FAQ about New Zealand travel in our Facebook Group

In addition to reading our newbie’s travel guide and our ‘best of’ collection, we also recommend having a look over these FAQ questions.

These topics all link into our free Facebook Group – they’re the questions our members ask most frequently.

If you require any further information, please add your comments to the relevant posts below.

And don’t forget to check our deals directory before booking anything. Not only will you save money, but you’ll also have our support on the road if required.

Happy travels!

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If they don’t work for you, it’s best to put this blog post URL directly into your browser, or copy the specific links you need into your browser.

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Frequently Asked Questions in our New Zealand Facebook Group, NZTT

Preparing for your trip to NZ

• NZeTA and visa help
• Working Holiday Visas (WHV)
• Moving to New Zealand to live
• Using your mobile phone here (SIM, data, calls)
  • The best apps to load to your phone
• Do I need to prebook accommodation/activities/transport etc?
• Discounted accommodation, rental cars, activities, tours and more
• Travel insurance (and car/campervan hire insurance)
  • Taking your rental car on the Waiheke Island car ferry (are you insured?)
  • ACC – cover for accidents in NZ
• Power plugs and voltage: Using your devices in NZ
• New Zealand supermarkets
• What is a ‘rāhui’?
• What to do in an emergency situation in NZ
• Safety tips – how to keep yourself and your property safe in NZ
• What to do if you get sick/injured in New Zealand or if you need to see a doctor for medical reasons
• Mistakes others have made on their travels (and how you can learn from them)
• Flights
  • How to save money on flights/airfares
  • Tips for long-haul flights with kids
  • Skycouch vs premium economy when flying AirNZ.

Money matters

• How can I pay for things in New Zealand?
• How much cash should I bring/get?
• Credit card and travel card (Wise, Revolut) discussion
• Credit/debit cards for members from the USA
• How much to budget for a trip to New Zealand
• Should I tip people in NZ?

Arriving in New Zealand

• Customs info (and what you can/can’t bring into NZ including food and medication)
  • Medication FAQ
• What happens when I arrive in NZ? What to expect
• NZ Traveller Declaration (NZTD) – to be completed within 24 hours of departure to NZ
• Flight connections: What happens to my baggage? How long do I need at the airport?
• How to deal with jet lag.

Weather and packing

• What to expect from our weather (and how to pack for different seasons)
  • Autumn (March, April, May)
  • Winter (June, July, August)
    • What to do when it rains.
    • What to pack in the wintertime.
  • Spring (September, October, November)
    • What to pack/wear in the spring.
  • Summer (December, January, February)
    • What to pack/wear in the summertime.
• General packing advice
  • February, March
  • April, May
• Where to buy cold-weather, ski gear and merino in NZ
• Where to buy things in NZ (travel gear, clothing, food etc)
• Sunscreen (1 and 2) and bug repellant recommendations
• Mosquitoes and sandflies
• Wearing layers in NZ
• What to do when it rains in New Zealand (ideas by location)
• Should I bring my drone to NZ? + Drone rules and info
• Should I bring my hiking boots?

Transport

• Discounted rental cars and campervans
  • Recommended rental/hire cars
  • Recommended campervans
• Buying/selling a car or a campervan
  • Campervan insurance for a vehicle you’ve purchased
• Car hire FAQ/tips
  • Car hire to/from Picton
• Car and accommodation vs. campervan
• Comparing different transport methods in NZ
• Campervanning/freedom camping in NZ
  • Campervanning in the winter
  • Camping/campervan-friendly meal ideas
• Private driver/guide recommendations
• Travelling by public transport or tour
• Driving tips
  • Winter driving tips
  • What sort of car do you need in the wintertime?
  • Mobility parking passes (for those eligible)
  • International Driving Permit (IDPs)
  • How to check road closures
  • How to pay road tolls (only in the North Island – Auckland and Tauranga)
• Cook Strait ferries [book with your discount]
  • What to do when the Cook Strait ferry is sold out or distrupted
  • Should I take my rental car on the inter-island ferry or swap cars in each island?
  • FAQ about crossing the Cook Strait
  • Ferry vs flight. Which is more reliable?

Food

• Food to try while you’re in NZ
• The best pies in NZ
• Best restaurants and eateries in New Zealand (based on location, including vegetarian and gluten-free options)
• Tea and coffee in NZ

Planning: NZ-wide

• Book a Zoom consultation for personalised itinerary planning
• Check out other members’ itineraries
• NZ travel guidebooks
• Mapping
  • Paper map/atlas recommendations
  • Digital mapping recommendations (and how to add more than 10 stops on Google Maps)
  • Maps that show gravel roads
• One island or both? If one, North Island or South Island?
• The ‘best’ order to see NZ – North vs south first, clockwise or anticlockwise etc
• ‘Hub and spoke’ (home bases) vs ‘point to point’ (road trip) itineraries: What is best?
• The best things to do in New Zealand, grouped by town/city
• Best accommodations around New Zealand
• Things to do with kids
• Shore excursions: Things to do when visiting towns/cities in New Zealand by cruise ship
• The best walks and hikes
• Road trip/route sightseeing stops around NZ – plan your drives
• Best wildlife encounters in NZ
  • Dolphins: Akaroa vs Kaikōura
  • Best places to see glowworms
  • Best places to see penguins in the South Island
• Best soft adventure activities
• Best helicopter flights/heli hikes in NZ
• The best wineries
• Hot pools
• Quirky things to see in NZ
• How to check if a walking track is open/closed
• Watch a rubgy game live
• Where to experience snow/skiing/snowboarding
  • Skiing/snowboarding/snow play in Queenstown & Wānaka
  • Should I rent ski gear in town or up on the mountain?
• Fishing
• Surf beaches
• Public holidays in NZ
• Find a photographer in NZ
• Best tattoo studios
• Recommended things to see/do during each season:
  • Autumn/fall
  • Winter
• What to do when it rains in New Zealand (ideas by location)
• Recommended souvenirs.

Planning: North or South Island specific

• Highlights in the North Island and South Island
• Free things to do in the North Island and South Island
• Things to do in the North Island with kids: 1 and 2
• Things to do in the South Island with kids
• Our members’ favourite South Island memories
• Māori cultural experiences in the North Island and South Island
  • Māori cultural experiences in Rotorua
  • Where to find hāngī (food cooked in the earth)
• The best places to camp in the North Island and South Island.
• The best hiking/tramping/walking in the North Island and South Island
• Where to see kiwi birds in the North Island and South Island.

Planning: Specific locations

• The best things to do in New Zealand, grouped by town/city
• Places to stay when travelling between Coromandel and Paihia (that aren’t Auckland)
• Things to do in Auckland (central activities, suitable for those without cars)
• Where to stock up on supplies near Auckland Airport
• Hobbiton FAQ
  • Things to do near Hobbiton (that don’t involve LOTR)
• How bad is the smell in Rotorua?
• Your guide to walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (TAC)
• Arthur’s Pass: Should I drive or catch the TranzAlpine train?
• Fox vs Franz Josef vs Aoraki Mt Cook/Tasman Glacier heli hiking
• Fox vs Franz Josef Glacier heli hiking
• Franz Josef heli flights
• What to do in the rain in Franz Josef/Fox
• Where to go from Christchurch if you have 2 – 4 days
• Stargazing in Lake Tekapo
• Milford Sound FAQ
  • Milford Sound cruise comparison
  • Milford Sound tour comparison ex Queenstown
  • What is the best time to sail Milford Sound?
  • How to get to Milford Sound (from Te Anau or Queenstown? Fly, drive or bus?
  • Milford Sound self-drive vs tour
  • Milford Sound vs. Doubtful – which is best?
  • What to do in Te Anau when the Milford Road is closed