Testimonials from Past Clients |
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"As a groom putting together the honeymoon package for my future wife I felt a lot of pressure.
Pressure to make sure everything would be perfect in all aspects. After all, we only wanted to do this once in our life :)
After meeting Rodney at a local sports show in Oregon I instantly felt comforted with his style and the way he worked with the clients.
Rodney helped me through countless hours of talking and digging through options that he had available for anyone of any nature.
It is a little nerve racking to think that you will be getting on a plain and spending two weeks in another country and everything has been
planned by someone else whom you only met a year ago. With all the sales pitches we hear in our everyday lives it is hard to believe what we run into these days.
Rodney Smith truly helped put together a honeymoon of a lifetime! He nailed everything to a "T" and helped us every step of the way. Not only did we tag out on beautiful animals and pair us with an AMAZING guide, Don Cameron, but he supplied us with everything else we needed to travel the south island of NZ and always made sure that we were taken care of by checking in with us. We are already planning our 2nd trip with him........as long as he promises to pair us with Don Cameron again. Rodney Smith and Sunspots Safaris is NOT A SALES PITCH. It is an experience that everyone looking to go to NZ should be in contact with. They will take care of you in everyway possible....maybe even help kick off your married life so you live happily ever after :) Thank you Rod. I give you an 11 out of 10!!!" - Matt Dunbar "After being back home for over a month now, Emily and I still can't stop thinking about our trip to New Zealand and Glen Dene. The beauty of Glen Dene is unreal, it actually took us a few days to quit feeling like we were in a dream. The numbers and quality of animals were outstanding. We hunted red stags and turkeys while we were there. I took my very nice stag the first evening of the hunt; Richard said it was actually the best of the season at that time. Emily harvested hers the second morning after a textbook stalk with our guide Tony to the top of a mountain, the hunt concluded with a 200 yd shot almost straight down the mountain. We also took a couple of nice tom turkeys and caught some trout while fishing with Jerry. We would highly recommend Sunspot Safaris and Glen Dene to anyone interested in a first class vacation and hunting trip. Rodney and his staff were very professional and prompt in taking care of us from beginning to the end of the trip. The Burdon family was also very professional and alert to making sure we were well fed and comfortable. Our time spent with all three generations of the Burdon family was every bit as memorable as the hunt. We felt at home the entire time and left Glen Dene knowing that we had made new friends for life. We hope to visit again sometime in the future." - Clint & Emily Michels "Special thanks to Rodney Smith and Don Cameron for a great Silver Metal Red Stag Hunt! The hunt was so easy to set up with a contact in the USA, straight forward details of the hunt, great accommodations, good food and a great guide. The scenery at Glen Dene was breathtaking along with the beautiful border lakes and 20,000 acres of pristine hunt property. We had no interference or contact with other hunters; it was like having our own private hunting preserve. Do yourself a favor and leave your personal firearms at home. Don has excellent fully suppressed rifles that are comfortable to shoot without hearing protection. For a first rate, full services once in a life time hunt go with Sunspots Safaris." - Dale Lohmeyer "Rodney, Just a note to tell you that my trip to New Zealand was fantastic. The hunting was the best ever, the people went over the top in making you feel right at home. The country is so beautiful, the air so clean, I want to go back for a countrywide tour. Please do not hesitate to use my name as a reference." - Fred Nelson "Rodney, Sorry I missed seeing you in paradise. Wanted to share my evaluation of the hunt at Glen Dene with you. It was fantastic! I enjoyed everything about it. Received the royal treatment from Richard and everyone else. The hunt was everything you told me it would be and more. First of all, I have to keep pinching myself to see if I'm having a dream or not concerning the quality, friendliness, helpfulness, etc., of all the New Zealanders I came in contact with. Richard made sure that everything was first rate about the experience. The property is spectacular. Reminded me of Glacier Park in Montana, only better. My eyes kept rotating to the lake, as well as the mountains. It was true HUNTING. I enjoyed hiking the property and looking into each canyon. As we had previously discussed, I wanted to see what stags were available. Passed on the 24 point the first morning. Later I would get a brief, distant look at the drop tine stag (covered in mud from a wallow). Duncan got a brief look through the spotting scope at the drop tine but saw that he was missing a few points. Saw numerous silver stags. (Especially in the Heartbreak Hill country.) I certainly had fun looking at and evaluating all these stags. On the last morning we located this nice stag with several hinds. Dark-colored antlers and 19 points. It was an easy decision to take this stag for the wall. Later when Richard measured him we learned he was not quite a gold stag, but that was not important to me since I was very satisfied with this animal. Richard gave me the option of a compensation or a fallow buck, and that proved to be a very easy decision. I elected to take a fallow buck. Duncan was an outstanding guide. He is very professional, loves to hunt, has a good sense of humor, and we got along well. (I really appreciated him carrying the rifle, since that made the hiking easy for me.) Jerry and Lesley were a hoot and a lot of fun to be around. Rodney, the quality of the hunt and experience were outstanding. I could not have written a better script for a dream hunt. Feel free to use me as a reference. I want to thank you for making this trip possible. You do a good job of giving me options based on my preferences, and this was an easy choice and proved to be the best big game hunt I have ever done!" - Don "Hello Rodney, just returned 4 hours ago, incredible free range red stag population. Ben and Stu are fine people and did an excellent job outfitting. The hut was not fancy, which was fine with me. The second stag I harvested was a 72 yard poke with the arrow...never thought I would sling an arrow that far!" - Sam Bradley "Rodney, I want to thank you for hooking me up with Bert & Penny & Daniel. I had a hunt of a lifetime. I think Bert and Daniel tried to kill me a couple times on Big Mt. Peel, but what a trip! I got what I went for and had a great time. Bert & Penny are the best. That lady can cook, and such a beautiful lodge. We had the whole thing to ourselves. That country is awesome. The people are the nicest and the hotel in Christchurch, The Millinium, and their staff couldn't have helped us more. Well, thanks again for everything!" - Robert and Sharon Shadley "I booked my New Zealand hunting trip in 2009 through Sunspots Safaris. It was by far one of the best packaged hunting trips I've ever experienced in my 55+ years of hunting. Rodney thought of every detail and made my travel experience pleasant and easy. I had transportation waiting for me to and from the hotel, the outfitter arrived the next morning to start me on my hunting vacation. I can't speak highly enough of Sunspots Safaris and the Peel Forest Lodge where I shot two beautiful animals (a Red and Fallow Deer). The lodge, the food and the companionship at Peel Forest Lodge (hosted by Bert and Pennie Howe as arranged by Rodney through Sunspots Safaris) were impressive and above my highest expectations. Thanks again for setting me up for such a great hunting package and memories of a lifetime!" - Doug Chamberlain "What a wondrous experience my wife and I had on our hunt and vacation trip to New Zealand with Sunspots Safaris. They have repeatedly and flawlessly tailored our trip to our wants and desires in Tahiti, Cook Islands, Fiji (multiple times) and New Zealand. Sunspots Safaris coupled my hunting partner and I with a very experienced guide to hunt "open range" Red Stag, Pacific Goat, and Arapawa Sheep. I have spent my life hunting and fishing in Oregon and Washington with no need to travel far for great experience. But, I can honestly say that my hunt and vacation in New Zealand was a 60 year highlight. I can't stop SMILING! Thank You Sunspots Safaris, and Rod Smith." - Don Knight "Sunspots Safaris is the leader in not only top-notch hunting opportunities in New Zealand, but also accommodations...from airfare, to ground transportation, you can trust Sunspots Safaris for all your needs! Plus, they have world class animals that are sure to please everyone! If you are looking for the hunt of a lifetime, look no further." - Brett Nelson "I had always wanted to hunt in New Zealand but was unsure as to what it would all cost. A few phone calls to Rodney and I had all of the answers that I needed. It was a great trip and I am planning on returning again someday with some of my hunting buddies." - Mark Seagul "Sunspots Safaris handled every aspect of our trip from the airfares to the outfitters--we were very impressed! A true trip of a lifetime." - John and Gaylene Swenson "If you want an amazing New Zealand hunting experience, hunt with Sunspots Safaris! New Zealand's beauty is stunning and Rodney knows right where the animals are plentiful! Personally I had 4 kills with 4 shots with this experience being my first time big game hunting. They know what they are doing and I am forever a changed woman from this trip!" - Amanda Nelson "The first trip with Sunspots Safaris was great! The second trip was even better! Thanks Rodney!" - Rodney Healy "The trip I booked through Sunspot Safaris exceeded all expectations. The staff was efficient and very helpful in booking all the flights and hunting arrangements. The costs were extremely reasonable and there were no hidden fees. I am looking forward to my next trip to New Zealand and will certainly be booking through Sunspots again." - David Rhodes "My wife and I had the blessing of meeting Rodney Smith of Sunspots Safaris at a sportsmans show. We had always wanted to hunt New Zealand and Rodney had recommended a trip suited to our particular wants and desires. Sunspots worked with us to schedule our hunt as well as tour New Zealand, for an incredible value. We had a unforgettable trip of a lifetime and will be rebooking with Sunspots in the near future." - Doug and Renee Tryon |
Why Book with Sunspots
I've chosen the hunting outfitters and locations in New Zealand that I believe offer the best of each kind of hunting experience. Combining that with the backing of a major travel wholesaler for New Zealand and the South Pacific means you'll get a superb hunting experience and professional travel support at the best prices.
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