About Martin

Martin Sliva

New Zealand custom-made itineraries have been my specialisation for 21 years. I have been a guide for thousands of satisfied tourists for both set and custom made private tours within the last 18 years, showcasing all corners of New Zealand from Cape Reinga via East Cape, French Pass to Stewart Island.

Born in Prague, as a Czech I inherited critical thinking and have been applying it within my tour guiding. I am in love with New Zealand nature and can discuss all perspectives of life in New Zealand - both facts and subjective views based on 21 years of personal experience, learning and observations about this country that I am proud to call my home. Being philosophical, I am trying to mix and balance all aspects of New Zealand and show the big picture of this beautiful country. I can show you New Zealand from a different angle of an outsider from middle Europe, whilst still capturing the essence of New Zealand from a local’s perspective.

After living in Queenstown and nearby Glenorchy for several years, I eventually settled in Te Anau with my family. Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland National Park. In addition to being home to Milford Sound, Fiordland is an immense playground for outdoor activities and nature lovers - facets of life that are important to me. We have national parks on our doorstep, which is unique within New Zealand (in other bigger places such as Queenstown or Wanaka humans have extensively modified the original natural surroundings). Te Anau has a vibrant community with a surprisingly wide array of services and activities available. It is a great base for raising my Southland-born son Jacob with my NZ born partner, Jennifer. I am actively involved as a volunteer in various community conservation projects in areas which seek to protect nature and bring bird life back not only to the native rainforest but also to our gardens.

Te Anau is not far away from other major attractions - e.g. Catlins, Stewart Island or lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka of Central Otago.

I love New Zealand and as an extension of this, I love nothing better than to share my passion for this amazing country with others. I can imagine living on the West Coast, Marlborough Sounds, Northland or perhaps being part of the Tūhoe region enjoying the magic forest and lakes of Te Urewera and nearby coast. There are so many beautiful areas in New Zealand that it is impossible to pinpoint a specific location which stands above the rest.

I also admire Kiwi ingenuity. One of the latest success stories of which is Rocket Lab, backed by genius founder Peter Beck, as well as the amazing America’s Cup teams over the years, water-jet propulsion engines and boat makers who variously defy or harness physics, successful software companies, Weta Studio, etc, etc, - to mention a few.

Photography is my major hobby, and as such New Zealand is truly a paradise in this regard. I run a FB page “New Zealand Photography” and many of my photos have been published as editorial in several books and magazines. In addition, local tourism agencies and businesses have been using my photos for promotion of New Zealand and their activities. My photos have been many times on TV One as part of the weather forecast. I know photo spots all over New Zealand, some of them are my special locations. If you are interested in scenic photography and being at the right spot at the right time I would welcome the opportunity to share these spots with you.

Whether you are looking for guidance regarding your own self-driven tour, or a fully guided adventure, I can tailor itineraries to fully satisfy your expectations.

I have a comfortable 11 seater minibus if required and can arrange any other form of transport from a 4WD car to a private airplane. I am able to arrange everything from accommodation to meals, visiting attractions, and of course providing informative commentary throughout your voyage of discovery.

I look forward to hearing from you and tailoring an exceptional trip. Be that a day trip to the iconic Milford Sound, a several-day specific tour of a region, right through to a longer trip around New Zealand.

Ahoj and nga mihi,

Martin Sliva

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