!). The next day we had breakfast and jumped on the coach for a long day on the bus to Rotorua. We had a few stops where Paul our driver had handpicked the best spots for us. We arrived at Rotorua with a few hours to spare before the Hurricanes game kicked off. We checked in and had transfers waiting for us to take us to a venue in town which we had booked to have a team meal followed by the game on big screens with the Haka Hong Kong group. In the morning, we took the short walk to Te Puia where we were learn more about the Maori traditions, culture and history. We were then given a tour of the Geysers, hot pools and the in-house kiwi. In the afternoon, we had time to relax and even use the hotels pool that were heated by the geothermal activity.

It was now Thursday and having been in New Zealand for five days, we were off to our fourth city in preparation for the 2nd Test; New Zealand’s capital Wellington awaited us. This was our longest trip on the bus but for those who haven’t been on long coach journeys in NZ, the coach drivers are extremely knowledgeable and give you the facts, history and information as you drive along. The Haka Fiji coach driver was exceptional and the best I have ever met, he was quite simply bloody brilliant for the entire week we were lucky enough to have him. Along the way, we stopped at Lake Taupo, Huka falls to name a few. We arrived in Wellington in good time to get checked in and then go out and have a good evening meal.

The eve of the second Test was time for the Gullivers Barbarians XV to take the field against local opposition at Poneke Rugby Club. We had four teams on the day, all of which would play each other in three, 20 minute games. The Gullivers side were boasting two ex-Lions with Ryan Jones and Rob Henderson showing they still had the competitive spirit and along with all the players, young or older(!) everyone was getting stuck in. After the game it gave the players a chance to have a beer and the day was well supported by locals. It was a great opportunity to speak to Kiwis and get to know the local people.

The day was for the children’s charity of rugby, Wooden Spoon. An auction was organised and thanks to some very generous bids a lot of money was raised nearly £3,000 for a great cause. After the auction, a Q&A with a number of guest such as Gavin Hastings, Rodney So'oialo and Craig Chalmers all took to the stage to give their thoughts to the game the next day and also an insight to their playing experiences.

Saturday morning arrived and there was a different, more confident mood in Wellington. As you expect with Mr Gatland, a number of massive selection calls which were still being debated amongst the supporters. Most of which was around the Farrell, Sexton combination. All of the group had passes to the Lions Supporters Village which was a sea of red with live music, Q&As and as much food and drink than you could dream of. Armed with our ponchos we left the Supporters Village and headed to the Westpac Stadium - nicknamed the cake tin - and although we were wet through, before kick off the atmosphere was simply sublime. For me it’s the best atmosphere I have been in at a sporting game. My everlasting memory will be Mario Itoje taking a knee three minutes before the end of the 80 mins. What seemed like every person on their feet singing Ohhhhhh Mariooo Itoooooje - if you were in Wellington that night, I am sure you can remember it! 80 mins were up, Farrell kicked the penalty to win, the rain was coming down but nothing could stop the utopia feeling of a Lions Test victory in New Zealand. Although we had an early start the next day, a chance to toast the victory was too good an opportunity to miss.

An early alarm attacked my beauty sleep and I was awake, off to the freezing cold Queenstown. Waving goodbye to Wellington, a crisp Queenstown awaited us. We flew on our own chartered aircraft and on arrival we were taken to our wonderful resort of Millbrook just outside of Queenstown. Our 5* accommodation was absolutely stunning, I don’t really know how else to describe Millbrook. We had the rest of the day to relax and get used to our new home for the next four days. In Queenstown, we had a number of activities and excursions included such as the Shotover Jet, Milford Sound (excursions by coach and flight), the majestic TSS Earnslaw, Golf day at Millbrook as well as going up the Gondola and lunch at the Stratosphere Restaurant on the top of Bob’s Peak overlooking Queenstown, the lake and surrounding mountain ranges. Queentown was the highlight of lots of people’s tour.

We flew back to Auckland on another chartered aircraft; this makes a big difference and makes flying a much easier and relaxing experience. We arrived in Auckland and went for lunch in the botanical gardens before going to our hotel. The next day we had our end of tour party at the Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen. On arrival, we had the house band welcoming us before we had a number of Q&As heroes of the game such as Richard Hill, Buck Shelford, Ryan Jones, Martin Williams, Rob Henderson, Lee Mears, Alan Quinlan, Gavin Hastings, Craig Chalmers and John Bentley. The day was fantastic and at the end of the event I remember looking round to seeing 80% of the people singing and dancing. A great day and brilliant was to prepare of the 3rd and deciding tTst.

I woke up very nervous on morning of the 8th July - it was going to be a big day, the deciding Test for the Lions series. The All Blacks got off to a flying start and in honesty, how they weren’t 13 points up after five minutes I have no idea. However the Lions stuck at it and slowly kicked themselves back into the game. As the second half grew closer and closer to full time the noise grew and grew. For the first time in the tour, the All Blacks fans were matching the Lions fans’ noise level but the Lions fans responded accordingly and a new song for Tadhg Furlong, the final whistle went and for the first time in the whole series the crowd fell quiet and where a bit unsure what was happening next. But it was a drawn series and in all honestly if you had asked me before I left the UK that it would be a 1-1 drawn series, in New Zealand I would have taken it.

After the result of the 3rd Test which was met with muted celebrations at the final whistle, the Haka Fiji group would not be halted with our in house barbershop choir belting out every song in its repertoire until 2am on Sunday morning.

A few hours’ sleep and we were up and off to the airport. Most of Gullivers’ Lions tourists were departing back to the UK, but we were off to Fiji! A very quiet flight allowed a few people to catch up on some well-deserved sleep. On arrival into Nadi, we quickly learnt the word we would be using for the next four days - Bula! We had a 45-minute transfer to our hotel. On arrival, we were had a fantastic reception with a cold (much needed) drink, our rooms were all ready and we were whisked away in golf carts with our luggage to our rooms. That evening, we met to see the sun come down with a cold beer on the seafront bar at the hotel.

Although our time in Fiji had no organised excursions, there was plenty to do and see. I joined a number of the group and took a catamaran to one of the islands and went snorkelling and then had lunch on one of Fiji’s beautiful islands. The hotel also happened to have a beautiful golf course associated with it and a few of the group decided to donate some golf balls to the sea, lakes, bushes and beaches of Fiji. The hotel had its own beautiful white sand beach, beautiful infinity swimming pools and a choice of four restaurants. The hotel had plenty to offer for those who wanted to relax and not leave the hotel with snorkel and masks available to borrow as well as other watersports available. Some took the option of opening a book and just switch off, and who can blame them!

The flight home had a 9-hour stopover in Hong Kong which allowed for a few of the group to explore the city before we got on the last flight of the trip to London Heathrow. On arrival, we were off the plane, through security and had our bags in 20 minutes ending a truly unbelievable three and half weeks. The Haka Fiji group were a fantastic group of people and I really enjoyed each and everyone’s company which added to the experience. The picture of Kieran Read and Sam Warburton holding the trophy will be an iconic photo in Lions history.

The whole trip was fantastic, I must say I was extremely lucky to have a brilliant group and a massive thank you to the Haka Fiji massive! New Zealand is a wonderful place and the people were fantastic hosts. A truly magnificent experience and one I will treasure for years to come.