Lina Castles

Hi! I am passionate about Aotearoa and believe it is a priviledge to show you my great country.  I have the best job in the world, and I can’t wait to meet you and show you why! I love sport, travel and the outdoors.  I’m a sport geek, and am excited that the All Blacks are, again, the best rugby team in the world!

"Lina was very attentive, informative and helpful throughout. Guides don't get any better than this. Hats off to Lina and Heather. They are very engaging guides."
-- Loren Parsons (Boulder, Colorado, United States) March 2011 Manuka

"Lina was amazing! Great sense of humor, lots of stories about Maoris and Kiwi matters in general. We had fun with her descriptions of the upcoming hikes - she would describe them as "undulating", which we quickly found out meant lots of ups and downs. We teased her about hikes after that - "is this one undulating or straight up?" I felt she was a cautious and safe driver. We loved her!"
-- Judy Falconer (South Bristol, Maine, United States) January 2011 Manuka

"Lina did a fantastic job. She made sure everything was well taken care of even despite a few bad weather days. And a special thank you to Lina who understood that I really wanted to do the Mt Cook hike and provided the encouragement and trust to complete it! And Lina was a great driver!"
-- Cheryl Bleakley (Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States) December 2010 Rimu

"Lina was a highlight of this trip. She was so knowledgeable and helpful. She was a wealth of information. Best guide ever! I wish I could explain in words how wonderful this trip was! How wonderful the New Zealand people are! How awesome your guides were! How fun the activities were! I've traveled to some beautiful places and this trip was unforgettable!"
-- Karen Bleakley (Brookeville, Maryland, USA) December 2010 Rimu

"Lina was amazing! She was friendly, warm and had a great and sly sense of humor. Her take on Maori legends and traditions was wonderful - and slightly cheeky. She was always willing to answer questions and really shared her love of both the outdoors and of New Zealand. It was a real pleasure spending two weeks in her company. "
-- Nicole Post (Copenhagen, Denmark) November 2010 Manuka

"Lina was excellent. Her professionalism and knowledge of New Zealand was great. Took great care of us and was always prepared with a plan B."
-- Scott Phillips (Alpharetta, Georgia, United States) November 2010 Tui

"I was really impressed with the depth of her knowledge of not only New Zealand and Maori culture, but also her world travel experiences. She really imparted her love and enthusiasm of NZ to us all."
-- Pat Leong (Cupertino, California, United States) October 2010 Rimu

"Lina was outstanding. I felt very luck to have her as our trip leader. She told many Maori stories, which added flavor and history to the trip. She made an effort to get to know everyone. She gave a wonderful and warm-hearted speech during our last night together. I couldn't have asked for better guides, who are also wonderful individuals."
-- Sharon Su (Providence, Rhode Island, United States) October 2010 Rimu