New Zealand was a bucket list trip for us. We didn’t have much of a plan going into it, just the first and last day and a rental car, but that’s how we travel – fly by the seat of our pants. Nonetheless, here are a few pieces of advice that we wanted to share with you about our trip.
- DO – Rent a Jucy van.
- Start your road trip in the South Island (Queenstown is a great place to begin, with the best lamb burger and mountain ski town vibe) and rent one of these colorful vans. They need people to drive them back up to the North Island and will let you rent it for dirt cheap. An insiders tip we wish we knew.
- DO – See Milford Sound.
- The 8th Wonder of the World. Huge mountains plummeting into the Sound, vast waterfalls, ferry boats moving slowly in and out of the area, low lying clouds. Truly breathtaking. We’ve never seen anything like it. Not a bad place to get engaged either.
- DO – Eat at the top of the Auckland sky tower, preferably after you jump off of it.
- Yes, you can jump off the 630 ft. tower at 53 mph for a mere $225. But Orbit 360 at the top offers the best 360 view (the restaurant rotates!) and a delish menu of local fare. A bit on the pricey end, but you won’t be disappointed. If you’re going to splurge, this is the place to do it.
- DO – Go for a hike at Abel Tasman National Park.
- Or take a boat ride, or kayak, or camp, or all of the above – an adventurers paradise. This National Park has some awesome trails and amazing scenery, including a sand wall, some awesome waterfalls, Harwoods Hole – the deepest vertical shaft in NZ. Not to mention our personal favorite, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle rock naturally made by the waves of the ocean. TURTLE POWER!
- DO – Know that if you get sick in Westport and have to separate from your group, there will be a nice gentleman with a prop plane that will fly you to Wellington for a price.
- There are no rental cars, no trains, no buses. It’s a small fishing town, no fuss, no muss, but the people are nice (like everywhere in NZ) and are willing to fly you to Wellington to meet up with your crew for a small fee. If you want more details on this story, find our friend Dan.
- DON’T – Rely on WiFi or your smart phone.
- You typically have to pay for the WiFi per GB. It is a good idea to purchase the international plan for your phone. You’ll be happy you paid the extra monthly fee. Also, don’t forget your international outlet adapter. NZ is amazing, but it is behind in technological advances.
- DON’T – Run over a giant shard of metal in the middle of the road – it will pop your tire.
- In the South Island the towns are few and far between, AAA doesn’t exist, and you’ll have to hitch a ride from a passerby to the nearest tire shop. Also it is important to note that a passerby could take anywhere from 10-60 minutes and could consist of an old 1950’s pickup truck with a bed full of sheep carcasses.
- DON’T – Underestimate the wave meter on the ferry between Picton and Wellington.
- The ferry will have a wave meter that tells you how calm (or not) the water is. It reminds us of Smokey the Bear and the fire danger signs – only you can prevent 6 foot waves. Our ferry ride started off at a 1 rating or “calm water”. Once we got out into the middle of the sound it felt like what we imagine riding a bull to be like. The bartender nonchalantly will state “I don’t think they got the wave rating correct today. I would give this a 3”. A 3 out of 3? Nope, a 3 out of 5. We wonder what a 5 would be like. A hurricane perhaps?
- DON’T – Forget your camera.
- If you have a professional one, bring it. You’ll be happy you did. If you have your smart phone camera, bring it. You’ll be happy you did. Really anything you have to capture the beauty of the country, bring it. You’ll be happy you did.
- DON’T – Spend any less than a month there.
- There is so much to do and see and experience. We crammed it in 10 days, which was definitely not long enough. Take your time and really enjoy what this amazing country has to offer. We can’t wait to go back!
Enjoy the Ride,
Justin & Lindsay
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