Travel advice & practical information for travelogue:

'Fly & drive New Zealand'

Useful addresses

New York

222 Eest 41st Street
New York, NY 10017
Tel.: 212 832 4038
Web: New Zealand embassies

London

New Zealand High Commission
New Zealand House
80 Haymarket
London, SW1Y 4TQ
Tel.: 020 7930 8422
Fax: 020 7839 4580
Web: New Zealand embassies
E-mail: aboutnz@newzealandhc.org.uk

Paris

New Zealand Embassy
7ter, rue Léonard de Vinci
75116 Paris
Tel.: 01 4501 4341
Fax: 01 4501 4344
Web: New Zealand embassies
E-mail: nzembassy.paris@fr.oleane.com

Language

The official language is English, but Maori is up and coming.

General information

New Zealand is a country of mountains, volcanoes and hills. Two-thirds of its surface is at an altitude between 200 and 1,070 meters. Between Cape Reinga, the most northern part and Bluff the most southern town, lie 1,700 kilometers. There are two large islands, North and South Island. Around them are many smaller ones of which the most southern one, Pitt Island, is the largest.

Money

If you know in advance which places you're going to visit, you can find out online if and where there are ATM's where you can use your MasterCard and Cirrus or Visa to withdraw money.

Climate and best time to travel

It's summer from December through February and winter from June through August. The average temperature is a few degrees lower on South Island. The difference between summer and winter is around ten degrees. Both islands have a relatively high number of sun hours all year long. In mountainous areas like Tongariro National Park and the Southern Alps there is snow during the winter.

New Zealand's mild climate makes it possible to travel there all year round. The temperatures decrease as one travels from north to south. In the north the average temperature is 15 degrees centigrade and in the south 10 degrees. It's best to travel from north to south early in the season and to start your trip on South Island and end on the winterless Northland if you travel late in the season.

It's best to wear layers of clothing. Bring long and short trousers, both T-shirts and sweaters, and a windbreaker.

Traffic

Traffic keeps to the left in New Zealand. There are hardly any highways, only a few around Auckland. Traffic is quiet enough to make driving fun.

Plan your trip to New Zealand online

Through online reservation systems like À la Carte Vacations you can book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars and holiday houses. You can build a fly-drive itinerary with maximum flexibility, book a flight plus a hotel hotel for a night or weekend. Without the limitations of package deals from travel organisations and most times for a much better price.