For tour/workshop leaders

For tour/
workshop leaders.

Your clients. Your tour.

Epic South is here to help you plan, organise, and co-lead a dream New Zealand photography adventure for your clients. As a ‘white label’ solution, you’re free to market and sell the tour under your own brand (but if you’d like, we can help with that too!). Epic South is owned and operated by Daniel Murray, a professional landscape photographer based in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Key things offered by Epic South

Itinerary development

We’ll work with you to develop and tailor the itinerary: the duration, the locations, the experiences, and the budget & pricing. Daniel has +10 years developing and implementing photography itineraries as a tour/workshop business owner and guide in New Zealand. He has extensive knowledge of what works, and just as importantly, what doesn’t.

Logistics management

We’ll take care of all NZ-side bookings and arrangements with suppliers, and make sure you have everything you need to legally and safely operate in NZ.

Financial management

Epic South can look after all the financial arrangements for you, from receiving client payments to negotiating and paying for the various suppliers. We use a sophisticated online accounting and invoicing system, and operate with a fully open book so you’ll know every detail of the tour budget and final margins.

Co-guide

Of course, Daniel will help lead the tour with you! As mentioned above, he has +10 years experience guiding photography groups and has been stoked to receive consistently fantastic from clients for his knowledge, helpfulness, and kindness (see Testimonials).

Local knowledge

Having photographed New Zealand landscapes for most of his life, Daniel has intimate knowledge of both the iconic as well as more hidden locations. Furthermore he has a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand’s “four seasons in one day” weather and light conditions, to put us in the right locations at the right times.

Bus driver (passenger licenced)

Epic South is transport licensed (for both small and large passenger services) and Daniel is passenger endorsed. That means he has all the legal approvals to drive the tour bus/van, saving a big chunk of money.

Conservation approved

Epic South holds a concession permit from the Department of Conservation to operate commercially guided activities at key sites in national parks and conservation areas around the South Island. Concessions are very challenging and costly, and can take several months to obtain, so that’s a significant hassle already off your hands. (*)

Comprehensive safety plan

The health and safety of tour participants is of utmost importance. Epic South has a comprehensive safety plan, prepared in accordance with New Zealand law, which has been independently audited and certified by an industry professional. Daniel is first aid trained and hold a current practicing certificate. (*)

Public liability insurance

Epic South holds public liability insurance, providing peace of mind in the unfortunate (and rare) event of loss or damage to other people’s property during the running of the tour. (*)

* In progress; expected to be in place by May 2025

CONSERVATION APPROVED*

TRANSPORT LICENSED

Tours and itineraries

Epic South will work closely with you to customise a tour or workshop according to the needs of you and your clients. Every element can be infinitely tailored, but in Daniel’s experience, here’s a flavour for what works really well.

Operating principles

Operating season of March – November (autumn to late Spring)
Pitched towards the high quality / luxury end of the market
Strong emphasis on being in-the-field and chasing the light over classroom sessions
Mid-level of fitness required (no steep tracks; most hikes under 60 minutes)
Not a boot camp; plenty of opportunities for down-time and relaxation
Not all about photography; people have come a long way and want to experience NZ’s cultural and culinary delights

Typical inclusions

Everyone has their own room (twin-share also an option)
Private transportation in a bus/van
Breakfasts
A charter scenic flight (or two) over the Southern Alps
A boat cruise (or two) in Fiordland (overnight options available)

Typical exclusions

International travel to NZ
Domestic travel in NZ before and after tour
Personal insurance (travel, medical, etc)
Items of a personal nature (e.g. souvenirs, activities on rest days)
Lunches and dinners
Alcohol

Scenic flight over Mt Aspiring National Park

Overnight cruise in Doubtful Sound, Fiordland National Park

Scenic cruise in Milford Sound / Piopiotahi, Fiordland National Park

Tasman Glacier landing, Aoraki / Mt Cook National Park

Testimonial from Joshua Cripps

Working with Daniel is a no brainer because he makes it easy to run a spectacular photo tour in New Zealand.

Partnering with him will save you endless time, money, and headaches as he already has all the necessary permits and insurances to operate legally. I’ve gone through the permitting process before with New Zealand’s Department of Conservation and it requires dozens and dozens of hours of location selection and impact analysis, thousands of dollars of permit fees, and the creation of an entire health and safety plan (which in my case ended up being over 60 pages long!). Daniel has already taken care of all of that for you. He also has all the required licenses and endorsements to drive your group, saving thousands of dollars in hiring a private driver.

Not to mention that he has the local contacts to ensure you have the best possible experiences, whether that’s getting the group dialed in for a sunrise flight around Mt Aspiring, or knowing which boat operator offers the best Milford Sound scenic cruise. He also has the experience from his years of photographing the South Island to read the conditions and weather and get you to the right spot at the right time for incredible photography opportunities.

Lastly but perhaps most importantly, Daniel is just a great guy to be around. He’s very laid back with absolutely no drama and provides a wonderful calming presence to keep the trip stress free. He’s always helping and is ready to solve any problem. Not to mention his wealth of photography knowledge to help your participants make the most of their time.

In short, I’ve been working with Daniel for my New Zealand photo tours since 2023 and have no plans to use anyone else!