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Backpacking New
Zealand (cont.)
Getting around New Zealand
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Trains in New Zealand
While train travel around New Zealand can be
a relaxing and extremely scenic activity, it is rather limited
when it comes to timetable frequency and destinations. It’s
also not that cheap. The rail network only really serves the main
cities, so trying to get anywhere off the beaten track just won’t
happen if you’re expecting to get there by rail –
and if you’re trying to get farther south than Christchurch
by rail then you might have some wait on your hands until someone
decides to reopen the service. If however you are just moving
between cities, then it’s worth checking out TranzScenic
for more information.
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Internal flights
Within the whole Australasian arena there has
been an explosion of cut-price airfare activity (mostly thanks
to a certain airline entering the scene) so the time to fly internally
within New Zealand has never been better from a cost perspective.
The main contenders internally at present in New Zealand are Origin
Pacific and Air
New Zealand. If you’re considering spending most of
your time in the South Island then flying down there is probably
the best option to consider – you can easily lose two or
three days just driving down there and it would probably work
out to be just as expensive.
If you are considering purchasing tickets for internal flights in
New Zealand it would be worth shopping around as the market is extremely
competitive and special deals are being advertised all the time.
Seats have a tendency however to get snapped up quickly particularly
over the summer months when many Kiwis are travelling themselves.
Rental cars and other personal vehicles
Taking a rental car to tour New Zealand can unlock many sights and
experiences that you would otherwise miss if you were forced to
stick with the main roads and networks. Dotted all over the country
are signposts that read ‘scenic lookout’. Many times
these signs will point up a dirt road and you’d have to travel
some distance to get to the lookout in question – but they
are invariably always worth the effort. |
The range of rental cars available are as varied as the budgets
required to rent them – ranging from the lower end ‘rent-a-wreck’
right up to spacious campervans designed solely to drag an entire
family around both islands. One option many backpackers take is
to purchase a ‘cheap ‘n’ nasty’ car at
any one of the many car fairs around Auckland (you can pick up
a car for anything from NZ$600 onward) and drive it until it dies.
Many of the backpacker hostels carry advertisements from other
backpackers who are selling vehicles that they have travelled
around the country in. It is worth checking those boards for a
good deal.
Driving in some parts of New Zealand is not for the faint of heart,
particularly in Auckland, and remember that New Zealanders drive
on the left. There have been sadly too many fatalities where tourists
have caused accidents by driving on the wrong side of the road.
Outside of the cities the roads are in generally good condition
but can be extremely narrow and winding and overtaking can be
hazardous. If you are driving a low powered or slow vehicle it
is considered a courtesy to pull over from time to time to let
following traffic past if you are holding them up. Generally speaking
though, driving in New Zealand is a pleasure and with just 25%
of the population living in the South Island, you can expect open,
traffic-free roads if you choose to drive down there.
One thing to bear in mind is that New Zealand
is made up of two distinct islands and there is a big stretch
of water (Cook Strait) in between. If you intend to drive around
both islands you will need to factor in the cost of the ferry
between the islands, and for a car this can be quite expensive
(particularly in summer). You can check out the ferry prices and
timetables, at the InterIslander
website, but one cheaper alternative is to send your car as
'freight' with Strait
Shipping. It might take a bit of juggling with timetables
and organisation, but you could save a few dollars for yourself.
At least one rental car company, Backpacker
Rentals offers free one-way ‘car-hire’ from Picton
(where the ferry arrives in the South Island) to Christchurch
(subject to conditions, of course), so this could be an option
for some people to explore.
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