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Self drive vacations in New Zealand

Learn about Maori warrior women, kiwi-counters, and the joys of stargazing from an outdoor bathtub on our self drive vacations in New Zealand. They’re safe, serene and sublimely beautiful – there's no better way to get around. Find out what’s involved from people who’ve done it themselves and know New Zealand well. Just don’t forget to clean your walking boots.

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SELF DRIVE HOLIDAYS IN NEW ZEALAND

The New Zealand authorities are pretty fierce when it comes to preventing contamination of their natural spaces. One of the most important things to remember before embarking on a New Zealand self drive vacation is that you must clean your walking boots thoroughly before you enter the country. Make sure you declare them on your Passenger Arrival Card, and pack them at the top of your bag, as you may be asked to show them when you pass security.

We’re assuming you will be bringing walking boots, because why wouldn’t you? This, after all, is a country so full of confidence in its natural landscapes that it has created its own list of 10 Great Walks, and where the terrain ranges from fjords to glaciers and mountain peaks. Keep your boots handy in the hire car and you could take a short, scenic, and smelly stroll around a bubbling geothermal area, or embark on a full-day trek over an active volcano.

I can confidently tell you all this because I have done it myself. More than once, in fact. I’ve spent a total of seven months whizzing around New Zealand, in a campervan, including a short spell with my five-year-old son, walking boots always at the ready, and I am certain that few countries lend themselves so well to a self-drive vacation. New Zealand, or Aotearoa to give it its Māori name, is immensely safe, scenic and serene: low on traffic, high on beauty; small enough that you can see a great deal of it in just a couple of weeks, large enough that you can still find peaceful pockets of isolation even in a country that welcomes so many tourists. Our guide to self driving in New Zealand explains everything you need to know.

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What do self drive vacations in New Zealand involve?

The best New Zealand self drive tours are entirely bespoke, but your itinerary is arranged by experts who know the country well, and have years of experience in knowing what works and what doesn’t. They’ll create a route for you that takes into your account your personal interests, the time of year you’ll be there, and realistic journey times.

Māori heritage

Amy Waters is the Senior Country Specialist for New Zealand at our partner Audley Travel. Amy lived in New Zealand for a year herself and continues to travel the country regularly, ensuring the information she passes on to her clients is up to date. “With Māori cultural experiences we’re always trying them out and updating our recommendations because we want to ensure people get an authentic experience.”

Rotorua, in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island, is well known for its Māori heritage. The city’s full name in the Māori language is Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe¬ – ‘the second lake of Kahumatamomoe’, Kahumatamomoe being the uncle of the legendary Māori explorer Ihenga. Te Puia in Rotorua is a Māori arts and crafts institute set within a smoking geothermal valley. Striking artworks can be seen around the area as Māori guides show you around mud pools and geysers, workshops for weaving, and carving with wood or bone, and a kiwi conservation center, all while relating stories passed down generations by their ancestors.

“Personally, my favorite experience at Te Puia is the Geysers by Night tour,” says Amy, “where the geothermal features are all illuminated. Very small groups of visitors are taken around by Māori guides who explain the area’s history and its importance to their culture.”

“Te Pā Tū is another place we’re big fans of as it feels a bit more personal and not so touristy,” continues Amy. This recreated tribal village is the only cultural experience to win the prestigious Supreme New Zealand Tourism Award. Here you take a deep dive into Māori traditions and storytelling as you visit a handsome wooden wharenui (meeting house), join in with seasonal celebrations such as the summer harvest, and learn about key figures in Māori lore including Wāhine Toa, the ‘warrior woman’.

Beyond Rotorua, self drive vacations in New Zealand are infused with opportunities to engage with and explore Māori culture, as it is so bound up with the country’s history and landscapes. These include the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds where in 1840 the British deceived a group of chiefs, effectively cheating the Māori people out of their sovereignty and land. The agreement was hotly disputed, sparking a series of violent conflicts and a 150-year battle for justice and equal rights, but it is considered the founding document of New Zealand.

Meanwhile, in Kaikoura, you can walk through ancient forest with a Māori guide to learn about Māori relationships with the land, and medicinal and edible plants. Which brings us nicely to…

Immersion into nature

It goes without saying that New Zealand self drive trips take place against a spectacular backdrop of nature.

If people have longer, we try and get them off the beaten track. Though of course, in New Zealand, the track is well-beaten for good reason.

This is where Amy and I differ a little. Whereas I adored the Bay of Islands and the remote Cape Reinga on the North Island, as well as the extravagant blues of Lake Taupo, Amy favours the South Island with its glaciers, and fjords, the Southern Alps and their lakes. “I particularly love the Catlins region, which is the southernmost point of the South Island, where we have a couple of lodges. You can walk through the petrified forest, out to the Nugget Point viewpoint to see rock formations in the sea. I remember being there totally alone and bumping into a group of sea lions on the beach. It’s a magical experience.”

Most of the big-name walking routes in New Zealand are multi-day treks. You probably wouldn’t want to spend five days of a self drive vacation on the Abel Tasman Coast Track, or three days on the Tongariro Northern Circuit. The parking fees alone would be horrendous!

Instead, our self drive vacation experts will help you dip into New Zealand’s majestic natural beauty on regular excursions folded into your route. “There’s a company we work with in Wanaka that do cruises on the lake and nature walks on an island called Mou Waho,” Amy says. “Every trip they plant a tree which helps with the conservation of the weka (Maori hen). There aren’t many weka left in New Zealand, but Mou Waho is a good place to see them.”

Driving around New Zealand you can’t help but develop an affinity for these landscapes; even more so when you park up and go for a wander in them.

Takutai Beech runs eco boat tours in the Marlborough Sound aboard their 75-year-old launch with her husband Peter. Heralding from the Ngaiterangi iwi (tribe), Takutai’s name means ‘affinity with the sea’. So it’s not surprising to find the couple are also founding members of the Guardians of the Sounds, helping to ensure the water quality, wildlife and landscapes of the place they love are protected.

On the Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island, Audley Travel can also introduce you to Kiwi Dundee. “He’s a really quirky character,” says Amy. “He organises these fantastic eco tours, and is very strict with the guides he uses, they must have ecology or biology degrees. Besides that, he works on the rehabilitation and protection of endemic wildlife. He releases birds back into the wild, and traps possums and other pests. He’s also responsible for kiwi counting on the peninsula.” They’re very proud of their national bird in New Zealand, and like to keep an eye on it.

All of these tours are bound up in concepts like kaitiakitanga – stewardship of the land, sky and sea; and whakauka – conservation of the environment. It’s easy to understand the passion many New Zealanders feel for nature. Driving around New Zealand you can’t help but develop an affinity for these landscapes; even more so when you park up and go for a wander in them.

Practicalities

How long do you need to drive around New Zealand?

It’s possible to do a whistlestop tour of a few key destinations in eight days but for a more rewarding self drive New Zealand itinerary we’d suggest a week minimum for each island, and perhaps as long as three weeks to really get the most from your trip. It’s not unknown to spend three weeks on just one island, and certainly there is more than enough to see, so it’s a case of how much time you have to spend. Depending on where you arrive from, we’d recommend not planning any big drives in the first couple of days, so that you can get over any jet lag.

A New Zealand fly drive trip will usually cross between the North and South Islands by sea. The convenient inter-island ferry between Wellington and Picton spends three hours in open water as you cross the Cook Strait. It can be a fabulous journey with the chance to spot dolphins dancing off the bow. It can also be an ordeal if it’s ‘a little fresh out there’. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and if it looks like you could be in for a rough crossing, avoid big meals before and during the journey. Again – I’m speaking from experience here!

24/7 support

New Zealand is wonderfully easy and safe to drive around, but even so, if you’re new to the country, it’s good to know that 24/7 support is just a quick phone call away should you need it. February 2023 – midsummer – provided a perfect example of how useful this can be. New Zealand was hit by Cyclone Gabrielle, causing power cuts, landslides and widespread flooding. An escalating climate crisis will bring an increase in unpredictable and severe weather events worldwide, so knowing there are specialists on hand to keep you safe and your vacation on track is very reassuring.

While you’ll have a reliable GPS device to ensure you get from A to B punctually, the all-important route notes are provided too. These are essentially helpful hints based on your proposed itinerary: ‘make sure you stop at this viewpoint that you should pass mid-morning; this café does the most sublime homemade brownies…’ The notes are refreshed regularly so they’re always up to date.

You’ll be well-prepared prior to departure. You'll have a comprehensive chat with your tour operator to ensure you know everything from your baggage allowance to the best apps for walking – this is where the boots advice tends to crop up.

And of course, New Zealanders themselves are a constant source of welcome advice and support. “Everyone is so friendly and keen to help anyone who has a problem,” says Amy. “There’s a big sense of camaraderie.”

Road conditions

Let’s talk traffic in New Zealand. There isn’t much of it, and navigating cities such as Auckland or Wellington will seldom cause a headache. Outside the cities, roads are generally excellent, with the occasional rough-surfaced track to negotiate if you’re making an impromptu beach diversion. Some areas can become unreachable in the winter (June to September) due to snow, so travel between October and May if you can.

It’s single-lane carriageway for most of the time which makes for pleasantly relaxed driving. Road signs are increasingly displayed in both English and te reo, the language of the indigenous Māori people who make up around 15 percent of the New Zealand population.

Types of car

There are various sizes of vehicle available to the self driver – it’s understood that families and groups are going to need more space than couples. Assume a small SUV-type car to begin with, and then you can go up in size as needed. In this type of car, you get the luggage space, but you’re not guzzling fuel.

Only a few car hire companies offer electric vehicles which limits the number of locations where they can be picked up and dropped off, and doesn’t always fit itineraries. Like many countries New Zealand’s electric car infrastructure is still a work-in-progress but it shouldn’t be too many years before driving greener is the standard.

Where do we stay?

The accommodation is always a highlight of any New Zealand self drive vacation. As you’re traveling on a route that’s unique to yourselves rather than in a larger group, you can stay in small, locally owned bed-and-breakfasts and guest houses, some of them in brilliantly out-of-the-way locations. In New Zealand, many of these properties will also have Green Globe certification, indicating that they’re taking steps to become more sustainable.

“In a few places like the Greta Valley and Stewart Island our travelers stay in these pod-like glass cabins,” says Amy. “They appeal to a certain type of person as, despite being well appointed, they’re very isolated, there’s nothing else around – you’re just given a GPS location and you walk to your pod from the car park. If people have longer, we try and get them off the beaten track. Though of course, in New Zealand, the track is well-beaten for good reason.”

Another of Amy’s favorite places to accommodate her travelers is near the town of Twizel on the South Island, which is part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. “It’s a small collection of lodges built from natural materials found in the surrounding area. The family that owns the lodges have built them into the landscape, the roofs are covered in grass, so you can easily miss them when driving past. There’s no light pollution whatsoever, so on a clear night they’re brilliant for stargazing – you can enjoy it from the outdoor bathtub!”

New Zealand self drive route map

Where can a New Zealand self drive itinerary take you?

North Island tour

Driving around the North Island can take anything from one to three weeks. From Auckland you might head north to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, and the stunning Bay of Islands, then cross to the west coast for a walk in the ancient Waipoua Forest. South of Auckland are the Māori cultural sites and sulphuric aromas of Rotorua; the lively capital, Wellington, and Hawkes Bay, for those leaving space in the boot for a few cases of wine.

South Island tour

A nine-day circular route of the South Island could start in Christchurch and continue across the vast Canterbury Plains, with views of Aoraki Mount Cook. Via the pristine lakes of Queenstown and Wanaka you could then meander the Gibbston Valley wine trail and trek out to the Franz Josef Glacier – sadly it’s receding at such a rate that the trek is getting longer and longer every year. Take a longer tour, and you can venture further south. Leave the car behind for a day as you take a beguiling cruise along the Milford Sound in Fjordland, or a ride on the TranzAlpine scenic train from Greymouth to Christchurch, one of the world’s most iconic rail journeys.

Culture & trekking

We think the perfect New Zealand self drive routes combine culture with nature. Hardy walkers can trek the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, eight hours across volcanic terrain, or tramp the wilderness of the Coromandel Peninsula in the first-rate company of Kiwi Dundee (don’t worry, no crocs in these parts). Afterwards, you can spend some time exploring Māori traditions in Rotorua, or getting to grips with the best of New Zealand cuisine in Wellington.