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New Zealand Travel Tips

New Zealand is the adventure capital of the world. Hiking, sky diving, caving, bungy jumping, skiing- everything in New Zealand is geared towards getting you outside and in touch with nature. As a popular place among backpackers and those with round the world tickets, tourism in New Zealand really caters to the budget and backpacker minded. The upside to that is you can find the country to be quite inexpensive and fairly priced. There are always a number of travel deals going on and a smart minded traveler can save a lot of money. On the downside, New Zealand’s geographic location in the world can make basic goods and service very expensive.

Typical Costs in New Zealand

• Accommodation: Hostel dorms in New Zealand cost between $20 – 27 NZD per night while private rooms begin at $60 NZD. Budget hotels begin around $60 NZD per night. After that, prices will keep rising. There are many camping places throughout the country for only a few dollars per night too.
• Food: Eating out is expensive in New Zealand. A typical restaurant meal with cost you about $15 NZD or more. If you choose to cook your food, plan to spend about $40-60 NZD per week. You can find sandwiches for $6 NZD and fast food like McDonald’s or Burger King will cost between $7-10 NZD. Drinks at the bar will cost around $7 NZD.
• Transportation:Getting around New Zealand is fairly cheap. The bus system is quite in expensive and the Naked Bus (it’s just a name!) has promotional fares for $1 NZD if you book far in advance. Otherwise expect to pay around $15 NZD per trip, more if you are going a great distance. Flying can be expensive since there isn’t a lot of competition among airlines here. Most tickets are $100-200 NZD.
• Activities: Activities in New Zealand will cost between $100 to 500 NZD. There are a lot of activities in New Zealand and tourism here is constructed around getting people outside. Budget extra for activities as they can really destroy a budget and will be your biggest expense while you are here.

Money Saving Tips for New Zealand

• Free Wifi. McDonalds and libraries offer free wi-fi.
• Cook. Eating out in New Zealand can be expensive. The best way to save money is to cook your own food as much as possible. Depending on your food needs, you could eat as cheap as $40 NZD per week. This will really cut down your expenses.
• Pick Wisely. Tours cost a lot of money in New Zealand, ranging in price from $100 NZD to $500 NZD. A few of those are enough to bust any budget. Pick the ones you really want to do and save the rest for another trip.
• Hit Happy Hour. The backpacker bars have great happy hours offering $4 NZD drinks. Hit them up and drink for cheap. Otherwise, plan to spend $7 for a beer.
• WWOOF it. WWOOFing is a great way to work for your accommodation and food. In return for working on a farm or B&B, you get free food and board. It’s a popular activity with travelers because it lets you stay in a place longer and cheaper..
• Clean for your room. Many hostels let you trade a few hours of cleaning and making beds for free accommodation.
• Carpool. Car shares are a popular transportation option in New Zealand. On hostel bulletin boards, you’ll see people asking for rides. This is a great way to lower your transportation costs and make new friends.

Top Things to See in New Zealand

• Queenstown – The action capital of New Zealand, this is one of the funnest cities I’ve ever been in. There’s a lot of activities to do in the area, amazing restaurants, and the best night life in New Zealand. Everyone who comes ends up staying longer and visiting here was one of the highlights of my trip to New Zealand.
• Franz Josef Glacier – Hiking these glaciers is pretty amazing. There’s not much in this town besides the glacier hiking. Be sure to crawl through the glacier tunnels! It’s pretty cool.
• Tongariro Crossing – Labeled the best one day hike in New Zealand, this walk takes you through where they filmed Mordor in Lord of the Rings. You walk through volcanic terrain, near high peaks, and sulfur lakes before finishing off in a dense forest. The walk takes a full day. Be prepared to have your legs will be sore for a few days after. But it was worth the sense of accomplishment.
• Bay of Islands – North of Auckland, this area is great for dolphin and whale watching, relaxing on the beach, swimming, boating, and eating great seafood. It’s a popular getaway place for Aucklanders.
• Bungy Jump – Any adrenaline seeker worth his salt will do the 143 meter Nevis Bungy Jump outside of Queenstown. If that’s too high, there are smaller ones in Auckland and Queenstown.
• Skydive – Another popular adventure activity, sky diving is best down over Lake Taupo. It provides the best backdrop as you plunge to Earth from 14,000 ft. Taupo. There’s also sky diving in Queenstown.
• Abel Tasman National Park – Located in the south island, this national park looks like something out of Asia with its turquoise blue water, dense jungles, and warm temperatures. There is great multi-day hiking and beautiful sea kayaking.
• Wellington – New Zealand’s capital has great architecture, character, great nightlife, restaurants, and cultural activities. I found it to be the most “arty” city in New Zealand and enjoyed it more than Auckland. I just found there was more to culturally do here.
• Waitomo Glowworm Caves – Explore these caves in sheer darkness with nothing but the glow of glowworms to guide your way. It’s an exciting activity as you float down rivers and jump over waterfalls and watch the “starry sky” in the cave.
• Maori Cultural Show – Maori culture is important to understanding life in New Zealand. You find Maori symbols and words throughout the country. See a cultural show while you are there to get a better understanding of life in New Zealand and its native population.
• Dolphin and Whale Watching – Whether you go from the Bay of Islands, Auckland, or down in the south island, New Zealand is a great place to spot dolphins and whales.
• Skiing – During the winter months, the south island, especially the are around Queenstown, has snow covered mountains that offer some of the best skiing in the southern hemisphere.
• Rotorua – Rotorua is famous for its Maori cultural shows and for its smell. All around the city are sulfur mud pits that give the city a unique odor. If you are looking for a place to relax, Rotorua and the variety of spas they have here is the place to go.
• Kaikoura – This is a coastal town, several miles north of Christchurch. It is set within a peninsula, which makes it a great place to enjoy the mountain scenery while watching for whales, dolphins, and winter-friendly animals. Additionally, there are is an interesting museum, a handful of historical sights, and the Maori Leap limestone cave.
• Wellington Botanic Gardens – Of all the beautiful gardens throughout New Zealand, this is perhaps, the most popular. There is a vast tract of native forest, in addition to an international plant collection, a rose garden, and a landscaped area – complete with duck pond, playground, sculptures, a café, and more.
• Matterhorn – Found in Wellington, this bar and restaurant is known throughout the country as the best place to grab a drink. There are always interesting people in here, which is great for people watching and meeting. There is live music here pretty often.
• Ride the Gondola – If you are in Christchurch, the Gondola ride is highly recommended and a pretty fundamental experience. The ride starts on the Heathcote Valley floor and takes you up the side of Mt Vaendish. There is a great restaurant that allows you to peer out over the landscape as you eat. Many people cycle back down, but there is also a tram ride available.

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