Mara Ellison
Founder & head planner
Ex-ski patroller. Has personally driven every route we sell — some of them twice, in bad weather, to check.
The locals behind vibezena
We're a small crew of Queenstown guides, drivers and reformed corporate escapees who got tired of watching visitors see the wrong version of our home. Since 2014 we've been building trips we'd actually want to take ourselves.
2014
Our story
Started in a garage, still stubbornly local
Vibezena began with one van, one phone and a guide who kept writing itineraries on napkins for mates visiting from overseas. The napkins became a spreadsheet, the spreadsheet became a company — but the rule never changed: if we wouldn't send our own family, we don't send yours.
2014
First paid trip — a Milford day run for six backpackers. The van broke down once. They still gave five stars.
2017
Opened the Frankton office and hired our first full-time planner.
2021
Launched hosted evening packages — casino hotels and event nights join the lineup.
2025
3,000th traveller hosted. Team of eleven, all South Island locals.
Est. 2014Queenstown, New Zealand
What we believe
Three rules we plan by
Every itinerary, booking and recommendation gets checked against these. If it fails one, it doesn't ship.
Honest beats impressive
If the famous thing is overrated, we say so — and show you the better version ten minutes down the road. We'd rather lose a commission than your trust.
Light footprint
Small groups, local operators, off-peak timing. The South Island stays beautiful because we plan around it, not through it.
Trips are personal
A honeymoon and a bucks' weekend can visit the same valley and need opposite plans. We design for who you are, not a demographic.
Our team
The people who'll answer your call
Eleven of us in total — these four run the show. Everyone else is out on the road doing what we sell.
Dev Narayan
Operations lead
The logistics brain. If your itinerary lands on time with every booking confirmed, that's Dev.
Sophie Tremaine
Guest experience
First voice you'll hear on the phone. Turns "we'd like something nice" into an actual plan in about 15 minutes.
Wiremu Caddick
Senior guide
Fourth-generation South Islander. Leads the heli-treks and knows which stories are true and which are for tourists.
Work & research
Projects we're proud of
Beyond trips, we put time into making the region easier to explore — route research, seasonal guides and a few experiments that became products.
Southern Scenic Route Report
Our annual drive-time audit of 40+ South Island routes — the data behind every itinerary we quote.
Fiordland Access Project
Three seasons mapping crowd patterns in the fiords, so our guests arrive when the day-trippers leave.
Winter Nights Programme
The research that became our evening packages — pairing ski days with hosted casino events and dinners.
Dark Sky Guide
A self-published stargazing map of the Mackenzie basin, now folded into our Rail & Stargaze trip.
Field researchevery route, driven by us
Track record
Successes we don't take for granted
Numbers and badges are nice — what matters is that guests keep sending their friends. Here's the scoreboard anyway.
Become traveller 3,2013,200+
travellers hosted since 2014
4.9 / 5
rating across 800+ reviews
41%
of bookings come from referrals
11
locals on the team
NZ Tourism Awards — regional finalist, 2023
Qualmark Silver — sustainable tourism certified
Queenstown Chamber — business of the year nominee, 2024
Say hello
Come plan a trip with people who live it
Swing by the studio in Frankton for a coffee and a map, or start with a quick message. Either way, you'll talk to someone who actually knows the road.