Transportation

Getting around New Zealand is easy, whether you drive, or use public transport, walk or bike! While you might find it’s more convenient to have a car, there are plenty of other options including planes, buses, trains and ferries.

Driving in New Zealand

We drive on the left-hand side of the road, giving way to cars turning right. This includes giving way to cars coming from your right at a roundabout. You can read more about our “Give Way” rules here.

At crosswalks you must give way to pedestrians. And New Zealand has pretty strict rules about seatbelts too – if you’re caught not wearing one you’ll be fined NZ$150.

Overall, our road rules are similar to Western countries. You can learn more about them at Land Transport NZ.

Roads in New Zealand

You’ll find that even our biggest “State Highways” linking major cities and towns, are quite small compared to international standards.
Rural roads wind through our many hills, valleys and gullies, so take your time. But they’re usually also the most beautiful drives in the country.
Keep an eye out for animals like sheep or cattle on the road in rural areas too. You may need to stop and wait, or drive slowly through them. Horn honking is not an accepted herding technique, by the by.
New Zealand roads have a lot of one-way bridges. Follow directions to see who has to give way.

You can read more about what to watch out for on New Zealand roads here.

Driving licences

You can use your overseas or international driver’s licence for up to 12 months from your arrival date in New Zealand.

After that you’ll need to apply for a New Zealand licence.

If you’re from the UK, USA, South Africa or a number of European countries, you’ll need to pass an eyesight test but not a practical or theory test.
If you’re not from one of these countries, you’ll need to pass a theory test and a practical test.

To find out more about getting a NZ driver’s licence, check out Land Transport NZ.

Bringing a car to New Zealand

Whether you choose to ship your car over to New Zealand or purchase one here will often depend on your finances (and how attached you are to your car!)

Here’s a rundown of costs and options:

Shipping a car

The approximate cost of shipping a car from the UK to New Zealand is around £1,800.
From the West Coast of the USA it can be around US $3,000.
You’ll also need to check that your car complies with New Zealand import rules regarding safety features and low emissions.
Most left-hand drive vehicles have to be converted to right-hand drive; this can be costly. Click here for more information about bringing your car.

For more on shipping a car here see Land Transport NZ. Also, check out www.tauruslogistics.co.nz for details and prices about shipping your car to New Zealand

Buying a car

New cars: For a guide on prices and tips on what features to look for go to the www.consumer.org.nz.
Pre-owned cars: You’ll find the best selection of new and used automobiles on offer at www.trademe.co.nz.

For more about car ownership in New Zealand, check out the Automobile Association.

Also, check out these sites:

www.redbook.co.nz for prices of new and used cars
http://pricecheck.turners.co.nz for the latest prices of used cars sold at auction.

Public Transportation

Every city and most towns in New Zealand have reliable bus and taxi services, and Wellington and Auckland in the North Island also run train services. People in some places even use ferries to get between work and home, such as from Auckland City to Devonport or Waiheke Island.

Find timetables using these regional transport authorities:

Auckland: Auckland Regional Transport Authority (Maxx), Auckland’s ferry company (Fullers)
Hamilton: Hamilton Street Railway and Go Bus
Wellington: NZ Bus, Mana Coachlines,Tranz Metro, Tranz Scenic
Christchurch: Metro
Dunedin: Citibus
Invercargill: Invercargill City Council Bus Services

For bus services which run throughout New Zealand, click here.

Because New Zealand is a small country, it doesn’t take long to travel by aeroplane between towns and cities. Three main airlines operate networks around New Zealand: