ABOUT CONNECTITALIA-NZ LTD
Our company’s mission is to promote greater liaison between Italy and New Zealand, reflecting the different but complementary backgrounds of the company’s two directors, Beniamino Petrosino and Anne Scragg. Our principal focus is planning and escorting exclusive small group tours in Italy offering a cultural experience with a difference. Our tours are most definitely not of the whistle-stop” Today is Tuesday so it must be Belgium” kind. We pride ourselves in providing you with the time and comfort to really enjoy what you are seeing and doing and you will never feel rushed. Our tours start and finish in Italy so you are most welcome to join us from anywhere in the world. Whether you are travelling on your own or with others, you can expect individual care and attention from two escorts who are willing to go the extra mile to ensure you have an unforgettable time. We also encourage travellers wanting to visit New Zealand from overseas to contact us and we will be very happy to provide you with a New Zealand tour package tailored to meet your particular needs and interests. We use accredited tour operators to ensure our tours are trouble free and we insist on the highest standards of customer service in all situations throughout our tours. Your comfort and security are of paramount importance to us. Whether you are planning a trip to Italy, New Zealand or anywhere else with us, it will be our pleasure to look after you throughout your tour. We are confident you will enjoy a unique cultural experience and a lot of fun along the way.
OUR AMBASSADORS
Richard Scragg
​
​
“In 2017 and 2019 I travelled with Connectitalia-NZ throughout the north and south of Italy and had an absolutely marvellous time. Every day produced a new highlight. If you want to enjoy the Italy the Italians know, Connectitalia-NZ has the tours for you. Your principal tour escort Beniamino comes from the Mezzogiorno and you will be immersed in Italian culture in all its varied aspects. You will stay in carefully chosen first class accommodation in out of the way places and travel in a comfortable private vehicle with your own driver. You will see some amazing historical sites and stunning countryside. As you enjoy local food and wine, you will learn the fascinating history of what you are eating and drinking. I am proud to promote Connectitalia-NZ. tours, which offer visitors to Italy the experience of a lifetime.”
Richard Scragg began his working life as a practising barrister and solicitor, joined the Institute of Professional Legal Studies as a Senior Instructor and then embarked on an academic career at the University of Canterbury where he became Dean and Head of Law. He subsequently lectured at the University of Auckland for several years before retiring to focus on his publications.
Robert Watson
​
​
“Following a brief career in the law I travelled and worked in Europe spending time in northern Italy where I taught and visited some of its great gardens. On my return to NZ I studied landscape architecture as a post graduate student at Lincoln University.
​
This course included the history of Italian gardens for which I have a passion. I have since then returned to Italy on several occasions and visited more of its gardens for the sheer pleasure of being there and to better understand their place in the history of garden design.
I am delighted to be an ambassador for Connectitalia-NZ’s wonderful tours and an escort on its stunning gardens tours. I hope you will join us!”
Robert Watson is a landscape architect based in Christchurch and he has been involved in a wide variety of major projects around New Zealand over the last 35 years. He is a Fellow of the NZ Institute of Landscape Architects and an Assessor for the NZ Gardens Trust. Robert's work has won numerous prizes including a Gold award at the 2009 Ellerslie Flower Show for a garden he designed for the Canterbury Horticultural Society. Another of Robert's projects is the renowned Broadfields Garden, a NZ Garden Trust Garden of International Significance, for which he was a finalist in 2015 NZILA Awards. Since 2019, Robert has escorted four very successful garden tours for us, two in Italy and two in Canterbury.
Beniamino Petrosino
​
​
I am the founder of CONNECTITALIA-NZ. I came from Italy to live in New Zealand in the 1980’s and have worked as a chef, restaurateur and consultant in the hospitality industry in New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia and the United States of America. I have taught Italian in schools and privately and also English to refugees. In 2003, Hazard Press published my novel “The Passage of the Frog and the Wild Strawberries of 1942” set in the magical Mezzogiorno regions of Italy where I grew up.
In late 2015 I met Anne Scragg when she became one of my Italian language students. In 2016 we
ran a successful cultural programme in Christchurch showcasing many special Italian foods and
wines and introducing our guests to delightful Italian locations off the beaten track. Our company was formed at this time and in 2017 and 2019, we led our first exclusive small group tours to Italy, travelling with our own driver throughout my homeland. In 2021 and 2022, because of Covid we were sadly unable to visit Italy, so we organized local garden tours in our home region of Canterbury with great success. In 2023 we returned to Italy with two groups. With our first group we visited the magnificent gardens and villas on Lake Como and Lake Maggiore. With the second group we proceeded from Lombardia on a journey through Piemonte, Emilia Romagna and Toscana soon after the grape harvest. In 2025 we plan to travel to the United Kingdom for a very special literary adventure with Joe Bennett. We will then travel on to Sicily for our grand tour of the Island, the land of the Cyclops.
Anne Scragg
​
​
I initially trained as a lawyer and worked in private practice for some years. I had a few years off work while my family was young and then returned to work as an adjudicator and mediator. Over time I became involved in designing and establishing specialist dispute resolution schemes in the public and private sectors. In 2015, I retired from a senior management role with the intention of doing something entirely different. One day my husband came in from the letterbox with one of Beniamino’s business cards and I thought Italian language lessons might be just what I needed!
I have been to Italy several times and have loved every visit. I am confident I know what non-Italians need and want when travelling and I want to share my passion for Italy with others. I also want to show
our guests from other countries the treasures that my homeland, New Zealand, has to offer. In 2025, in addition to our Sicilian tour, we have planned a new special interest tour in England, “A Literary Pursuit,” and I am greatly looking forward to that. Wherever we travel, we guarantee our clients will enjoy a unique and memorable experience with us.
Exclusive Tours of Italy
“Over the last few years we have got together to bring people a genuine glimpse into Italian culture and customs. Now our intent is to take you there for an experience unlike any other.”
Join us on an extraordinary journey!
What can I expect on a CONNECTITALIA-NZ Tour?
•the perfect blend of superb organisation and the ability to “do your own thing”
•individual care and attention from two escorts with complementary culturalbackgrounds, who are willing to go the extra mile to deliver an unforgettable experience for their clients
•a unique opportunity to spend time with the locals and learn about Italian life andcustoms from a native-born Italian
•the opportunity to put into practice some useful Italian phrases supported by your veryown Italian language teacher!
•to visit food markets and eat and drink the finest Italian foods and wines under thetutelage of a your very own food and wine expert!
Why are CONNECTITALIA-NZ tours more expensive than some other tours on the market?
•our tour groups are small – no more than 10 to 12 clients per tour
•individual needs and preferences are accommodated wherever practicable
•we avoid boring high-rise hotels on the outskirts of town – we choose high qualityaccommodation very carefully, based on its location, charm and comfort
•we like to pamper our clients and we make sure they receive complimentary (notcheap!) surprise treats from us along the way
•we insist on the highest standards of customer service in all situations throughout thetour
Does CONNECTITALIA-NZ use accredited travel agents to make their bookings?
Yes! All accommodation and transport arrangements are made through accredited travel agents. Our packages are land-based packages. Air travel bookings may be made independently or through our travel broker. Comprehensive travel insurance is essential.