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New Zealand > About NZ > Travel Tips
New Zealand is
well connected to the world with air services from
all the worlds main cities, with ports for ships and
yachts. When you get here, you will find that there
are many travel options with plenty of busses and
taxi's for local travel with:
-
Intercity
busses are generally the cheapest public
transport option between the major towns and
cities.
-
Shuttle
busses, which operate as taxi's in the cities
and are often a more convenient way to get
between cities as they will often
collect/stop at hotels and hostels.
-
Airlines
will take you between the main centres and
regional towns. There are many daily flights
between main centres.
- There are
also options to hire/charter small airplanes
and helicopters to get to remote regions or
just to keep to your personal schedule.
- A
diminished rail service still operates
between Auckland and Christchurch and is
still a relaxed way to travel. Wellington and
Auckland have a local rail service which is
at times more convenient than driving.
- Away from
the main canters, public transport can be
difficult and rental cars or motor homes are
a better option. This allows you the freedom
to really explore at leisure.
- For the
budget traveller, you can buy cheap cars from
under NZ$1000.00 that are usually ok for a
year or so, with older cars, there is little
depreciation and you often resell on
departure for about the same price you paid.
New cars range upward from
NZ$16,000.00. If your stay is going to
be short then there are many car rental
companies and campervan rentals.
- To travel
between the North and South Islands, there
are regular car/ passenger
ferry services which you need to book well in
advance for the holiday seasons.
- Hitchhiking
is an option and is becoming less common due
to the rise in crime. Although still considered safe, some
hitchhikers have been robbed and several murdered over the past
30 years.
Note that
we do have all the social problems associated
with any Western country, crime, armed
robberies, traffic jams etc, so you need to
take normal precautions for personal safety.
Do not leave valuable items unattended and
visible. Keep to well lit public areas at
night. Police do not generally carry
firearms, and personal hand guns are illegal.ROAD RULES
Over 260 visitors (about 6% of all road accidents) are
injured or killed in car crashes every year.
In New Zealand we
drive on the LEFT side of the road
and generally give way to traffic approaching from
your right, and like in most countries, if you crash, you are in trouble
so crashing is best avoided.
 Speed
limits vary from 30 to 80 KPH in a city areas and 100 KPH on the
highways. The wearing of seat belts is compulsory, drinking alcohol
and driving may see you in jail. Speed limits are strictly
enforced by police patrol cars, hidden speed cameras and the highways are well monitored by police for alcohol and anything else they can fine you for.
Petrol costs between $1.50 & $2.00 per litre. The price
fluctuates depending on the currency exchange rate
and world crude oil prices as well as distance from main centres.
Measurements are Metric; metres, kilometres.
Approximate drive
times:
- Auckland to Wellington 9 - 12 hours
- Picton to Invercargill 10 - 12 hours
- Christchurch to Greymouth or Hokitika 3 - 4 hours
- Christchurch to Dunedin 5 hours
- Christchurch to Picton ferries 4.5 - 6 hours
- Christchurch - Nelson 5 hours
- New
Zealand Travel Distance Calculator
-
Cars in New Zealand
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