The New Zealand Frontiers Story

“New Zealand Frontiers has twice been voted the country's most popular vehicle rental company by visitors to our friendly shores. As managing director I know the odds are strongly in favour of your road trip through our spectacular land exceeding your expectations.”

Kenrick Mitchell - founder, New Zealand Frontiers

In 1987, filled with the youthful confidence that fuels most 21 year olds, I left New Zealand to see the world. While driving trucks to pay for flying lessons in pursuit of a career in aviation, I’d picked up a few footloose young visitors from abroad who happened to be standing by the side of the road with an extended thumb. Their lifestyles looked more appealing than the bouncing confines of a Cessna cockpit. The world quickly beckoned and I soon found myself working alongside one of those hitch-hikers at a travel agency in his hometown of Zurich. Over 30 years later I’ve given up trying to wash the travel trade out of my system.

Those 30 years have been spent on the front line of tourism gaining experience ranging from providing retail sales at travel agencies in Europe and Asia, to operating tour coaches and guiding groups throughout the land we Kiwis refer to as our "Slice of Heaven". The journey has even included a return to the classroom to acquire accreditation in fields ranging from consumer law and the history of our nation to ticketing and sound business practices.

The resulting down to earth understanding of customer expectations gave me the confidence to establish my own enterprise in 2002. We Kiwis live in a pretty special corner of the world and offering a small fleet of well maintained, immaculately presented motorhomes backed by friendly, professional service seemed like a logical way of sharing my homeland with others. New Zealand Frontiers was born.

Almost 1000 rentals later the Auckland based business has never owned more than ten late model vehicles at any one time and continues to thrive on a personal touch that generates the most valued reward of all - a file full of appreciative correspondence. Equally rewarding are the compliments from new owners of the vans once they're sold from the fleet, who claim they're the best on the market and streets ahead of those offered by other rental companies.

The journey travelled while running a small business has been as varied as the ones travelled by clients on their road trips. A global financial crisis, a travel review site operator that wanted a slice of revenue to honour the top spot clients had awarded us, travel disruption caused by volcanoes and borders closed by a pandemic that enforced a four year long hibernation. Conservative business practices have assisted with the voyage and Fontiersfolk who return home to stay in touch and fill the world wide web with eloquent accounts of their experiences provide the sunshine and favourable breeze that continues to fill the sails.

New Zealand Frontiers has twice been voted the country's most popular vehicle rental company by visitors to our friendly shores. As managing director I know that the odds are strongly in favour of your road trip through our spectacular, unhurried land exceeding your expectations. It would be as much a pleasure to host your antipodean adventure as it has been for all those who came before you.

Kenrick Mitchell - Owner/Operator, New Zealand Frontiers

Read testimonials from past Frontiersfolk