accommodation
- hostels and motels with owner/hosts "at the desk" nearly always coincided
with our most pleasurable stops. But, ALL Kiwis welcomed us warmly and were super hosts. With
little advance knowledge and minimal preparation it was routinely possible to locate budget
accommodation which was mostly good, sometimes excellent and only rarely substandard. Making
reservations a few days in advance as you travel is highly recommended. Make the bookings
yourself for the cheapest rates, or through a hostel.
activities
- except for those which sell out in advance (an extreme example being the
International Sevens Rugby, cheaper tickets sell out months in advance), book your activity
only a few days in advance. This minimizes problems caused by unforeseen changes to plans or
adverse weather.
beaches
- the entire country seems ringed by incredible litter-free sand beaches.
New Zealand has a proactive "clothing optional" (not "nude" only) family
oriented beach organization which flies a yellow teddy bear flag to advise of the presence
of sunbathers. This avoids embarrassment of/by those not into this lifestyle. Some guides
refer to these and other such beach areas as "free" beaches. New Zealand beaches are
extensive and numerous. Except close to large holiday resorts or urban areas, there is lots
of opportunity for privacy.
business and shopping general
- darned near the whole country is closed to business
Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Late openings are a rarity. Weekend market days ("fairs")
are popular and crowded, look for them. ATM/bank machines do not exist in some parts of the
country.
car/RV purchase
- if you are going to be in the country one month or more, it can be
worthwhile to investigate car purchase or buy-back programs.
catsup/ketchup/tomato sauce
- fish and chip shops charge exorbitant amounts for those
tiny packets of catsup. Buy a small bottle at a large grocery store and carry it with you.
credit cards
- large businesses accept them, small ones frequently do not. Locals use
EFTPOS/debit cards instead. Discounts are frequently available for cash. Cashing or paying
with traveler's cheques can be difficult.
fish and chips and meat pies
- the staple fast food of New Zealand. We enjoyed good
quality fish and chips whenever we had it. The best ones were in Napier, Waiheke and
Manganui.
gasoline
- keep the tank full, petrol stations are not as numerous as in North America.
Prices are similar to those in Canada, more than in USA, less than in England.
groceries
- advance planning required for grocery shopping in smaller centres, especially
far north, East Cape and West Coast. Best values seemed to be at roadside fruit and veggie
stands and local market days. Large supermarket-style grocery stores and widest selection or
specialty items are found only in the cities.
sand flies, mozzies
- New Zealand has very few obnoxious insects, but sand flies are a
real pest in some areas, especially along the South Island's West Coast and Fjordlands areas.
Window screens are rare. Many hostels had mosquito screens on the bed. Take good bug dope
and tent screens if traveling in sandfly areas.
security
- as anywhere, minimize the number of valuables that you take on your travels
and keep valuables out of sight and locked up. Nearly all hostels and tour operators provided
short term safe-keeping for small valuables. When leaving a parked vehicle, take valuables
with you. Rental vehicles appear to be easy "targets" in some areas. It is strongly
recommended that you do not leave vehicles unattended at remote trail departure areas.
Place valuables out of sight, (e.g. locked in trunk) in advance of stopping at departure
areas. DO NOT be obvious about placing purses and such in the trunk immediately prior to
departing from the vehicle. During peak travel season, volunteers (who display
identification) monitor many of the larger car parking areas to help prevent theft from
cars. Drop off and pick up can be prearranged with local tour operators to/from many trek
access points.
souvenirs
- Museums and cultural displays offered good value and selection if shopping
for authentic Maori souvenirs and art. Authentic greenstone (pounamu) is relatively expensive
no matter where you buy it; support local artisans and beware of imported imitations. Yes,
genuine greenstone carvings may be found at local fairs, but caveat emptor. Bone or
greenstone Hei Tiki or Hei Matau and carved pendants can be good value and you will see some
of the best being worn as works of art with formal dress.
telephone
- calls are expensive when calling to or from cell phones; coin phone rates
are not much better; prepaid calling cards offer the best local rates and some offer super
cheap international calls.
Best of ....
Our picks of outstanding places - listed as best overall / best of the "other" island.
Best of beaches - Bream Bay / SI eastern Able Tasman
Best of birding - Cape Kidnappers / SI Okarito Lagoon
Best of fish and chips - Oneroa, Waiheke Island
Best of friends - everywhere - never met a friendlier country!
Best of geysers - NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute
Best of guide books - general - "The Rough Guide to New Zealand"
Best of guide books - accommodation - BBH - "Budget Backpacker Hostels New Zealand"
Best of hostels: Moana Lodge, Plimmerton / SI Haast Wilderness Backpackers
Best of lakes: Lake Tekapo
Best of Maori exhibits - NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute
Best of museums - Canterbury Museum, Christchurch / NI Auckland War Memorial
Best of seal colony - Okiwi Bay to Kaikoura
Best of views - urban - Mt. Eden, Auckland
Best of views - rural - South Island anywhere / NI Urupukapuka Island
Best of waterfalls - Marokopa / SI Milford Sound
Costs
Prices are listed in New Zealand dollars (NZD). At the time of our travel, the New Zealand
dollar cost about Cdn$0.67 ($0.45 US).
I was told by a number of workers that "we expect a fair wage for fair work and do not tip
nor expect tips just to do a good job". Prices were low by North American standards, but
wages are also lower than North America. Therefore, the cost of living compared to the working
wage in New Zealand is relatively high.
Car and travel van purchase prices and rentals seemed high; gasoline/petrol was the same
price - to the penny - as Victoria, Cdn$0.75-$0.80 per litre at the time (but rose twice by
5-7% each time in three months). Diesel is much cheaper. Nearly all trucks are diesel, nearly
all cars are petrol.
There are excellent opportunities for bargain good value accommodation. More traditional
motel, resort, lodge or bed and breakfast type of accommodation was similar in value to North
American standards. This made travel in New Zealand a good value, especially for those
visitors from Europe and England.
Groceries vary considerably in price and availability. The best value was always at roadside
fruit and veggie stands or local market days. Smaller centres generally have very limited
selections and daytime business hours only which is a consideration when traveling light.
Advance planning is highly recommended for basic groceries.
Credit Cards/"EFTPOS"
Budget travel requires cash. Although larger establishments will accept credit cards or
traveler's cheques, smaller ones will require a debit card from a New Zealand bank. ATMs are
common so make certain that your bank account is suitably accessible by ATM. Some ATMs may
only access checking accounts. Some extensive rural New Zealand areas are still ATM- and
plastic-free and cash only. Discounted rates at hostels and backpackers require in-person
advance reservation with a credit card number for deposit, but payment in cash on check-in.
Kiwis refer to debit card transactions as EFTPOS, electronic fund transfer at point of sale,
and it is rapidly outnumbering credit card transactions in everyday use.
Phone Calls
Coin phones (local calls) are expensive; calling cards are reasonable; international prepaid
phone card rates were cheap. Coin phone local calls were $0.25 per minute; prepaid card
calls from New Zealand to Canada (or England) were $0.14 to $0.25 (or $0.20) per minute.
The phone systems are deregulated. Some local cell phone rates were very high ($scary per
minute) and nearly everyone uses cell phones.
Air travel and "Security"
There are endless flight options for getting to New Zealand by air. Lowest fares are usually
obtained by discounted "seat sales" when you can find them, next lowest by pre-booking as far
in advance as you can, for a period longer than three weeks and shorter than three months. If
you are planning in staying in mid-to-high end accommodation and for three weeks or less, then
a package charter often offers your best combined rates. Short advance notice, very long term,
and/or "open-ended" return tickets are the most expensive ways to book air travel. It is important
to confirm the total cost of the air package; many require an overnight stopover en route which
can quickly add another $1-200 accommodation and meal costs to the trip.
The longest line-up in Vancouver Airport had nothing to do with security, but to purchase the
required AIF (airport improvement fee) coupon. There is no charge for "in transit" passengers,
but they also must go through the line anyway to receive an exemption stamp. The shortest way
for those required to pay the AIF, was to obtain it at the machines accepting credit cards instead
of paying by cash.
Although we went through security nine times each way without leaving the 'passenger security
zone' unnecessarily, there were HUGE line-ups for check-in. Hint: Have boarding passes ahead
of time from ticket issuing airline or travel agent instead of picking them up at the airport.
Yes, "ticketless" airline checkins had longer waits than for those of us that already had
boarding passes prior to arriving at the airport.
For example, our security checks were:
1. Victoria check-in
2. Victoria departure
3. Vancouver check-in
4. Vancouver departure
5. Los Angeles customs
6. Los Angeles baggage check
7. Los Angeles check-in
8. Los Angeles departure
9. Auckland customs
And then repeated on the return trip. Of all these, the most strict by far were Vancouver security
clearances. Los Angeles was relatively relaxed by comparison.
Despite all the hype concerning security, frequently repeated announcements and posted
notices concerning panhandlers in the Los Angeles airport, panhandlers/begging and requests
for 'donations' were a frequent hassle in the Los Angeles terminal.
Note that we used 'code share' flights which can have some advantages should anything go
awry (e.g. flight timing) on any leg of the trip. It is recommended to confirm return flight
numbers and timing at least 48 hours in advance of your anticipated return. While we were
traveling, the timing of our return flights had been altered by the airlines to depart two
hours earlier than indicated on our tickets which would likely have caused us to miss our
return flight had we waited until departure day to confirm.
Bus and Train Travel
There some good train trips available and a couple of great ones. The South Island
TranzAlpine between Christchurch and Greymouth was highly recommended to us by other
travelers. Due to timing and costs, we did not travel by bus or train.
New Zealand has good intercity bus transit on main routes and a variety of backpacker and
"expedition" experience bus travel options. Although good travel value, we determined that
buses were somewhat restricted in choices of routes, stopovers and timing. For example, it
would be difficult to stop off at a village fair for an afternoon if the bus only goes by
once a day. However, we encountered the expedition-style bus groups mountain biking, trekking,
bird-watching, kayaking and camping in a number of off-the-beaten path locations.
"Kiwi Wilderness Expeditions" was one bus group that we encountered. They were camping at
Okarito, definitely off the beaten track.
Intercity Coach Lines - regular service and routes to all major cities, towns and tourist
destinations
Kiwi Experience - backpacker party hearty crowd, focuses on connections to all adventure
activities
Northland Express - Rotorua, Coromandel, Auckland and north
Cook Strait Ferries
Welcome to deregulated ferry transit. Crossing Cook Strait by ferry is expensive and nearly
always requires advance reservation if taking a vehicle. If you are using a rental, it is
worth using a company that offers transfer to a different car on the other island, to avoid
ferry costs. Another way to minimize ferry costs is to arrive in New Zealand at Christchurch
and leave from Auckland, or vice versa. Two ferries are available from the Interisland Line,
the older Interislander and the newer, faster Lynx (fast cat). The Lynx is more expensive.
Reduced rates are available on both for a few spaces by advance booking, but taking a
vehicle is still very expensive compared to Pacific northwest ferries in Canada and USA.
Apparently, there is also a more discounted fare available on a competing freight line,
but it is not well publicized - bookings through some of the hostels.
Car Purchase/Car Rental
Car, van, campervan rentals in New Zealand are costly. "Rent-a-Wreck" low cost facilities
abound, but bargains are limited, especially during busy parts of tourist season. Rental cars
are generally restricted by contract to paved roads and can identify you as a tourist to less
desirable in marginal areas. Hostel notice boards can be a source of many cheap, old beater
category backpacker cars, vans and camping equipment. "Buy-Back" arrangements can be made
with a number of used car dealers in larger cities. Buy-back deals are not restricted to
those dealers that advertise them; a large number of dealers are willing to negotiate one.
Once you have purchased the car, it is yours in all respects, selling it back to the original
dealer is a fail-safe option if you decide to pursue it, or you may sell it at any time for
any other amount to anyone you wish.
Car purchase and sales in New Zealand is really caveat emptor, but very easy. We are not
mechanics and did not want to contend with potential problems of possible failure of a
backpacker's bargain "beater". We did encounter a number of horror stories of spoiled trips
during our travels, but also met many happy satisfied backpacker car buyers. After shopping
(unsuccessfully) at massive "car fairs" and an auction, we negotiated a buy-back. We bought
a 1991 Nissan Bluebird (luxury model, 117000 km) in good condition for $5000 with a
guaranteed buy back of $3000 at the end of three months if the car was returned in similar
condition with no damage beyond normal wear and tear. Instead of returning it to the dealer,
we sold it in 15 minutes at a "car fair" a couple of days before we left, for $3650 cash.
Minimum comparable rental costs would have been more than double that cost. We met a
surprising number of folks doing the same thing with camper vans and larger RV's. If you are
going to be in the country for more than about one month, purchase or buy-back may be the
better cost alternative.
Public liability and property damage insurance is not mandatory in New Zealand. There are
many uninsured drivers on the roads. Consider purchasing your own insurance. The minimum term
offered by NZAA was for 6 months. If you have a safe driving discount at home, bring a
certificate of your driving record with you to use when applying for insurance in New
Zealand; it can make a difference.
New Zealand Automobile Association
If you are a member of an Automobile Association (e.g. CAA, AAA) you may be able to obtain a
free temporary membership in the NZAA. Do this! The NZAA has a more prominent presence to the
motoring public in New Zealand than similar organizations do in Canada or the USA. They have
a large affiliation of reputable repair and travel contacts that can provide a dependable
consultation on any problems that you encounter - from $95 pre-purchase inspection services
to usual road services, travel advice and insurances. Retail value of a set of detailed
District Maps to cover a nation-wide tour is about $60 or free to members. We found their
offices a considerable asset. The NZAA pre-purchase inspection service saved us from
finalizing the $2000 purchase of a car with more than $700 of hidden but critical engine
problems and helped us to negotiate the final price of a much better car.
Trip Planning
New Zealand is well equipped for computer access. Nearly all mainstream accommodation,
facilities and activities have a web site or email access. However, the individual operators
varied considerably as to the responses to queries or booking confirmations. To hold room
reservations, credit card information is routinely requested over lines which are NOT encoded
/encrypted. We used internet extensively to research and organize our trip before we arrived.
Handy mileage calculator web site for planning car travel:
distance website