About Us

It’s a long way from Paparoa (in rural Northland) to Saigon, and even longer to Croatia!

 

But that’s how far Jan and Gary Dallas have brought their tour business. 

In fact, the Dallas family has operated transport locally from the 1930’s when Gary’s father carried schoolchildren and household supplies around the Paparoa district.   Gary bought the business in 1972 and ran school buses and mail services until 2007.  ‘It was always a competition,’ he recalls, ‘for the kids to fight over who was going to throw the papers or put the bread into the mailboxes.’

The couple married in 1978, and raised a family.  In the early days when she wasn’t helping Gary with the mail and school runs, Jan turned her hand to dressmaking.    

Their common interest in the stage led to the ‘Show Tour’ concept — operating inclusive escorted group tours to Auckland shows, firstly in a mini-bus and later in a 44-seater coach.  Their first big event was for a Cliff Richard concert in the late 1990’s.  It was an instant success.  “People loved having all the ‘little things’ taken care of, so they didn’t have to worry”, says Gary. 

Paparoa Travel (later co-branded Toursmart) was borne!  A love of drama and musicals had morphed into something much bigger!  Their first foray into overnight travel to the Far North, a seemingly comparatively short hop now, represented a major development in the company’s future. 

Much of Toursmart’s success has stemmed from doing the ‘basics’ well — the early lessons operating show excursions are still practiced.  Jan insists that as far as possible, itineraries need to be sufficiently flexible for small ‘deviations’ to be taken.  Gary still practises positioning the coach on the correct side of the road, so his passengers don’t have to cross the street to board.  Those are the ‘little things’ he says, which all add up to a more enjoyable experience for their customers.  He’s well known for telling the odd funny story too.  “I don’t tell jokes,” he says, “but there’s something funny that happens most days.  I like to share the experience!”  They have a lot of fun.
 
Jan is very clear about who her potential customers are too.   “I guess that’s what makes our Travel Club work so well.  I keep seeing things through the eyes of our customers —  folk who wouldn’t normally camp on the ground in the Kimberley (Western Australia) will if we take them and make sure they’re properly looked after”,  she contends.  “People who would never otherwise visit a country like Vietnam, or the Emirates or Turkey or Croatia will come because they know we will look after them and keep them safe.  We ensure no-one need dine on their own on their free nights, unless they prefer to of course”.

From a ‘large, warm and hospitable Croatian family’, Jan says feeling included is important.  “Our people feel part of a party; all looking out for one another and all under our care“. 

Toursmart ‘went international’ in 2006 and 2008, with tours to Tasmania then the Australian Northern Territories.  2009 saw them in Italy, the Greek Islands, Turkey and Croatia in the Mediterranean.  Subsequently they’ve operated tours to Vietnam, Western Australia, Canada and Alaska, not to mention tours the length and breadth of New Zealand.

Jan and Gary have great plans for the Travel Club and the tour business; they want an expanded, New Zealand-wide membership of like-minded travellers, all eager to put their toes in the water!  “Whether they live in Whangarei or Whanganui, isn’t important”, says Jan.  They need to be similar — people eager for new experiences in the company of others and with people they can trust. 





Jan and Gary Dallas are ordinary people who have grown a rural transport business into a successful, well-respected tour operation. 

Yet nothing can disguise their basic ‘kiwi-ness’.  When they’re not busily preparing for the next tour, you’ll find them hanging a line over the side of their runabout somewhere on the Kaipara Harbour or the Hauraki Gulf — depending on where the fish are biting best.