For those of us in North America, New Zealand is very far
from home. Traveling to such a far
corner is quite a challenge, but well worth-while. It might be a nice addition to your Australia
vacation as well, since flights between Melbourne or Sydney and Auckland or
Christchurch are relatively inexpensive.
New Zealand is an outdoors person’s paradise, with no real predators, no
poisonous snakes, and many miles of unpopulated roads and trails. For the sake of comparison, New Zealand’s
population is roughly 4.5 million, with (roughly) 1.4 million in Auckland, 400k
in Wellington, 381k in Christchurch, 224k in Hamilton, and the other half
spread out over the remainder of the 103,483 square mile country. This means you will have a lot of space to yourself (as long as you don't travel in a peak time, such as Chinese New Year). As with any destination, New Zealand will be worthy of many posts, so this is just a primer. Let's talk about the basics.
Getting to New Zealand from the states will usually require connecting somewhere. From the West Coast, it is much easier, as there are seasonal direct flights from California. From the east, you will have to connect. I would recommend doing a stop in LA and maybe Fiji. The first couple of days of jet-lag can be very brutal on the opposite side of the world, so a nice relaxing layover will definitely help with that.
Entry into New Zealand is probably the most strict biological screening I have ever experienced. The good news is, coming from the US, you will not need a visa to enter. However, any shoes worn outdoors in any other country must be free of dirt and subject to extra screening. The same goes for any camping or hiking gear. Because New Zealand is an island, they naturally would like to protect their environment. Failure to declare these items will result in an immediate fine, so please declare. As with any country, any raw food should be discarded before entry. Pre-packaged and sealed food is ok, but they may want to take a look at anything that contains honey (a key product in New Zealand). Again, declare everything.
Once through the airports, you are then faced with the difficult problem of transportation. You will see many, if not hundreds of hitch-hikers. I don't recommend this method of travel, however, if I felt safe anywhere in the world doing this, it would be here. A rental car or campervan is certainly a good option. You will find many companies, such as Jucy, Apollo, Maui, Escape, and Wicked throughout NZ. Rental cars are also readily available. If you plan to do both islands, the easiest way to handle this with a rental car is to rent and return on the north island, then do the same on the south island. Even if your favorite rental car company offers a one-way rental from the north island to the south, be aware that you may be in for a shock when you arrive in NZ and find that the US-based website may have offered you this rental, but you aren't allowed to take the car between islands. Some companies take care of this seemlessly by having you turn in one car at the ferry terminal in Wellington, then pick up another at the Picton location. However, this is a very expensive option, and do not count on the US reservations side making the appropriate arrangements. Also, be aware of the number one traffic hazard in New Zealand - other tourists!
One other piece of advice in this primer - to book or not to book in advance? Please book in advance. Peak season is the NZ summer (during North America's winter), and if you would like to stay in hotels or popular campgrounds, bookings are necessary. Otherwise, you will find yourself doing a lot of unnecessary driving. This is especially important in the more remote locations, such as Aoraki Mount Cook and Franz Josef Glacier, as accommodations are limited, and the nearest towns can be a long drive away.
Finally, the money. New Zealand is very accepting of credit cards, especially chip and pin. Be aware that most of your hotels and many restaurants will charge an additional fee for using credit cards (usually 1.5%), however, if you are using a card that has no international transaction fees, this fee will be cheaper than converting your US dollars to cash.
Stay tuned for many more posts on New Zealand and other destinations!
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