Good Finds · About
For those who want to meet the place,
not just see it.
Who is behind it
Founded by two
tourism people.
Good Finds was founded by Brad Rowe and Tim Wells, two tourism professionals with a shared belief that some of New Zealand's best experiences are often the hardest to find.
Between us, we've spent more than two decades working across the visitor economy, helping create, grow and deliver experiences for travellers from around the world. Throughout our careers we've seen first-hand that many of the most memorable experiences aren't always the biggest or most heavily marketed. More often, they're hosted by passionate people sharing a skill, story, place or way of life that visitors would never otherwise discover.
Good Finds was created to help bridge that gap. A platform where curious travellers can discover unique experiences, and where passionate hosts can connect with people who genuinely value what they do.
Co-founder
Brad Rowe
Brad has spent more than fifteen years in the New Zealand visitor economy, helping tourism businesses and destinations create new experiences.
During that time, he has taken tourism businesses from blank-page concepts to more than 100,000 annual visitors and seven-figure revenues, launched first-in-the-world experiences, and worked with destinations to understand what makes them unique and worth visiting.
Today, Brad works through his consultancy, Tourism x Design, advising tourism businesses, operators and destinations across New Zealand. Good Finds is the platform he wished existed throughout much of that journey.
Co-founder
Tim Wells
Tim has grown up around tourism and hospitality, with family connections to the industry stretching back decades. From an early age he was exposed to the people, places and experiences that make New Zealand such a special destination to visit.
His own tourism career began during university holidays, working in Milford Sound and Te Anau before progressing through a range of operational and guest experience roles in New Zealand and overseas. Along the way he has worked across visitor experiences ranging from sailing yachts and luxury lodges to some of New Zealand's most iconic tourism operations.
Today, Tim is the Whakatipu Experience Manager for one of New Zealand's leading tourism operators, where his focus is on creating exceptional guest experiences and helping visitors build lasting memories.
Alongside his tourism career, Tim has always had a passion for entrepreneurship and building new ventures. Good Finds brings together those two passions: creating meaningful visitor experiences and helping passionate people share what they do with others.
Together, Brad and Tim bring a combination of tourism operations, experience design, business development and entrepreneurial thinking to Good Finds, with a shared goal of helping more people discover the experiences that make New Zealand extraordinary.
What we are
A curated guide.
Not a directory. Not an algorithm.
Good Finds connects people who are genuinely curious about New Zealand with locals who have something real to offer. Farmers, winemakers, craftspeople, guides, growers, and makers. People who know this country intimately and are willing to share that knowledge with a small group of the right guests.
We are not a tour company. We do not package or script experiences. We find the people, vet them properly, and make it easy for guests to book directly. The experience belongs to the host. We just make sure the right guests can find it.
New Zealand only. Curated, not crowdsourced. Built around depth, not volume.
Why we started it
The people who really know New Zealand
are rarely the easiest to find.
New Zealand has extraordinary people in it. Farmers who have worked the same land for three generations. Winemakers who know exactly which block produces something worth drinking. Craftspeople who learned from their parents and are still refining their work.
The problem is visibility. Mainstream travel platforms are built for volume. They favour the most reviewed, the most packaged, the easiest to describe. The most interesting hosts are often the hardest to find through conventional channels.
Good Finds exists because we kept meeting these people and thinking: more guests should know about this.
For hosts
Why hosts list
with Good Finds.
Most platforms ask hosts to compete on price and reviews. Good Finds is different. We select hosts before they appear on the platform, which means you are not fighting for visibility against hundreds of similar listings.
We send you guests who are already looking for what you offer: people who understand value, appreciate craft, and are not shopping around for the cheapest option. Typically 2 to 8 people per booking.
There is no subscription fee to be listed. We take a commission on completed bookings. The rest is yours.
For guests
Why guests book
through Good Finds.
Everything on Good Finds has been reviewed before it goes live. You are not relying on star ratings from strangers or hoping an experience lives up to its photos. Someone has been there.
The experiences here are specific. A particular winemaker in a particular valley. A particular farm with a particular story. That specificity is the point. You are booking something that exists because of one person, in one place.
All bookings are managed through the platform. Secure payment, clear cancellation terms, direct communication with your host before you arrive.
For guests
Find your next
Good Find.
Browse curated experiences across New Zealand. Filter by region, category, or let the collections guide you.
Explore experiencesFor hosts
Have something
worth sharing?
We work with a small number of hosts across New Zealand. Applications are reviewed personally. We take quality seriously.
Apply to become a host