Boasting an abundance of spectacular surroundings, New Zealand is the final word highway journey vacation spot! In truth, I believe it’s the easiest way to see and expertise this unbelievable nation. Why spend your time indoors if you could be outdoors having fun with probably the most stunning locations on the planet? To assist you #TravelWell and plan your excellent journey right here’s our information on learn how to put together for a New Zealand highway journey.
But first, watch this…
Decide on the size of your journey
The recommendation I’ll all the time give to anybody planning a visit to New Zealand is that this: go for so long as you possibly can. The size of your journey will rely in your price range, how a lot time you could have and plenty of different components. But, no matter you do, don’t rush your time in New Zealand. The worst factor you are able to do is spend your entire time driving previous all the attractive spots with no time to be current and luxuriate in them.
If you possibly can solely go for 5 days, that’s okay! Just don’t attempt to cram every thing into these 5 days. Choose a visit that provides you high quality time in choose locations like visiting Queenstown and the Fiordland. If you could have seven days, add Wanaka to it. If you could have two weeks, do a highway journey from Christchurch to Queenstown and when you’ve got 3-4 weeks or extra, contemplate a highway journey via the north and south islands.
Decide in your route
Winging it may be lots of enjoyable if you journey however in the case of planning a New Zealand highway journey you wish to have a route deliberate. Start by itemizing down the locations you wish to go to and plan to remain in a single day. If you’re not sure the place you wish to see attempt trying to find New Zealand highway journey itineraries curated by bloggers, YouTubers and even native tour operators.
In the north island a few of my favorite spots embody Cape Reinga, Auckland, the Coromandel, the coastal Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupō, Napier and Wellington. In the south island, a few of my favorite spots embody Christchurch, Mt Hutt, Tekapo, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Twizel, Wanaka, Queenstown and the Fiordland.
Decide what you most wish to see and work out what number of of these spots you possibly can go to throughout the time you could have. Then, work out which airport is your greatest level of entry and departure i.e. fly into Christchurch and out of Queenstown or fly into Auckland and out of Auckland. If you’re on a highway journey and plan to catch the ferry throughout the Cook Strait to the south island you could learn our information: How to catch the ferry from Wellington to Picton.
Pro Tip: We’ve received a great deal of free written and video guides that can assist you plan your excellent New Zealand journey! Read them on the weblog right here or watch them on YouTube right here.
Choose your mode of transport
There are many alternative choices in the case of transport. If you propose to remain in lodges, Airbnbs and many others you’ll most probably wish to rent a automobile. Bear in thoughts the dimensions of the automobile you rent is vital! You’ll desire a sturdy, spacious automobile like a small SUV for an extended journey. If you propose to go to the snowfields it’s vital your automobile could be fitted with snow chains to get you up there and also you add these to your rent. It’s completely important you watch an educational video on learn how to match them and apply becoming them.
Another nice possibility is to go along with a motorhome or campervan! We’ve discovered a lot of these journeys to be actually enjoyable and budget-friendly. You’ll get monetary savings by combining your automobile and lodging in a single, getting ready some or all your meals within the onboard kitchen and making the most of freedom tenting.
We choose to splurge slightly and keep at vacation parks so we’ve got entry to all their amenities like wifi, laundry and showers. Doing a highway journey like this, we’ve discovered, immerses you within the pure surroundings extra. When it involves campervan rent in New Zealand, Travellers Autobarn has an awesome vary of autos to select from.
Put your itinerary collectively
Now you understand how lengthy you’ll be in New Zealand for, the route you wish to comply with and the way you’ll be getting round it’s a good time to start out piecing your itinerary collectively. I like to recommend creating an precise itinerary in a phrase or pages doc or no matter format you’re feeling most comfy utilizing.
Write down your days and begin by placing your arrival and departing flight particulars. Then, begin including in all of the belongings you wish to see, do and eat alongside the best way. I do that by counting on weblog posts, YouTube movies and journey guides in addition to trying out suggestions that pop up on Google Maps.
When planning our itineraries I purpose for one to 2 actions per day, going with two small actions or one large one. If we’re travelling on a price range we attempt to put together two meals ourselves and eat one meal out per day. We additionally maintain prices down by including in free actions like hikes, museums and galleries, visiting scenic lookouts, lakes and many others.
Be positive so as to add your drive instances to your itinerary so when it is advisable to go away every day. Even if we don’t find yourself consuming there, I all the time wish to have some meals spots jotted down for every vacation spot so if we’re actually drained we’ve received a simple record to select from (it saves lots of vitality!)
Book and ensure
Get all of your actions and lodging spots booked and confirmed. I like to recommend jotting your affirmation and reserving numbers added to your itinerary together with contact particulars and addresses. I additionally suggest saving all of your reserving and affirmation emails and all vital journey paperwork like flight bookings to a web-based storage system like Dropbox or Google Drive. That manner you possibly can simply entry them do you have to want them while not having to sift via your emails.
Organise journey insurance coverage
Don’t even take into consideration going away with out journey insurance coverage! I all the time get a shiver up my backbone after I hear of a pal who’s going abroad with out it. I do know it may be expensive and annoying however, belief me, in these moments if you want it you might be so glad you could have it. Both Matt and I’ve had accidents and fallen sick whereas travelling and wanted pressing medical care. In these conditions our insurance coverage allowed us to get the therapy we would have liked with none stress round prices.
Pro tip: Make positive your journey insurance coverage covers you for snow-based actions like snowboarding and snowboarding should you plan to hit the slopes!
Get a neighborhood sim card
On our final journey, we received a neighborhood sim card from SimsDirect. for the primary time and it modified every thing! It actually simply made our complete journey a lot simpler. We ordered our sims forward of time on-line in order that they got here to our residence in Australia earlier than we departed. When we touched down in New Zealand we put them in our telephones and activated them so we have been linked as quickly as we stepped off the airplane.
Having native sim playing cards meant we might navigate simply, test our Airbnb particulars and get directions on learn how to entry the property, monitor our hikes an app we use, discover locations to eat on-the-go, keep in contact with family members and alter our journey plans on the final minute!
Check you’ve received the correct gear
Go via your itinerary and be sure to’ve received all of the gear you want in your journey. For instance, should you’re planning on doing a little nice hikes do you could have comfy socks, mountaineering boots, activewear outfits, sunscreen and a hat?
If you’re visiting in winter you’ll want to think about issues like heat socks, thermal underwear, gloves, beanies, heat jumpers and jackets and waterproof gear. If you’re going to the snow you’ll wish to have ski and snowboarding-appropriate clothes. Don’t fear, should you don’t have skis and snowboards and many others you possibly can rent all that up there! If you do end up with out one thing in New Zealand I like to recommend going to The Warehouse. They appear to be nearly in every single place and so they’ve normally received what you want at a superb worth.
Start packing
Once you’ve received every thing you want and your journey is shut you can begin packing! It’s all the time greatest to not take an excessive amount of with you. I like to recommend going with a capsule wardrobe stocked with fundamentals you possibly can combine and match. Everything ought to go along with every thing! I additionally suggest making an attempt issues on and culling stuff that doesn’t match or make you’re feeling good if you put it in as these are the gadgets you received’t find yourself sporting. Be positive to test your baggage is under your checked-baggage weight allowance so that you aren’t burdened on the airport.
Pro Tip: Roll your garments as an alternative of folding and packing them flat. You’ll match extra in!
Get over there and have enjoyable!
Planning your New Zealand highway journey could be nerve-racking, I do know. You’ll have lots of selections to make upfront and you might spend lots of time worrying should you’ve gotten it proper. Trust your self and your instincts and make a promise that as quickly as you step into the airport in your flight you’ll drop all of your worries and easily be current. You’re going to have essentially the most wonderful time, I’m sure of it.
Useful journey sources in your subsequent journey!
If you discovered this submit (or something we do) helpful, we’d be grateful should you thought of utilizing the affiliate hyperlinks under. We’ll make a small fee at no further price to you. Thanks in your assist! XO Phoebe and Matt.
Agoda – for reserving lodges (& houses)
Booking.com – for reserving lodges
SimsDirect – for pay as you go journey SIM playing cards
Skyscanner – for reserving flights
Surfshark – for on-line safety & VPN (Watch 30+ Netflix libraries!)
Travellers Autobarn – for campervan rent in New Zealand, Australia and USA
*