Your Guides

Due to a shortage of good robots, all of our guides are human, generally in the form of John, Jo, Ian, and Ian Junior Fitzwater (or a combination of us....) - the owners of GoTourNZ.com (Adventure New Zealand Motorcycle Tours & Rentals).

We stay in the same places as the tour participants, we eat the same food. Some of us are fitness fanatics, so if you feel like an early morning run or brisk walk before breakfast, just have a word with your guide. You haven't lived until you've jogged up to a glacier face, or run out to Lake Matheson (The Mirror Lake) just as the sun peeks over the Southern Alps - it doesn't come any better than this.

Since it's inception in 1996, GoTourNZ.com (Adventure New Zealand Motorcycle Tours) has risen to a dominant position within the New Zealand guided motorcycle tour business, and handles more guided tour clients than any other NZ operator. This has been achieved by our determination to give our clients "the best vacation of their lives."

John Fitzwater

John and Jo Fitzwater John Fitzwater graduated from Auckland University in 1976 with a Science degree in Geology and Human Geography. Between 76 and 84 John worked in Australia and New Zealand specialising in hydrogeology and groundwater research. In 1984 John left Australia and returned to NZ to establish what has become one of New Zealand's most innovative and enthusiastic motorcycle dealerships - Thunderbike Engineering. Thunderbike Engineering was recently renamed Thunderbike Powersports but not before winning Best Large Business and Best Overall Business in a prestigious Chamber of Commerce Best Business Award in 1994.
John is a keen motorcyclist himself, and still competes regularly in road race events (despite attempting to retire from racing in 1996 - he took it up again soon after).

John has practiced Aikido for the past 9 years, and currently holds a Ni-Dan grading.

In 1997 John and his brother Ian established Adventure New Zealand Motorcycle Tours, a specialist motorcycle tour company. John has guided the motorcycle tours for the past 3 seasons and with his wife Jo (who also guides) is keenly interested in New Zealand geology, geography, native flora and fauna.

Jo Fitzwater

Jo holds tertiary level qualifications in Tour Guiding in New Zealand and a Diploma in Tourism (New Zealand). Jo and John are both fitness fanatics and run every day. In fact, you're welcome to run with them each morning of your tour... Ian, John and Jo are hold Passenger Service driving licences as required by New Zealand's Land Transport Safety Authority regulations.

Ian Fitzwater

Ian Fitzwater Ian has been involved in motorcycling with his brother John since the beginning of Thunderbike Powersports in 1981.
John and Ian are co-directors of both Thunderbike and GoTourNZ.

Ian has spent 14 years living in Western Australia and been involved in motorcycling there also, specialising in Harley Davidson high performance modifications.
He has a diploma in New Zealand Tourism, works as a guide, and has been involved in the marketing side of GoTourNZ for the past ten years.

Ian has 4 children, Ian Jnr, Kylie, Carly and Jesse Fitzwater

Ian Fitzwater Junior

Ian joined the guiding team in 2007. Ian Fitzwater (Senior)'s eldest son, Ian has recently returned from Perth, Western Australia.
In Australia Ian spent the last four years owning and running his own business. He has prior experience with GoTourNZ, having worked with John and Ian in the early 2000s.

He enjoys fishing; and although he previously played Aussies Rules football, now in NZ he's looking forward to snowboarding on some of the South Island fields.
He lives in Nelson with his partner and their two dogs.

GoTourNZ's Code of Ethics:

We have a genuine belief in a Win-Win code of behaviour. Our simple goal is to give you a vacation you'll remember with fondness and exhilaration til the day you shuffle off this Mortal Coil...

We achieve this by:

Keeping our promises
Being knowledgeable in our field of endeavour
Being responsive and flexible
endeavouring to be error free
Following up and staying in touch
Keeping our clients informed
Making ourselves accessible
Offering no unpleasant surprises
Acting promptly.