Whanganui tour company buys 1000 Auckland customers

Owners of Take it Easy Tours, Jimmy Elliott and Jason Granville, are driving a new avenue to their business. Photo/ Stuart Munro

A Whanganui tour company that encourages the "wiser" to hop on a jetboat and "get amongst it" has just reeled in over 1000 more customers.

Best mates Jason Granville and Jimmy Elliott bought Take It Easy Tours from Don and Maree Adams in August 2014.

And in May this year the pair expanded their business, buying Tauranga-based company Tours For Matures.

Mr Granville said they had to change the name right away and they merged the businesses, both under the name Take It Easy Tours.

"Basically we bought over 1000 new customers based in Auckland - and a new bus," he said.

They had always planned on expanding the business but initially it was more important for them to get to know the loyal local followers.

"And they are so great ... we love them and they love us."

Slightly contradictory to the company name, Mr Granville said the key point of difference was encouraging senior travellers to "get stuck in to a bit of adventure and just get amongst it".

"We are not afraid to put them in a jetboat and get them out and about and they love it."

Buying the additional tour company, with Auckland-bound customers, has opened up yet another avenue of business.

Mr Elliott said they would be bringing tours to Whanganui to support local tourism.

"One tour we have planned is a six-day trip around Vintage Weekend in January next year which will include a jetboat cruise, a trip on Waimarie paddle steamer, a history and heritage tour and heaps of other activities engaging tourists in everything Whanganui has to offer," Mr Elliott said.

The pair run 12 big trips a year, overseas and around New Zealand, plus lots of mini tours.

"We also offer charters for any schools, clubs, groups who want to hire a bus and driver."
And they say they could not operate at the high-standard they do without their "legend office lady", Karlene Wagstaff.

"We love her and she really does keep us in line," Mr Granville said.

Some of the other upcoming Take It Easy Tours trips include; a six-day Spring Escape, a 13-day High Country South Island Bonanza, a five-day Taranaki Garden Tour and Explore, seven-day Top of the South trip, a six-day Coromandel Retreat, a four-day Molesworth Station trip, and a 13-day Tasmania retreat.