Questions About Visiting New Zealand

Thanks for being curious about our lil’ country! It’s probably best you read our 10 Point Briefing and Introduction to New Zealand. You’ll get a taste for NZ and it’ll answer some of your foundational questions.

New Zealand has three official languages: English, Maori and Sign Language.

English is spoken everywhere. Maori is the language of our indigenous people, and you will see this has influenced a number of our town names, street names and in some cases company names. A few pointers on Maori – “wh” is pronounced “f”, and the vowels are pronounced the same as in Spanish / French / Italian.

We’re the first to see the sun each day!

In Summer months (beginning last Sunday in September), New Zealand time uses ‘Daylight Savings’, with clocks put forward one hour to GMT+13.

Daylight Savings ends on the first Sunday of April, and clocks are put back to GMT+12.

New Zealand is beautiful in different ways whatever time of the year or whichever season you visit. The best time to visit New Zealand is the time that suits you best. However, if you have more than one date in mind, or prefer warmth or skiing… the following information may help with your travel plans.

The warmest months of the year are September through to April. Ski season is late June to early October.

• Summer (December – February, daily temperatures 15-30 degrees Celsius) – the most popular time to visit.
• Autumn (March – May, daily temperatures 10-25 degrees Celsius) –
• Winter (June – August, daily temperatures 5-18 degrees Celsius) – ski season begins! Can get to -10 degrees in parts of the South Island.
• Spring (September – November, daily temperatures 10-20 degrees Celsius) – beautiful flowers and trees in bloom!

You can get weather forecasts and historical weather pattern information from the Metservice website.

It’s harsh. We have a hole in the Ozone layer above New Zealand, so it is very easy to get sunburnt (even when it’s cloudy!). As kiwi kids we learnt to “slip, slop, slap and wrap.” Ie. apply sunscreen and cover up.

• In Summer (December – February) shorts and t-shirt are perfect, with a warmer layer for cooler evenings.
• In Winter (Jun – August) you’ll want warm layers and a rainjacket. Hat, gloves, and scarf are essential in the South Island.

To see all the sights bring comfortable walking shoes, and also pack any gear for specific activities you have planned e.g. hiking, gym workouts.

Check out our Packing List for New Zealand.

Plugs are the same as in Australia – angled 2 or 3 flat-pin plugs.

Voltage (the electrical current) in New Zealand is 230/240 volts (50 hertz), with many hotels providing 110 volt AC sockets for electric razors.

If your adapter can handle the voltage, then you don’t also need a power converter. For example – Apple iPhone chargers take from 100-240 volts so don’t require a power converter.

It depends what you like, your budget, and how much time you have.

1 week or less – Fly into Auckland, check out the city and do a day-trip to Waiheke. Fly down south for a few days around Queenstown, and head for a cruise in Milford Sound before flying out again. There’s actually so many more great places. Come for at least 3 weeks if you can!
2 weeks or more – Check out our Suggested Itineraries page for all kinds of different trip suggestions!

The busiest season for tourism in New Zealand is during the southern hemisphere Summer period which runs from December through until the end of February.

The main cities usually have vacancy during the busy season. However in the popular holiday tourist towns (Nelson, Wanaka, Rotorua, Taupo, Hanmer Springs, Mount Maunganui and Queenstown) accommodation can be difficult to find unless booked well in advance.

Other busy times of the year include the long Easter holiday weekend and during the other three School holiday periods which fall in the middle of April, mid-July and late September/Early October. For more information about School holiday dates, see the Ministry of Education website.

During the ski-season (which runs from Early July until late September), accommodation should be booked well in advance in the winter resort towns of Queenstown, Wanaka, Methven, Ohakune and Taupo.

We’re 4,000km away from anywhere else, so flying is best!

Many airlines fly into New Zealand including Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Korean Airlines, Thai Airways, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Malaysia Airlines and more.

The largest and busiest airport in New Zealand is Auckland Airport.

Other International airports include Christchurch Airport, Wellington Airport, Dunedin Airport and Queenstown Airport.

It depends how long you have, and how you prefer to travel. We love nature and the flexibility of getting to remote locations that make up New Zealand, and so would recommend having a rental car or campervan for at least part of your trip.

Having said that, you can still have a great time seeing New Zealand on an organized Bus Tour or bus-ing and training yourself around.

In general, you can drive in New Zealand if you hold a current (valid) driver licence from another country or an international driving permit.

If your licence is in a language other than English, an accurate translation is required. Your overseas or International Driver Licence is valid in New Zealand for up to 12 months.

For information about driving in New Zealand, click here.

If you are a citizen of a country that has a visa waiver agreement with New Zealand, you do not need to apply for a visitor visa (if your visit is for three months or less).

For more information about visitor visa requirements including which countries are on visa-waiver list, see the Immigration NZ website.

New Zealand has incredible options for walks and hikes, ranging from 10 minutes to 365 days (walking the length of New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail!).

DoC (the Department of Conservation) maintain all the parks and tracks and have a handy dandy walking and tramping search tool so you can find the options near you.

Tracks less than 1 day in duration are exceptionally well marked.

New Zealand has great coffee-making talent. Every café and even in many petrol stations (Z Espress or BP’s Wild Bean Café) you’ll get great espresso machine coffee.

Every town that is a popular tourist destination will have “I-Sites” which are information centres specifically to help visitors.

The I-Sites have maps, advice and local knowledge of their area.

If you’re planning to hike or walk, they also have the best up-to-date information on weather and safety. (DOC offices also provide weather and safety info for national parks.)

The drinking age in New Zealand is 18, and ID is required to purchase alcohol, or cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Smoking is prohibited by law inside public places – malls, restaurants, workplaces, etc. Smoking outside is permitted, and in some areas there will be specific smoking areas.

The New Zealand Dollar ($NZD).

We use:
Notes (5 total) – 5 dollar, 10 dollar, 20 dollar, 50 dollar, 100 dollar
Coins (5 total) – 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, 1 dollar, 2 dollar

For current exchange rates, use this currency converter or download the free XE app.

There are hundreds of ATM machines throughout New Zealand to withdraw cash and you can also use your credit/debit card to purchase items directly in most shops, restaurant, and accommodation.

Bringing loads of cash with you is not necessary, up to $600 is likely enough to get you into your first city and give you a day or two to get your bearings.

Travel costs will obviously vary depending on your style of travel. Seeing New Zealand with a pack on your back will cost you upwards of NZ$140+ per day (excluding sightseeing expenses). 4 star Accommodation ranges from NZ$180 – $350+ per room per night depending on the time of year. Luxury Hotels & Lodges cost anywhere from $300 – $2000+ per night.

ATM (cash machine) withdrawal limits will be between $1,000-$2,000 per withdrawal.

ATMs most commonly give $20 notes, and conversion fees are mostly around the 2.5% mark.

Tip: If your card has your name on it, use ATMs attached to a bank branch where possible. If your card doesn’t come back out for any reason you have a higher chance of getting your card back by talking to the branch staff (if they manage that ATM).

The biggest banks with the cheapest fees are ANZ, BNZ, KiwiBank, Westpac, ASB, and TSB.

Most people pay by card (debit or credit) for everything in New Zealand, but cash is absolutely fine too. Some market stalls and parking machines in smaller towns may require cash.

Tipping is not required or expected in New Zealand. Most places will have a tip jar at the counter, which you can put some coins into if you’ve enjoyed your experience, but do not feel at all obliged.

All waiters and waitresses are paid at least minimum wage.

Here’s where each supermarket fits in:

• Pak’n’save – Cheapest, decent range
• Countdown / FreshChoice / Woolworths – Mid-range prices, decent range
• New World – Slightly more expensive, more range (especially international ingredients)
• Four Squares – These are our corner stores, often found where there are no supermarkets. Most expensive, but sometimes you just really need something. Limited range.

Wifi is free in most cafes and accommodation providers in New Zealand.

Free (slow) internet is available in the big city centres, like Auckland (@AucklandWifi @Tomizone) and Wellington (@cbdfree).
You can also find free wifi in, public libraries, I-Site Centres, museums (ie. Te Papa in Wellington) and train stations (Britomart in Auckland).

SIM Card – If you want internet away from Wifi, we recommend getting a SIM card from Skinny.
You can grab a Travel Sim (14-day or 60-day pack), or check out the monthly plans which may suit better.

You do have other options… the main phone/internet providers are Spark, Vodafone and 2 Degrees. Skinny is a cheaper version on the Spark network. All providers offer plans from $16 upwards, depending on how much data you want.

You can buy a SIM card at most petrol stations/ convenience stores.

Note: Parts of New Zealand that you may travel to are very isolated, which means the connection (wifi or data) can be limited in these areas.

Almost always, yes. New Zealand tapwater is safe to drink in almost all circumstances.

Because it’s normal to drink water from the tap, if there’s a tap you shouldn’t drink from then you can expect clear warning signage e.g. on farms or in DoC back-country huts they may advise you to boil water before drinking it.

While cleanliness levels can vary, every town in NZ has free public toilets. When you enter a town, you should see the toilet icons (male/female) on a blue and white sign pointing towards the toilets.

In cities the public toilets can be harder to find, but there are always toilets at public libraries and cafes.

Most hostels should have a DIY laundry service (access to machines), costing $2-4 per wash and another $2-4 for the dryer. It’s very common in New Zealand to not use a dryer, and instead hang out your clothes to dry.

If you’re traveling by campervan, Holiday Parks and camping grounds will have laundry and shower services, plus usually some kind of kitchen / BBQ, a TV room and internet access.

NZ Roads – First things first, we drive on the LEFT hand side of the road 🙂

All roads outside main cities are two lanes. In the country, there are one-lane bridges (with signage and lines showing which direction has right of way, and who has to give way).

NZ roads can be windy, and you can’t always stay at the speed limit on sharp corners or in bad weather. Drive to the conditions! It can be very different for people used to motorways and highways. Take it slow, and use the passing lanes to overtake.

If your vehicle is slow and you can see traffic building up behind you, then it’s good practice to pull over every now and then to let the queue pass you. If you don’t, people behind will get really pissed off at you.

Download the Campermate app to help you find places to stay. You can also look up:
Holiday Parks
Top 10 Holiday Parks (don’t worry, there are more than 10!).
Kiwi Holiday Parks
DOC Campgrounds (there are less amenities at DOC campgrounds, but they are often in much more beautiful locations and more isolated).

Campermate is a pretty sweet travel app that includes: petrol stations, free and paid campsites, public toilets, refuse dump stations, supermarkets, free wifi, information centres as well as nearby discounts.

Official Camping NZ App has offline maps to find camping locations.

It’s a similar cost to fly or take the ferry, but the decision is whether to have a shorter/easier trip and fly, or a longer/more scenic trip and take the ferry. The ride through Wellington Harbour, across the Cook Strait, and through the Marlborough Sounds is beautiful and worth doing to see the sights!

From Wellington heading to the South Island, it’s cheapest to fly to Christchurch, but Nelson is the best destination if you want to arrive in the top of the South Island.

From Nelson, the most convenient way north is to book a flight to Wellington.

Be aware that flight prices go up in the weeks leading up to your flight date, so book well in advance if you can.

You can make the 3.5 hour crossing from Wellington to Picton (or in reverse) with either the Interislander or Bluebridge. Both offer 4 trips a day.

Cafés and restaurants sell food onboard with the usual ‘on-a-boat’ price hike, so grab snacks from a supermarket beforehand.

If taking a car, you park in a queue and board when told. Once aboard there is no car access during the journey, so take snacks, sunglasses, and warm layers up on deck with you.

New Zealand has two main domestic carriers – Air New Zealand and Jetstar.

Air New Zealand are great, and Jetstar are the low-cost providers.

Having had our share of delays on Jetstar, we just go straight to booking an AirNZ flight from grabaseat.co.nz or airnewzealand.co.nz

The cheapest connection with Wellington is generally Christchurch, and the other major connections are to Nelson, Dunedin, or Queenstown.