The Tiki Tour – Your New Zealand Road Trip

Like any country, New Zealand has its own slang and a “tiki tour” means “to go on a journey with no destination in mind, or to take the long way to reach a place.”   We couldn’t think of a better way to see this beautiful country – all you need is to rent a car and set off on an adventure.     New Zealand is a land of immense and diverse landscape. You’ll see things here that you won’t find anywhere else in the world, from awe-inspiring geothermal areas and volcanoes, to sub-tropical forests near glaciers, rugged mountains and a spectacular uncrowded coast.   And driving around is the best way to enjoy it, with a surprise around every corner and the freedom to do what you please.   Much of the landscape is protected by National Parks covering 30,000 square kilometres.  There’s also 15,000 kms of coast with some of the most pristine beaches and bays anywhere in the world.   There’s no wonder New Zealand has become known as “God’s Own.”   So if you are an explorer, an adventurer or a tramper (kiwi term for hiker or walker) you couldn’t have come to a better place.   Tiki tours are a great idea but some planning is always needed – here are a few hints, tips and advice before you head off:

Map out your trip

Before you arrive look at a map of the country and figure out where you want to head in the time you’ve got.   Auckland is the usual starting point with around three quarters of visitors arriving at Auckland International Airport.   Commonly known as the City of Sails, Auckland is full of things to do but from here you can easily explore the North Island.  For some advice on what to do and see, there are lots of recommended trips and driving itineraries.   You could head up to Northland and the Bay of Islands, the historic heart of the country, South to the volcanic plateau and the geothermal area around Rotorua, or East to the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and around to the Hawkes Bay.   And if you have a lot of time, you can book at trip on the Cook Strait ferry to the wonders of the South Island, locally known as the Mainland, where there are lots more recommended trips and driving itineraries.   Google Maps is the best source of interactive maps and can be used to find out travel times as well, and if you visit Google Earth you can get a taste of the scenery as well.

Travel times and road network

With 4.5m people and a land area about the size of Great Britain New Zealand is a country with space, which is a reason why it’s such a good place to drive.   A result is a low density road network with just 350 kms of motorway, or just 3 per cent of the total state highway network, across the whole country.   It’s easy to under-estimate travel times.  We have a lot of hilly country, winding and narrow roads, and there are also plenty of places to stop and take photos.   Whether it’s the roads or the fact you keep stopping to enjoy the view, travel times tend to be longer.   So if you think it will take an hour to travel 100km, travelling at 100km per hour, the speed limit on many state highways, think again.  The best way to work out travel times is to consult Google Maps and ask how far it is between place A and place B – this will also give you an estimated travel time.

Advice for drivers in New Zealand

The New Zealand Transport Agency provides the best advice and publishes an excellent online multi-language summary on driving in New Zealand including road rules and tips on making your trip as easy as possible – here are some of the main ones:   Keep left   We drive on the left side of the road.   If you drive on the right in your own country it is important to constantly remind yourself, and ask others in the car to do the same, to keep left.   This is especially important when pulling out on to a road from a junction or otherwise – if you are not used to driving on the left, it is very easy to forget.   Mobile phones   Using a handheld mobile phone while driving is illegal and potentially dangerous.  If you need to use a phone please find a safe place to stop.   Safety belts   By law everyone in a vehicle must wear a safety belt or child restraint, whether they’re in the front or back.         Single lane bridges   A number of New Zealand’s smaller roads have one-lane bridges where vehicles travelling in one direction need to give way to vehicles coming the other way.  The traffic signs for these have a smaller red arrow showing which direction has to give way.   Driver’s licence   You must carry your driver’s licence on you at all times and if your licence is not in English you must carry a translation from an approved translator.   Parallel parking   When parking on the side of the road, you must park in the direction of traffic flow.   Safe U-turns   When exploring by car, quite often you will miss a turn or will want to go back to see something special and take a photo.   You are normally allowed to make U-turns, as long as the road is clear in both directions and it is safe to do so.   On busy roads, U-turns can be difficult so the best advice is to find the next side road, indicate and turn into it, and then turn-around in the side road when it’s clear.  You can then head back to where you want to go.   Driving is better when rested and feeling fresh   Driving around New Zealand is a lot of fun, as the scenery changes constantly. but it can also be tiring, so make sure:

• You are rested before a long drive
• Take regular stops, at least every two hours
• Share the driving if you can
• Avoid large meals, and drink plenty of fluid
• Avoid drinking alcohol – rules are strict, enforced and penalties are severe
• If you feel really tired find a place to stay overnight

New Zealand accommodation

There are accommodation choices to suit all budgets and preferences, and if you spend a little less on a cheap car rental you will have more for some luxury, if you choose.   At the cheaper end there is the backpacker network of hostels that offer anything from bunk rooms to singles, doubles and twins, some with en-suite and all have shared kitchens.   Quite often these can be booked at short notice but in the busy holiday seasons, such as summer or school holidays, these can fill up in advance.   If you want real adventure camping in New Zealand is a great option and there is a large number of campgrounds in some great remote locations, with a range of facilities including communal kitchens and bathrooms, and some even have swimming pools and playgrounds.   Next, there are over 900 motels in New Zealand, hundreds of bed and breakfasts and cheaper hotels if you want a bit more privacy but don’t want to spend too much.   Holiday homes through networks like Bachcare or Bookabach are great if you are a group of friends or a family and you want to stay in one location for a few nights.  By the way, a “bach” is a kiwi term for holiday home or beach house.   If you want more luxury there are a huge range of four and five star hotels, boutique hotels, lodges and guesthouses.

Your New Zealand arrival

With Auckland being the main entry point in to New Zealand, if you need a car when you arrive and you’re on a low budget, the best option is to find a company like New Zealand Discount Car Rentals who have a wide range cheap car rentals available.   Prices start at $14.95 per day for a short rental period, and could be as low as $9.95 a day for a minimum of 40 days, so you won’t find better value.   New Zealand is full of surprises and great hospitality, and if you look hard you will find some tikis on your tiki tour.  If you are wondering, a tiki is a large wooden or small greenstone image of a human figure and they are associated with the customs of the tropical islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand being the largest.   Enjoy your trip and drive safely in our wonderful country, Aotearoa – the land of the long white cloud.