About us

Jemma and Grant met in Africa while Jemma was an overland tour guide for a UK-based travel company, and Grant was completing an 8-month trans-African overland odyssey. Their love of travel and photography, and passion for adventure and the great outdoors led them to investigate potential tourism ideas during their extended ‘Covid’ layover in New Zealand. They realised that there was an opportunity to offer small, personal, guided group tours across the country, visiting places that no other company was travelling to. Having several years of overland experience between them, and extensive world travel, Jemma and Grant have introduced ZIGZAG NZ Tours for the growing group of ‘wunderlusters’, for whom New Zealand has become their top ‘bucket list’ destination.

Jemma

Born in England and having written her ambitions to travel in a school project when she was only 9 years old, Jemma began her international adventures as soon as she left school, and she has continued them ever since. She has lived and worked in many countries and has set herself various challenges along the way, from a short haul air hostess in Europe to a long haul backpacker around the world, from qualifying as a divemaster to becoming an underwater videographer in Thailand, from working in the head offices for multiple travel companies in the UK to holiday repping in Mexico, Spain and Lapland, from planning a lifelong ambition of seeing Africa, to becoming an overland guide travelling through 12 countries from Kenya to South Africa, and to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro too. Now based in the North Island, Jemma loves New Zealand’s diversity, beauty and friendliness, and just how much there is to see and do. Having visited many years ago, and living here permanently now since 2020, she is really excited to share her experiences, vision and love of the country she now calls home.

Grant

Born in New Zealand, Grant also gained the travel bug at a young age. After travelling internationally with his family in his younger teens, he began his first solo overseas experience at the age of 18, working in London and travelling the UK and Europe for two years. After stints living back in New Zealand and Australia, he began studies at a travel school at the age of 29. This led him to work as a salesman for a travel marketing company, where he visited numerous countries throughout the South Pacific and Asia. He settled into a sales manager’s position whilst living in Sydney for many years, but never lost the love for travel, taking time away from work to join long overland trips through South-east and Central Asia, Mongolia, Europe and Africa. With Jemma, Grant moved back to live in New Zealand again in 2020 and has rediscovered all the beauty and love he has for his homeland. He is so excited and proud to share the history and culture of New Zealand to visitors.

About us

About Us

WHO'S DOING THIS?

Jemma

Grant

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