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Ten New Zealand Travel Tips

5. Exploit Domestic Flights

Budget domestic airfares are a bargain.  

• Given how long it takes to drive anywhere here, plus petrol costing around three times US gas prices, it’s almost always worth flying at least some of the longer junkets. For example, flying from Nelson to Wellington costs just about the same as the bus+ferry but takes about 4 hours less time.
• Outside of peak season, you can often find availability on short notice since most routes have at least some competition with Air New Zealand. Still, try to plan ahead a little.

6. Investigate Your Bus Passes

The easy-on-easy-off bus tickets cater to very specific audiences.

• The Flexipass and Travelpass packages for standard coach lines are very different from the many self-guided tour bus company tickets such as Magic Bus or KiwiExperience.   
• Research very carefully to avoid spending your vacation in a rolling frat party when you were just expecting an easy way to get to all of the remote wilderness areas. Get first hand reviews to ensure you get what you want.

7. Respect the Weather

NZ is over a thousand miles top to bottom, but it’s narrow enough that you are almost always in fast-changing maritime conditions.

• Parts of the north island are variously famous for wind or rain or sun, or combinations thereof. Make sure you have contingency plans for any excursion.
• The south island is closer to Antarctica than to the equator and thus cooler than the postcard-perfect beaches appear. The summer weather is fine for active outdoor adventures, just don’t plan on lots of sunbathing.

8. Adapt to the Wildlife

It’s a bird-lover’s paradise.

• Most native wildlife is winged, so those who assume all jungles and forests should team with monkeys and snakes and bears and frogs can end up slightly disappointed.
• Beyond kiwi birds and penguins, some fun native birds you will likely see include:

9. Reconsider the Environment

Green is in the eye of the beholder.

• NZ tourism with its “100% Pure” slogan has exploited an eco-conscious reputation, not always wholly truthfully. Expect to see clear-cutting along the roadways, minimal public transportation, un-insulated lodging, gleeful destruction of non-native plants and animals, and some very eco-suspect wilderness tourism.
• Kiwis do try to save electricity, though, so don’t be too surprised to find the stove switched off at the wall or indoor temperatures on a cool day suitable for an ice rink.

10. Practice Proper Etiquette

Take your shoes off and chat awhile.

• This might be considered a western nation, but Kiwis don’t wear shoes in the house. If you see shoes by the door, plan to remove yours or at least ask if it’s okay to keep them on.
• There’s just enough Pacific Islands to the culture that allowing some time for social chatting in a business transaction can open amazing opportunities. By contrast, rushing and being blunt might even be punished.

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This article was written on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 and is filed under Destination. For more articles about: New Zealand (10), Travel (8)

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