Getting around New Zealand

By air

Departure Fee Before leaving New Zealand any passenger over the age of 12 on any flight is required to pay NZ$22 – NZ$25 at the airport. This fee can be paid by credit card. Domestic flights in New Zealand are quite reasonably priced, and are often cheaper than driving or taking the train, especially if crossing between the North and South Islands is required. Most airlines operate an electronic ticket system. You can book on-line via the Internet (cheapest), or by telephone or through a travel agent (more expensive). Pay using a credit card and just turn up on the day (with the card and photographic ID to prove who you are) and fly. However, you should also bring a copy of your itinerary to serve as proof of your planned departure for the purposes of securing a travel visa. Check-in times are usually 30 minutes prior to flight departure. Cabin baggage and personal scanning are routinely conducted for services from the major airports that have jet landings.

• Air New Zealand, [2]. Has the most extensive domestic network, serving most cities over 20,000 people, with jet services between main centres and smaller aircraft elsewhere. Free baggage allowance is 20 kg, with 5 kg carry-on.
• Qantas, [3]. Operated by Jetconnect and flies on the main trunk and principal tourist routes (Auckland–Rotorua–Wellington–Christchurch–Queenstown)
• Freedom Air, [4]. No longer offer NZ domestic services, operating international flights to Australia and Fiji only.
• Pacific Blue, [www.flypacificblue.co.nz]. Have recently launched in New Zealand, offering a few internal routes but perhaps more importantly breaking the duopoly and driving down prices through competition.
• For a list of airlines and telephone numbers see New Zealand Airport Information

Only Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington airports have timetabled public transport in the form of buses. Regional airports generally have only on-demand shuttle services and taxis.

By land

If you're interested in your carbon footprint, the transport you choose while you move around and explore New Zealand will be of interest to you. Landcare Research, [5], New Zealand's foremost environmental research organisation, has conducted independent research into carbon footprints and found that using modern coach transport will create up to a 90% lower carbon footprint than driving yourself in a modern 2.0 litre motor vehicle. (Note: This is unlikely to apply to older coaches.) Of course, using a bicycle is even better! Bike You can bring your own bike, as well as hire a bike in some of the larger cities. You must wear a helmet while riding, otherwise you may be fined. When hiring a bike you should be supplied with a helmet. Also remember to ride on the left. Riding bikes in New Zealand can be fun, but be aware of (tourist) buses and trucks on main highways as overtaking distances can be slim. You should also be prepared for the large distances between towns and cities and the generally windy weather. While some areas of New Zealand are flat, most tourists cycling in New Zealand will find that they need to be able to cope with long periods of cycling up hills, especially in the Coromandel. Being a temperate coastal climate, the weather is changeable and it is recommended that cyclists have all options covered. It is often said that in New Zealand you can get four seasons in one day, particularly in the high country (or Middle Earth as it is known to those who are familiar with the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies). Due to ozone depletion above NZ and Australia, burn times in the summer are often shorter relative to elsewhere in the world, and a factor 15 or greater sunscreen is essential to avoid the discomfort (and danger) of sunburn. Flying with your bike can be expensive and problematic with limiting weight restrictions and many cyclist choose to get a bike on their arrival to New Zealand. This offers the additional benefit of not being stuck with a bike when you take on other activities, such as walking, and saves the tricky job of repacking for flights. Christchurch has the largest number of guided and self-guided tour operators and there are a number of bike rental companies based there also. Bus Buses are a relatively cheap and environmentally friendly way to get around New Zealand. Most roads in New Zealand are quite narrow and winding, and travelling a long distance in a bus can be a safe and relaxing way to travel.

• InterCity Coachlines, [6]. New Zealand’s national coach company, with services connecting over 600 destinations nationwide. InterCity Group has voluntarily adopted European Emission standards across it's fleet of modern coaches to operate InterCity Coachlines, Newmans Coach Lines and also operates a modern fleet of vessels and coaches to operate Kings Dolphin Cruises & Eco Tours in the Bay of Islands . In May 2007 InterCity Group singed up to Landcare Research's carboNZero programme which has a core focus on working to reduce harmful emissions at source. They have used a range of activities to reduce their carbon emissions by up to 50% over the 5 years.

• Newmans Coaches, [7]. This sister company of Intercity Coach provides tourist point-to-point travel and daily sightseeing tours to all major tourist destinations in both North and South Islands including the Bay of Islands, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Mt Cook, Milford Sound and the West coast Glaciers of Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

• Flexi-Pass - InterCity/Newmans also offer New Zealand’s most versatile transport, Flexi-Pass. Flexi-Pass is sold in blocks of time, just like a prepaid phone card, and enables the holder to travel anywhere on the company’s vast networks. Passes start at 15hrs, which is enough to travel from Auckland to Wellington in the North Island. Flexi-Pass hours can also be used to travel on the Interislander ferry and on Kings Dolphin Cruises & Eco Tours to Cape Brett and the famous "Hole in the Rock". BUT: The flexipass is not as flexible as they make you believe. You can make your bookings online, but neither change or cancel them online and there is no free phone number to call. The lowest flexipass tariff is about the same as the regular discounted individual tickets from Intercity/Newmans. It is difficult to establish how many hours you need or what you have already used and unused hours are forfeited.

• In the South Island there are a number of small bus companies like Atomic Shuttles who operate a no-frills shuttle service.

• Backpacker buses - "KiwiExperience Backpacker Bus"[8], Stray Travel Bus[9] and "The Magic Bus" [10] offer bus trips around New Zealand where you can get on and off as you please.

• Naked Bus [11], Phone 0900 62533, is a low frills bus service, providing basic point-to-point services. It started its operations in October 2006. You may, if you’re very very lucky, be able to find $1 advance tickets on their website.

Campervan See also: Renting a motorhome in New Zealand Car See also: Driving in New Zealand Driving around both the main islands by car is generally not a problem. You can reach almost anywhere you might need to in a two-wheel-drive car or even a small camper van. You do not need four-wheel drive to reach the best places. The volume of traffic is normally low and drivers are usually fairly courteous. Within the cities, traffic density is higher and some confusion may set in, given that many drivers are used to the open roads. Car rental firms range from the familiar multi-national big brands through to small local car rental firms. The advantage of the big name rental firms is they can be found throughout New Zealand and offer the biggest and newest range of rental vehicles. The disadvantage is that generally they are the most expensive. Occasionally rental firms offer free rental in the direction from south to north due to the majority of tourists travelling in the opposite direction, creating a deficit of cars in the north. At the other end of the scale are the small local operators who typically have older rental cars. Whilst you may not end up driving this year's latest model the advantage is that the smaller car rental firms can be substantially cheaper, so leaving you more money to spend on the many exciting attractions New Zealand offers. Between these extremes you will find a wide range of NZ car rental firms catering to different needs and budgets. If you want to have a low cost holiday greater than about 2 weeks in New Zealand, and you would prefer to have your own transport then the best solution is to buy your own car/van. Upon arriving in the country, you would purchase a low cost vehicle which you sell just before leaving. Note that if you use this method travel across Cook Straight can be expensive, if you are going super-low budget (purchasing a car for say NZ$500 or less) it would be wiser to buy and sell a car in each island separately. In addition to the usual ways to look for a car (newspapers, accommodation noticeboards etc) New Zealand's biggest online auction website Trademe[12] has many listings. The following things need to be checked in order to safely purchase a vehicle in New Zealand:

• there is no debt on the vehicle. In NZ, if a loan of money is used to purchase a vehicle, then the debt is associated with that vehicle even if it is sold, in which case the new owner then has the problem of the debt. Selling a vehicle with debt associated with it in NZ is illegal. Checking for debt is an easy process as a central register is kept.

• the vehicle has not been stolen. Contact the police with the registration plate and VIN (vehicle identification number).

• legally, the vehicle must have a Warrant of Fitness valid for at least 30 days (unless advertised "as is, where is"). The expiry date will be written on the inside of the car window sticker.

• the Registration expiration date is not in the past. This label is usually on the left side of the car window.

• the vehicle needs a physical check for faults, there are companies in main centres that provide this service.

Car insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand but at least third party insurance is recommended. Diesel vehicles have additional requirements, as diesel is significantly cheaper than petrol but there are additional charges based on distance travelled. When you sell a vehicle it is very important to go to a Postshop outlet to record the transfer otherwise any subsequent speeding fines, parking tickets etc will be recorded in your name. Self drive holidays are a great way to travel around New Zealand as they offer independence, flexibility and opportunities to interact with the locals. A number of companies offer inclusive self drive holidays with rental car & accommodation, pre-set itineraries or customised to suit your interests. Motorcycle New Zealand is the motorbike rider's dream country! Motorcycle rentals of many makes are available throughout New Zealand. Thumb Hitchhiking around New Zealand is generally possible on most inter-city and major rural roads. It is illegal to hitchhike on motorways and illegal for motorists to stop there to pick you up. Try to get out of the middle of town, especially where public transport operates. Wear your pack and look like you're touring the country rather than just being a local looking for a lift. You have as much chance of being picked up by another tourist as a local, particularly in tourist areas. Alternatives for travellers include organising shared rides through hostels, or using an online ridesharing resource like Hitch New Zealand.

By rail

Both Auckland and Wellington have commuter rail services. These services are operated by Veolia in Auckland and Tranz Metro in Greater Wellington. Inter-city rail passenger services are operated by Tranz Scenic, but have become increasingly limited due to the dysfunctional services, and the focus is now on popular tourist trains. However the remaining train services pass through spectacular scenery and have a running commentary, panoramic windows and an open-air viewing carrige.

• The Overlander - between Auckland and Wellington, departing each city in the morning, daily in summer, Friday-Sunday the rest of the year has been retained in the mean time but could be cancelled in the near future.
• The Capital Connection - Commuter service leaves from Palmerston North to Wellington in the morning, returning in the evening.
• The TranzCoastal - from Christchurch to Picton (via Kaikoura) and return daily. Travels along the rugged north-east coast of the South Island. Meets the Picton-Wellington ferry.
• The TranzAlpine - from Christchurch to Greymouth and return daily. Classed as one of the world's great train journeys, this trip crosses the South Island, passing through spectacular mountain scenery, some of which is inaccessible by road, as well as the 12 km Otira tunnel. Many visitors disembark at Arthur's Pass National Park and spend four hours exploring the mountains before catching the return train.

Trains run at low speed, sometimes dropping to 50 km/h in the summer due to the narrow gauge and lack of track maintenance following privatisation in the 1980s. Most New Zealanders prefer to drive or fly, as train fares are comparatively expensive. Trains are more suited to tourists as they are more scenic and more comfortable than other forms of travel.

By water

To get your car between the North and South Islands you will need to take a ferry across Cook Strait. There are several sailings daily between Wellington and Picton. But be prepared for a delay or a change in sailings if the weather is stormy. Harbour ferries, for commuters, operate in Auckland and Wellington. A number of communities are served by boat, rather than road, while charter boats are available for expeditions in several places. There are regular sightseeing cruises in several tourist destinations, particularly in the Southern Lakes and Fiordland area. For thrills, there is the New Zealand-designed jet boat. You can even travel on the very rivers that inspired this craft.