Getting there & Getting around

Getting there

The overwhelming majority of visitors arrive by air. There are seven airports that handle international flights: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Queenstown and Wellington. A few cruise ships visit New Zealand, but there are no regular passenger ship services and working your way across the Pacific as crew on a yacht now seems a thing of the past.

Getting around

Although New Zealand is compact and generally easy to get around, it makes good sense to fly - especially for the views over the mountains or volcanoes. A variety of discounts also make flying economical.

Air New Zealand flies widely (including smaller routes via partly owned smaller airlines), and smaller regional airlines fill in the gaps. Altogether there's very thorough coverage of the country - kiwis can fly.

New Zealand also has an extensive bus network, with the main operator, InterCity (servicing both the North Island and South Island), and subsidiary Newmans, running frequent (at least once a day) services on main bus routes including a cheap fare on the main Auckland to Wellington route. An alternative is to use shuttle bus companies, which are smaller, cheaper and friendlier than the large bus companies. Some of them are designed to cater especially to foreign travellers and/or backpackers and have lots of little 'extras' that make them particularly attractive; other companies, perhaps drawing on the experiences of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, can take you around New Zealand on 'alternative' buses, which can be an unhurried way of seeing the country.

Train routes are few, though train travel is reasonably fast and the trains modern and comfortable. Tranz Scenic's Overlander route runs between Auckland and Wellington; on the South Island, it offers services from Picton to Christchurch and Christchurch to Greymouth (known as the TranzAlpine).

Car travel (New Zealanders drive on the left) is recommended as the roads are good and well signposted and the distances short. Rentals of cars, motorcycles and campervans are popular, with a range of special deals available.

There are plenty of boat services, including the Interislander and Bluebridge ferries (operating between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island).

And finally, there's always cycling around the country. Many travellers describe New Zealand as a cyclists' paradise: it's clean, green, uncrowded and unspoiled, and there are plenty of places where you can camp or find cheap accommodation. Bicycle rental can be daily, weekly or monthly and is inexpensive.

Visa information

Only a valid passport is necessary for citizens of most countries. All visitors to New Zealand must carry a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave the country.