WHO ARE
HORIZON TOURS
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HORIZON TOURS - Winner of the Westpac Otago Māori Business Award 2020
Kia ora. Horizon Tours is a locally owned Māori whānau (family) business. Owned and operated by James Karawana and Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana and Lyndon Perriman and Diane Ruwhiu.
Launched in 2018, we set out with our commitment to offer 'top-notch' small group tourism experiences and we love that this is reflected in customer feedback to Horizon Tours or on social media platforms like TripAdvisor.
it is also so important to us that we are giving back to places we visit. Our tour fees help support a number of community conservation programs.
Join us on one of our tours, we look forward to sharing Dunedin’s and the lower South island's unique history, wildlife and landscape with you, sharing our love of this place as seen through our eyes.
Nau mai, haere mai - Welcome!
Meet your guides
Lyndon
Perriman
From 1990 to 2017, Lyndon worked for the Department of Conservation as a ranger at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula managing the albatross breeding programme and also monitoring other significant seabird species.
As the longest serving ranger, on the peninsula, Lyndon can be viewed as one of the utmost experts on the wildlife of Otago Peninsula. Lyndon has also travelled off-shore to work on other seabird projects, such as albatross translocation projects in Japan and the Chatham islands, as well as marine mammal work on the coast of New Zealand, and the sub-Antarctic islands. These experiences, coupled with a sound knowledge of the geology and flora of Southern New Zealand helps to convey the connection between the landscape with the unique flora and fauna found there.
James
Karawana
i te taha o tōku matua
Ko Pukepoto te maunga
Ko Waengaehe te awa
Ko Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe te moana
Ko Te Arawa te Waka
Ko Ngāti Whakaue te iwi
i te taha o tōku whaea
Ko Hikurangi te maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Ngati Porou te iwi
James was raised in Wellington, by his grandparents and parents in a Māori urban community. Māoritanga (Māori culture and way of life) was a central part of his upbringing and is something that still resonates strongly today. James left a 30 year career in IT to begin Horizon Tours to further his passion for sharing Māori culture and history.
Kylie Ruwhiu-Karawana
Ko Te Taraiorahiri te maunga
Ko Mangakahia te awa
Ko Parahaki te marae
Ko Nga Puhi te iwi
Kylie was raised in the South Island of New Zealand, and grew up wanting to see the world. She managed that in 1998 when she left these shores for Japan, and taught English for three years. It was while she was there that she developed her passion for New Zealand, and telling people about the icon that is our Māori culture.
On returning to New Zealand she took a role with Tourism New Zealand where she took that passion to the world, training travel agents and tourism operators how to sell New Zealand as a holiday destination.
Kylie has always loved the night-sky and would love the opportunity to bring our Southern Skies to life for you.
Hutia te rito o te harakeke,
kei hea te kōmako e kō?
Ki mai ki ahau, ‘He aha te mea nui o te Ao?’
Māku e kī atu,
‘He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.'
If you remove the central shoot of the flaxbush, where will the bellbird find rest?
If you were to ask me, ‘What is the most important thing in the world?’
I would reply, ‘It is people, it is people, it is people’.
The whakatauki (proverb) shared here reflects the importance of strong sustainable relationships between people and the natural environment. Harakeke (flax bush) in Māori tradition represents the collective strength of family, community and life.
 Lyndon hosting Prince Charles |  Story telling is integral for Māori |  The Lancewood with a story to tell |
|---|---|---|
 Lyndon helping an injured Albatross |  The Mighty Ponga Tree |
About our name
‘Horizon Tours’
He rangi tā matawhāiti, he rangi tā matawhānui
The person with a narrow vision sees a narrow horizon,
the person with a wide vision sees a wide horizon
Our Logo
The Horizon Tours logo has the graduated colour scheme from green to blue to reflect the connection between the landscape and the sky.