New Zealand: Travel Advice

Climate
New Zealand's seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere. This means that the warmest months are December, January and February, while the coldest are in June, July and August. Don't let cold months put you off - winters tend to be short in New Zealand, with signs of spring showing up well before winter is officially over.

Whilst the summer temperatures may not seem hot, it's deceiving, New Zealand has clean air with minimal pollution and the sun's rays are stronger. Frequent application of sunscreen is advised - sunburn times vary between 15-25 minutes in mid summer.

We recommend that you travel with some warm clothes and a raincoat in all seasons as our climate can live up to its reputation of "four seasons in one day". Warm clothes are an essential requirement when walking/tramping through native bush and National Parks.

Currency
The relatively low value of the NZ dollar makes NZ a very cost effective destination from most countries.

All major credit cards may be used for the purchase of goods and services, and travellers' cheques are accepted at hotels, banks and some stores.

Bank Hours
Bank hours are from 9.30am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Provided they are encoded with a PIN number, international credit cards may be used to withdraw cash from automatic teller machines (ATMs), widely available in the main shopping centres and suburban malls. Check with your bank before leaving home whether this facility is available for your card(s).

New Zealand's unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$), comprising coins with values of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, $1 and $2, and notes with values of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

Drinking & Eating
Water
New Zealand's drinking water is amongst the purest in the world and tap water is quite safe to drink anywhere in the country. For any water collected from streams, lakes or rivers we recommend that it is boiled before consumption to avoid any chance of contracting Giardia (a stomach infection).

Food
New Zealand offers a wonderful variety of cuisine's from many nations (especially in the larger towns and cities).The local food is based around quality and freshness with many ingredients sourced locally. We have gained an international reputation for our fresh, creative and innovative cuisine with prices being quite reasonable. The New Zealand Hotel and Restaurant trade is closely monitored by the NZ Government Health Department which maintains the quality and hygiene at a very high level.

Tipping
Is not expected and is an optional choice if you think it has been earned (between 5% and 10% would be the standard practice).

Health & Medical
If you have an accident which causes personal injury, the NZ Accident Compensation Scheme will cover you for some of your medical and hospital expenses (if required). Unfortunately, you will not be covered for loss of earnings, repatriation, loss of tickets etc. Neither will you be covered if you fall ill whilst here. We strongly recommend that comprehensive Travel Insurance be taken out prior to your departure for sickness, accidents, travel plan disruption etc.

If you do suffer a medical misadventure whilst in New Zealand contact the Accident Information Service who will advise on where and how to seek help by phoning Freephone 0800 263 345 (24 hour service) from anywhere in New Zealand.

If you take medication whilst on holiday, please be sure to bring enough for your entire stay plus a Doctor's certificate in case this needs to be seen by NZ Customs. To obtain many drugs from a Pharmacy, a Doctor's prescription is required. An appointment with a Doctor will cost approx. NZ$35 to NZ$50.

Transportation
Rental Cars
There are a large range of Rental Car companies from AVIS, BUDGET and HERTZ to local operators in all major towns. All International companies have depots at the Airports and smaller local firms can pick you up from the Airport. Rental Cars can also be delivered to your Accommodation or collected from their downtown offices. A variety of COACH companies provide a national network on a daily basis, most with regular departures every day, passes can be purchased for different lengths of stay and journeys can be broken as you wish.

CAMPERVANS are extremely popular, these are available in 2, 4 and 6 berth and are available at key cities around New Zealand but must be booked in advance in the peak summer months.

Air
Air NEW ZEALAND and QANTAS fly all the major domestic routes with Regional Airlines covering the smaller centres.

Rail
Operated by TRANZRAIL which provides morning and evening services on the main trunk line between Auckland and Wellington in the North Island and Picton and Christchurch in the South Island. You may leave the train at any station you wish and there are several branch lines available as well as the very popular East to West coast TRANZ SCENIC daily Rail journey from Christchurch to Hokitika in the South Island.

Taxis
Taxi fares range from around $1.40 to $1.80 per km, plus a pickup fee of $2. For example the cost to get a taxi from Auckland International Airport to the central city is about NZ$35.

Inter-island Ferry
Train and car carrying Roll-on, Roll- off and large Catamaran (twin hull) ferries transport you across Cook Strait (separates the North and South Islands) in approximately 3 hours.

Electricity
Electricity is supplied throughout New Zealand at 230/240 volts (50 hertz), although most hotels and motels provide 110 volt AC sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only.

For all other equipment, an adaptor / converter is necessary, unless the item has a multi-voltage option. Please note that power outlets only accept flat three or two-pin plugs, depending on whether an earth connection is fitted.

Safety
How safe is New Zealand?
By International standards, New Zealand is a relatively safe and friendly country in which to travel. However, like anywhere else, caution at night should be exercised and keeping to the well lit areas of towns and cities is a practical and common sense approach to take. If you wish to travel some distance at night, a taxi would be a good safe option.

Do not leave valuables unattended and, if travelling by car/campervan keep valuables out of sight when your vehicle is unattended.

Hitch Hiking
Hitch hiking in New Zealand is becoming less popular but compared to many countries, is still relatively safe. However, we would not recommend hitch hiking on your own.

Water Safety
New Zealand is surrounded by water and has many beautiful sandy beaches which make swimming and water sports a delight. This is especially true on the east coast which, in general, is more sheltered and safer for swimming (especially by keeping between the flags on beaches which are patrolled by qualified Surf Life saver patrols). The West coast is part of the Tasman Sea and this coastline is exposed to nature's elements. Strong currents and rips are a fact of life here so caution when swimming or surfing (which is usually very good on this coast) is required.

New Zealand Wildlife
Almost all of our sea life, animals, birds and insects are unlikely to cause any harm. The only danger on land could be from a rarely seen insect called the 'Katipo' spider which has a poisonous bite and medical attention would be needed as soon as possible.

Bees and Wasps are found in New Zealand and their stings could cause a reaction if you are allergic to them. Mosquitoes and sand flies can be annoying in some parts of the country (mainly summer) but a good insect repellent will prevent them from causing too much discomfort.