New Zealand road trip Driving Guide 20 18

There are many things to pay attention to in go on road trip. This aspect should be helpful to everyone, so you should pay attention to these when you drive to New Zealand again. I hope you have a good trip.

It's easy and free to rent a car and drive by car. You can go wherever you want. The scenery along the way is beautiful, so you can stop and shoot while walking. In particular, many people travel together and share the cost, and the advantages are obviously greater than other modes of transportation. Unless, of course, you want something special, such as sightseeing trains or hiking.

Speaking of renting a car, I still choose to rent it on the platform of renting a car this time. I have rented a car in his house several times, and I feel that I can solve the problem every time, but every time I look for them, I can actively help us communicate with the car rental company to solve the problem, so I feel that his service is quite reliable. And because it is a domestic car rental platform with zero communication, it is especially suitable for people with poor English. This time we also encountered problems on the road. Well, we lost our car keys strangely. After contacting their customer service, they helped us communicate with the car rental company. In the end, although there was a little misunderstanding, it was solved satisfactorily.

Car rental www.zuzuche.com official website

Although from the North Island to the South Island, you can directly rent a car ferry to cross the other side. But we didn't spend much time in the whole trip, especially in the North Island. We finally decided to fly directly from Auckland to Christchurch. So according to our itinerary, we rented two cars in the North Island and the South Island respectively, and picked them up at the airports in Auckland and Christchurch respectively.

0 1

Vehicle type selection

When booking online in advance, the models we chose were all Toyota Rav4, which belongs to the medium-sized SUV level. But we upgraded to a bigger Highlander when we picked up the car in Christchurch, South Island.

Auckland

There are two main reasons for choosing Rav4.

Despite doing my homework, most of the road conditions in New Zealand are basically good. But if we want to go to some remote places, we may pass some gravel roads, such as Paradise Town, where we are going, so we still want to rent a car with a slightly higher chassis.

But another reason may be the main reason, because the three of us can't put down three 29-inch boxes and a smaller car. There is no way to carry a big box. After all, the weather is warm and cold in early spring, and the temperature difference between day and night is also great, especially considering the delay of going out to shoot the Milky Way and the starry sky at night, you should take thick clothes that take up space in winter and don't want to be frozen silly. Coupled with all kinds of troubles for girls to go out (which I have always known), I will bring a lot of things. I still think it is wise to rent Rav4. The rear of the car is vertically arranged, just enough to put down our three big boxes, and there is no extra space.

South Island of New Zealand

As for Highlander in the South Island, there will be plenty of rear space. No matter how you put the three boxes, you can clearly feel the wandering inside. The universal wheel of my box is particularly flexible. On the first day, put it vertically. I was surprised when I stopped to open my suitcase. . . Actually, er, the whole box just slipped down and fell heavily on the ground, which was full of rubble at that time, and my heart was broken at that moment. So the boxes were scratched a lot, and their boxes were still condescending in the trunk. I shouted in my heart, but fortunately I didn't hit my foot.

02

Car rental (company)

For car rental, we usually choose which car model first, and then which car rental company. After searching for car models on the car rental platform, after comparison, we finally chose to rent a car in Europcar on the North Island and the South Island. I didn't deliberately choose the same company. I just thought that the prices and evaluations of the two cars were ok, so I chose his home.

Europcar is a well-known car rental company, an international chain, which can be seen everywhere and has a good reputation.

03

Pick up/return the car

We got off the plane twice and picked up the car directly at the airport counter, which was very convenient. There are not many people, but there is no legendary Chinese costume. The receptionists are all foreigners and have a good attitude.

It's not complicated to carry the car. Sign the contract, register the credit card and driver's license information, explain some precautions, then take the car keys, and we will go to the corresponding parking lot to get the car ourselves. The parking lot is divided by major car rental companies, and each company occupies a place. According to the instructions, we can find the car and drive away without checking it and paying a deposit.

When returning the car, just park it directly in the parking space of the corresponding car rental company in the airport parking lot. Then return the key to the counter. If it is too late or too early and no one is working at the counter, you can put it in the key box at the counter.

Fortunately, the cars we got twice in Nanbei Island were in very new condition, and they only walked thousands of kilometers. For a Virgo with a serious obsessive-compulsive disorder like me, it's perfect. By the way, we registered the information of two drivers, so that we can take turns driving and there is no extra money.

04

Matters needing attention

Matters needing attention mentioned by the staff when picking up the car mainly include:

1. Rent a car and don't work overtime.

2. Don't add the wrong oil, including gasoline and diesel.

When returning the car, remember to fill it up before returning it.

4. drive carefully, blahblahblah. . . . .

As for returning the car with full gas, the car is usually filled with gas when you pick it up, so the car rental company will ask for it to be filled with gas. If the car is not filled with gas when it is returned, the car rental company will deduct the charge from the credit card afterwards. We returned the car in Oakland, so we didn't fill the tank because we had to catch a plane. Later, we deducted a little gas fee, but not much.

In addition, if the car is too dirty, it is recommended to wash it before returning it.

Right rudder driving tips

Anyone who has passed the driver's license should know the traffic rules, which are similar all over the world, but it may not be so easy to follow in China. But when driving abroad, especially in developed countries, we must seriously abide by these traffic rules. This is not only a quality problem, but also a safety problem that needs to be taken seriously.

New Zealand, on the other hand, follows the British driving tradition and drives with the right hand. It's just opposite to our direction, so some traffic rules are just opposite to those in China, which leads to a very different driving experience from peacetime. Be sure to pay special attention, drive carefully and adapt as soon as possible.

Precautions 0 1

Get used to driving on the left as soon as possible.

There is no doubt that you must drive on the left!

After all, we are used to driving on the right every day, and sometimes our subconscious just wants to drive on the right. When driving in New Zealand, you must first overcome this driving habit. At first, you'd better get used to roads with few cars, and then drive Kaminooji when you get used to it. There is no difference between throttle and brake in China, but wiper and turn signal are opposite. I'm afraid many people will be confused when driving the right rudder. Pay special attention to turning right, because of the usual driving habits, it is easy to subconsciously want to drive to the right lane, but if you really drive, it will become retrograde. Therefore, the direction needs to be overcome and adapted first, and never go back.

02

Don't overspeed at any time, and don't take chances.

Unfortunately, this time we were fined for speeding, and then we were very good and didn't overspeed 100. Anyway, no matter whether there is a camera or a policeman, don't overspeed and don't take any chances. Even if there is a vast wilderness around, the police may suddenly appear (they will really suddenly appear and fine us). The average speed limit of a city or town is 50 kilometers per hour. After leaving town, even if you get on the expressway, you can't exceed 100 km. Basically, there are speed limit signs at the gate of every town. You should pay attention to the numbers and slow down before entering the town. If you encounter rainy and foggy weather, you should slow down.

03

Everyone must wear a seat belt, including passengers and drivers.

In short, everyone must fasten their seat belts, whether in the front row or the back row, whether passengers or drivers, or they will be fined. If you are a child, you must also use the child seat.

04

Don't park on the side of the road unless there is a viewing platform or parking area.

As the saying goes, there are beautiful scenery everywhere, but we can't stop at will, let alone in the middle of the road Be sure to watch it. It says look.

Only the observation deck with words or places with parking areas can slow down and stop. Before slowing down, be sure to pay attention to whether there is a car behind you and stop as far away from the road as possible. In fact, driving in the beautiful scenery itself is a kind of enjoyment, and you don't have to stop at first sight.

05

Understand the rules of the island and light the lamp correctly.

There are many roads around the island in New Zealand, and the locals cross the island very quickly, so you must pay attention to the rules when crossing the island. If you make a mistake, it is easy to go wrong. First of all, when we enter the roundabout, our subconscious always looks to the left. It must be changed to look to the right here, so that the vehicles on the right can enter the roundabout first and then enter by themselves. After entering, turn on the corresponding turn signal according to the exit position. Take the first exit (left exit) and turn left when you enter the roundabout. The second exit (straight exit), you don't need to turn on the light after entering the roundabout, and turn on the left light when leaving the roundabout. Take the third exit (exit on the right), turn right after entering the roundabout, and turn left after leaving the roundabout. Don't dial the wrong light, because it will affect the judgment of the following car.

06

Never drive tired. If you are tired, change people.

Don't drive alone for a long time. It is recommended to change one person every once in a while. No matter how powerful the car god is, he is sometimes tired. In particular, there are many steep mountain roads near the cliffs in the South Island, so we should pay more attention to changing people in time. Drivers must be sober and don't try to be brave.

07

When you see pedestrians, you must avoid them, whether there is a zebra crossing or not.

Many pedestrians don't look at cars, so cars have to look at people and stop to make way, and so do cyclists. This is a bit contrary to the domestic situation. In fact, most foreign countries are like this, especially developed countries. When crossing the street in China, I am used to letting cars go first, because many cars won't let people go. When I drive by myself, I will let pedestrians go, and many people will not leave yet. Therefore, you should be extra careful when driving abroad.

08

Pay attention to the reaction of the other driver.

Sometimes if you really don't know whether to let go or not, pay attention to the reaction of the other driver. If he is obviously waiting, go, otherwise wait for him to go first. It is also polite for drivers to say thank you when they give way to each other. In addition, sometimes the other driver will shake the headlights at you, which is not necessarily malicious. It is very likely that there is a traffic police or an accident ahead, so drive carefully.

09

Disabled parking spaces/private parking spaces do not stop.

It goes without saying that even if you can't find a parking space, you can't park in a disabled parking space or a private parking space. However, many people just couldn't find a parking space, so I stopped. What happened? When I was in Auckland, I met a man who insisted on parking for the disabled, but others wouldn't listen. Later, the front desk of the hotel clearly said no, and then took it to find another parking space. In fact, it is a question of quality. You must abide by foreign rules.

10

Pay attention to animals and avoid them carefully.

Pay attention to the animals that may appear on the road, such as lambs, sheep and sometimes even stupid birds. Their reactions are sometimes super slow and they are not afraid of cars at all. So when you see them, you should slow down and avoid them. Of course, you should also pay attention to the speed of the car before slowing down. Some places will be reminded by yellow road signs.

In addition to the points mentioned in the appeal, it is of course more important to strictly abide by the traffic rules.

When there are traffic lights, you should strictly follow the traffic lights, and when there are no traffic lights, you should strictly follow the yield rules. In fact, traffic lights are rarely seen except in cities, especially in South Island. It seems only in Christchurch, so you must be familiar with the traffic rules.

0 1

Traffic light rules

1) When the light is red, you must stop.

2) When the light is red, it is forbidden to turn left. (Not the same as China. In many places in China, you can turn right at a red light. )

3) When the yellow light is on, unless you drive close to the intersection, you must stop. Once you stop, it will cause danger.

4) When the light is green, the car with a small turn will let the car with a big turn go first, just the opposite of when there is no light.

02

Give way rules when there is no traffic light at the intersection

1) Look at the markings on the road in front of the car. Marked ones let unmarked ones go first, yellow ones let white ones go first. The white line indicates giveaway, and the yellow line indicates stop (full)

Stop.

2) Turning vehicles must give way to straight vehicles, unless there is a seat-giving sign or cable in front of the straight vehicles.

3) The car with a big turn lets the car with a small turn go first, just the opposite of when there is a light. If you really don't know, I suggest you look at each other's reaction. If the other party doesn't move, leave. If the other person is turning, wait.

4) When the path leaves the main road, be sure to stop at the intersection and look to the right. Don't leave until there is no car.

5) Give way around the island, as detailed above.

03

Other production rules

1) Be sure to avoid oncoming cars on the right.

2) When changing lanes, be sure to turn on the lights in advance, and make sure there are no vehicles behind before changing lanes.

3) downhill vehicles let uphill vehicles go first.

4) When you see the stop sign, stop for at least 3 seconds regardless of whether there is a car or not, wait and see to make way for all other vehicles, and you can only pass after you confirm that it is safe, otherwise it will be illegal.

5) When you see the giveaway sign, whether there is a car or not, you should slow down and wait and see or even stop to make way for all other vehicles, and you can only pass after you confirm that it is safe.

6) Avoid bicycles and bicycle lanes. When approaching a cyclist, you should slow down to ensure safety before overtaking or driving on the bicycle lane.

7) There are many one-way bridges in New Zealand, and only one car is allowed to pass. When you meet a one-way bridge, you should pay attention to the sign (first from the right above). If the big arrow is on your side, you can go first. If the red arrow is on your side, even if you get to the bridge first, you need to stop and let the other car go first.

8) Make way for special vehicles. When there are police cars, fire engines and ambulances behind, you should drive or park on the left side of the road under safe conditions and give up the right lane to special vehicles.

04

Overtaking rule

1) Try to overtake in the overtaking lane. Most roads in New Zealand are two-way lanes, but there are overtaking lanes every other road. Wait patiently until you reach the overtaking lane before overtaking. There will be overtaking in the overtaking lane.

Ryan's logo

2) Be sure to see clearly before overtaking, and overtake on the right side when it is safe.

3) The yellow line must not overtake, and the white dotted line can overtake under the condition of ensuring safety.

4) If the speed is slow, it is best to drive to the far left to slow down or stop at the shoulder, and light up to signal other cars to pass.

5) Don't overtake at the corner.

05

Parking regulations

1) Most of this trip is outside the city. You can park at the entrance of the scenic spot and the observation deck on the roadside for free.

2) In the city, some roadsides can park for free, but pay attention to whether there are road signs indicating the time limit. Shopping malls can also park for free, and parking spaces can generally be found. If you really can't find a parking space, you can also enter some paid parking lots, and the cost will not be too expensive.

3) Accommodation places, especially motels, generally provide free parking spaces for parking. It is recommended to confirm in advance when booking.

06

The meaning of some signs

1) Stop for at least 3 seconds and let all vehicles pass.

2) The giveaway will slow down, wait and see, and even stop to let all vehicles pass.

3) No one-way street, no entry.

4)keeleftunless overtaking, unless overtaking, keep driving on the far left.

5) Temporary+digital red circle temporary speed limit

6) Clear road+Keep the road clear during this time, and you can't park here.

7) The accident must be slowed down to below 20 per hour.

In short, for safety, don't violate any traffic rules. And it is said that in New Zealand, vehicles on the road will also report illegal vehicles, so it will be very troublesome to think about the following things. In order to avoid any of these troubles and enjoy our journey happily, the best way is to drive carefully and obey the rules obediently!

Attached to the relevant website, it is recommended to download various official PDF self-driving guides in New Zealand.

New Zealand self-driving safety practical manual (very detailed, it is recommended to download for later use)

/feature/ winter driving tips

Tourism New Zealand self-driving related pages, including video clips.

/Features/Driving in New Zealand

New Zealand Transport Bureau website

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/index.html

Literacy 1, don't take the Australia-New Zealand connection without a holiday of more than one month.

Personally, it is not recommended to travel to New Zealand and take the Australia-New Zealand connection. This arrangement seems to be just the route that the bus group will take. The purpose is just to visit more countries, just like a foreigner who travels to Asia and takes China for more than 10 days.

Like Japan, it's just a cursory tour. Australia itself is very big, play a little better, such as going to GreatOceanRoad, GreatBarrierReef and Gold Coast.

Coastal and other places, it takes more than 16 days (and it is not easy). If you add New Zealand, it can only be superficial. Unless you have more than one month's vacation at a time.

2. New Zealand mainly plays North Island+South Island.

Auckland, the North Island is the main port of entry, plus the Hobbit Film Collection (the location of the Hobbit Film Series) and the firefly cave in Waitomo.

firefly

The cave (one of the nine wonders of nature in the world) is located in the North Island, and it is not recommended to miss it in the North Island. However, the essence of New Zealand tourism is mainly in the South Island (see below). So I suggest that students who travel to New Zealand for the first time take the double island route.

3. Do you fly or take a ferry to and from New Zealand's north and south islands?

Personally, if your time is within 14 days, there is no need to cross the Cook Strait by ferry, from North Island to South Island. Because the route of north-south crossing takes a lot of time, there will be many repetitions along the way, which will be explained in detail later. Moreover, most car rental companies are not allowed to pick up the car in the North Island and return it in the South Island. Even if you pick up the car at the North Island when you make an appointment, you can return it at the South Island. They will actually let you stop at Wellington Pier after the end of the North Island and pick up the bus at picton Port before boarding the ship.

Question and answer 1. Why did you stay in Mount Cook for two nights? Why not live in Lake Tikapo?

Cook Mountain (including stargazing in Fox Glacier Dark Sky Reserve) is full of water vapor, and it often rains or fogs. First, you can't see glaciers by plane, and hiking is also affected (it rains for half a year). So arrange 2 nights, so there are more opportunities. Moreover, there is a dark starry sky reserve in Mount Cook, which is an excellent place to watch the stars, and it is easy to see the bright Milky Way. Arrange for 2 nights, and you will have more opportunities to see the stars. (It will be described in detail later)

Lake Tikapo is not far from Mount Cook. If you can't book a room, you can stay anywhere. But Lake Tikapo

Tekapo and the Good Shepherd Church in front are only 15-30 minutes away. Although it's beautiful, it's just a lake. If you live here, there is nothing to do after the visit. There are many projects to play in Mount Cook. The beautiful Pukaki Lake (the site of the Battle of the Five Armies of the Lord of the Rings) is also on this side of Mount Cook.

2. Why not drive from North Island to South Island?

In this way, you can also cross the LakeTaupo in hawaii volcanoes national park, Tongariro.

Park (with the famous East Tonga Rilo Trail), Wellington and other places. After getting off the ferry in the South Island, you can also go to Nelson in the northern section of the South Island and play with Abel in Abel Tasman National Park.

TasmanNational

Park, and finally take the South Island around the island. This route, special train 16 days, small play 18-20 days. I've been there twice, but most people don't have such a long holiday. If it is compressed to 14- 16 days, the scenic spots in South Island will need to be compressed. For the self-driving route across the North and South Islands of New Zealand, please pay attention to my later self-driving strategy about New Zealand.

3. Why not go to Fox Glacier?

Reason: Fox Glacier and nearby FranzJosefGlacier don't have Tasman Glacier in Cook Mountain National Park.

Glacier (you can go to Baidu Encyclopedia). In addition, their angle is very low, and they can only be seen by helicopter or helicopter+glacier on foot, which is very expensive, starting from RMB 2,500 per person 1800 yuan. If you just go to the end of the glacier, you can only see the tail of the glacier, because the angle between the two glaciers is too low. Also, because the accommodation here is more than Tasman Glacier, domestic bus tour groups also come here, you know.

While playing in MountCook Inn Alpark (Hooker Valley, Hooker Valley Trail).

Track), you can see several glaciers for free, such as Hook Glacier. Although they are small, you don't have to spend money. If money is not bad, Tasman Glacier Tasman is here.

Glaciers also have hiking activities by helicopter or helicopter+glacier. Therefore, we usually go to Mount Cook National Park. Not to Fox Glacier. In fact, all these glaciers flowed down from the top of Cook Mountain, two of them flowed to the west side of Cook Mountain, and several others flowed to the east side of Cook Mountain.