New Zealand does not have a penny coin, therefore all purchases are rounded to the nearest 5 cents for cash purchases. 1, 2 and 6, 7 are rounded down. 3, 4 and 8, 9 are rounded up, E.G. $9.98 becomes 10.00, $9.96 becomes $9.95. Charge cards and EFTPOS amounts are exact. EFTPOS is Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale which is the same as a debit card in North America (Our Canadian bank debit card does not work for purchase debits but does work for ATM cash withdrawals). We opened an account with a New Zealand bank and used EFTPOS (pronounced ef paws) to pay for almost all purchases. Additional cash withdrawals can be made when paying by EFTPOS as well. Please note that some banks will not open accounts for tourists!
Walking
(backpacking)- you can walk everywhere, either along the roads, or along tracks criss
crossing the islands. Hitchhiking is allowed.
Bicycle - we passed many cyclists, and met some at campgrounds, along the way.
Car - may be rented or purchased. Most cruisers buy cars.
Campervan/caravan - may be rented or purchased, are more expensive
than cars.
Bus and Train - limited service and busy in the summer. Requires careful planning
and scheduling.
Plane - if you have the money, and don't want to see the countryside up close.
Used cars are easy to buy, relatively inexpensive, and in most cases reliable. Prices can range anywhere from NZ$1000 for a 15 year old car and up. Cars may be purchased at auction, from a private owner or from a car lot. Cars are sold with at least 5 month WOF (Warranty of Service) certificate, which means the car has been certified roadworthy (Cars must be WOF inspected every 6 months). Car license plates come with the car. There is no compulsory insurance in New Zealand so you can drive the car off the lot as soon as you have paid for it. Car insurance is not expensive. A Canadian drivers license can be used for up to 6 months.
Gas (Petrol) is expensive at NZ$1.08 for regular unleaded.
Tourist accommodation ranges from tent and campervan sites at NZ8.00 to NZ$11.00 per person per night, NZ$35.00 to NZ$40.00 for a small cabin double occupancy at Holiday Camps where there are communal kitchen and toilet facilities. Motels range around NZ$50.00 to NZ$75.00 for a couple and hotels start at NZ$85.00. There are also Homestays, Farmstays, and Bed and Breakfast accomodation. Lots of choices tro suit every budget.
NZ is left hand drive like England and Japan. The open road speed limit through out NZ is 100Km. Speed limits range from 70Km or 80Km in built up areas to 50Km in cities, towns and villages. Work zone speeds are posted 30Km.
40% of the roads in NZ are single lane with narrow shoulders, 30% of the roads are single lane with NO shoulders, 29% of the roads are unsealed (unpaved gravel) and 1% are multilane highways!
In South Island most of the bridges are single lane. That's right, 1 lane used in both directions. There are signs at the bridge approaches that let you know if you have the right of way or if you must stop and yield.
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| NZ version of a suspension bridge, single lane. The give way sign shows that on coming traffic has the right of way. | On the Westcoast of South Island we came upon a single lane bridge shared with railway tracks. Driving is a lot of fun in NZ. Surprises at every turn! |
In North America it is common to have steel barriers where the side of the road drops off. Not in NZ. Most roads have no safety barriers, or if they do, the barriers are wooden and are too light to stop a car. Many roads through mountainous areas resemble the narrowest parts of the Sea to Sky highway just north of Horseshoe Bay in B.C. with no barriers and a speed limit of 100Km.
The only stretches of 4 lane highways are highway 1 from about 40 Kms north of Auckland to about 100 Kms south, highways 1, 2, and 3 from about 25 Kms out of Wellington, and a 5 Km stretch of highway 6 just north of Christchurch. There are passing lanes, or slow vehicle laybys, on highways if there is sufficient space. Traffic is normally light. We drove through parts of NZ without meeting other cars in either direction for long periods of time. However Kiwis complain about traffic jams in the main cities just as we do back home.
Except for large towns, there are few stop signs and traffic lights. Like England, traffic flow at intersections is controlled by roundabouts. Traffic approaching a roundabout gives way to traffic on the right. There is a very peculiar give way law where a car making a left hand turn gives way to a car making a right hand turn at the same intersection. For instance if you want to make a left hand turn into a road or even parking lot and there is a car in the approaching lane wanting to make a right hand turn, you must give way. Confuses Kiwis as well.