Tipping the Tour Guide

txnonnie

On previous US Tauck land tours, we've obviously tipped the Tauck tour guide in US dollars. What about Australia/New Zealand? Can we tip in local dollars or should we take enough US$$ to cover it?

OzJohnno

Although I don't have a definitive answer as an Australian if I was the tour guide I would want to be given Australian dollars. U.S. dollars are not accepted as currency down here.

crackers54

I know our TD on aus/NZ tour she said had a local bank that was also in US. I did not ask, but you can imagine if tipped in US would probably have to pay a conversion fee to deposit. I have done both. Sometimes they get leftover money. Sometimes they get US. You, also, have to deal with not all TD are from US.

jkm

Our tour guide was an American who is working in Australia and New Zealand. Most of the people that I talked to were going to tip in American dollars. Some people were tipping with some of their extra Australian and New Zealand money. It those cases, you'd want to factor on the exchange rate.

Sue M

For those of you have received your final documents, does Tauck suggest the currency that is preferred with regard to tipping the tour director?
I believe Australia uses the euro and New Zealand has its own currency.
Also, how much does Tauck suggest tipping the tour director?
From past trips, I know Tauck suggests tipping the bus driver too. And with this trip, I assume there will be different bus drivers in each location.
It is great to know these things before we leave, so we can plan ahead.

British

The EURO is not the currency in Australia, the name should give you the clue. They use Australian dollars in Australia. Check the need to Know section regarding tipping, sometimes the bus drivers are "tipped' by Tauck, especially when there are multiple drivers on the tours. It is always safer to tip in the local currency, the tour director may not be American.

OzJohnno

Please let me try and clear this up from an Australian perspective. Both Australia and New Zealand have their own currencies - the Australian and New Zealand Dollar. The U.S Dollar is NOT accepted as a currency in either country. I would believe that it would be impractical to try and pay anyone in U.S Dollars as everyone will politely or not tell you where to put your dollars.

Try and look at this from your side. Would a New York cab driver accept Australian or New Zealand dollars as the fare and tip? NEVER so please remember you are in a sovereign country that has its own rules, regulations and currency. Australian businesses want your money but please convert it into our currency before you buy.

jkm, even if your guide was an American working in Australia he/she would have had to convert those U.S. dollars to spend them here and it would have cost her bank fees and exchange rates. I'm pretty sure she'd have been happier being tipped in Australian dollars.

Sue M

Oops...of course Australia would not use the euro...don't know what I was thinking..sorry!

txnonnie

Since I'm the one who asked the original question, I thought I owed you all a follow up. Our Tour Director was an American who lives in Hawaii. Immediately after our trip finished (two days ago), he was flying back to Wellington to do a New Zealand 10-day trip. Then he was going home.

Everyone I spoke to on our tour tipped him in US money, which is worth more than either of the local currencies. A few of them left him their left over local money but just as an extra.

I should mention that he was fantastic and worth every cent!

jdurkin

txnonnie wrote:

Everyone I spoke to on our tour tipped him in US money, which is worth more than either of the local currencies. A few of them left him their left over local money but just as an extra.

Were you all Americans? Well, that's cultural imperialism for you. US $ are not legal tender in Australia. As long as you didn't aid and abet the illegal transfer of foreign currency out of Australia. Greenbacks might be more valuable to you, but for as long as it lasts, I'm off to admire Australia's triple A rating.