New Zealand Transport

Air New Zealand (NZ) (www.airnewzealand.co.nz) and Qantas (QF) (www.qantas.com) operate domestic flights between the major airports. Several smaller airlines, including Air Nelson, Eagle Air and Mount Cook Airlines, are wholly owned by Air New Zealand and have been grouped together as Air New Zealand Link. They serve many of the smaller airports throughout the two islands. Soundsair (www.soundsair.com) flies between Wellington and Picton daily (journey time - 25 minutes) and offers you the chance to parachute into the city from high above it.

North and South Islands are linked by modern ferries operating between Wellington and Picton, carrying passengers and vehicles across Cook Strait. Interislander (tel: (04) 498 3302 or 0800 802 802; www.interislander.co.nz) (journey time - 3 hours) and Bluebridge (tel: 0800 844 844; www.bluebridge.co.nz) (journey time - 3 hours 20 minutes) ferries run all year. Reservations on all ferry services are highly recommended, particularly if you're taking a vehicle.

New Zealand's passenger train service is limited to commuter trains in Auckland and Wellington and a handful of scenic routes aimed at tourists.

Tranz Scenic (tel: (04) 495 0775 or 0800 872 467; www.tranzscenic.co.nz) operates three scenic long-distance routes. The Overlander runs between Auckland and Wellington (daytime and overnight) with good views of forests, gorges and volcanic peaks. The Transcoastal runs between Christchurch and Picton along the east coast between the snow-capped Kaikoura Mountains and past the Kaikoura coast, which is famous for whale watching. The TranzAlpine runs between Christchurch and Greymouth through spectacular landscapes of gorges and river valleys and across the snow-capped Southern Alps. There are buffet cars on all trains, but there are no sleeping cars on overnight services. All services are one-class travel only.

Scenic Rail Pass: unlimited travel on Tranz Scenic trains available for seven days or one month, and including a journey on the Interislander ferry. For further information, contact Tranz Scenic (see above).

Traffic drives on the left. Main roads are paved, but some quieter roads are not.

Coach: InterCity Coachlines (tel: (09) 583 5780; www.intercitycoach.co.nz) operates scheduled services throughout the country. Coach passes are available. Newmans Coach Lines (tel: (09) 583 5780; www.newmanscoach.co.nz) operates services in both islands. It is advisable to make reservations for seats. The Kiwi Experience (tel: (09) 369 9410; www.kiwiexperience.com) is a coach transport network for backpackers and independent travellers, as is Magic Travellers Network (tel: (09) 358 5600; www.magicbus.co.nz); the latter offers a slightly less comprehensive selection of trips. Stray (tel: (09) 526 2140; www.straytravel.com) aims to get further off the beaten track and has better coverage of South Island.

Bus: There are regional bus networks that serve most parts of the country and are on the whole friendly and cheaper than the larger companies.

Taxi: There are metered taxis throughout the country.

Car hire: Major international firms and local firms have offices at airports and most major cities and towns. It is recommended to hire vehicles from members of the New Zealand Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association.

Regulations: The minimum age for driving a hired car is 21. The legal speed limit is 100kph (62mph) on the open road and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Both driver and passengers are legally required to wear seat belts at all times. For further information, contact The New Zealand Automobile Association (tel: (09) 966 8800 or 0800 500 222; www.aa.co.nz).

Emergency breakdown service: New Zealand Automobile Association (tel: 0800 500 222).

Documentation: All international driving licences are recognised by New Zealand. And, although not compulsory, an International Driving Permit is recommended. Motor insurance is not a legal requirement in New Zealand because New Zealand law has removed the right of accident victims to sue a third party in the event of an accident.

There are good local bus services in the main towns, as well as trolleybuses in Wellington. Both Auckland and Wellington have zonal fares with pre-purchase tickets and day passes. For public transport information and advice on journey planning in and around Auckland, call Maxx Regional Transport (tel: (09) 366 6400; www.maxx.co.nz). Metlink (tel: 0800 801 700; www.metlink.org.nz) runs buses, trains and ferries in and around Wellington.

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Wellington to other major cities/towns in New Zealand:

	Air	Road	Rail
Auckland	1.00	9.00	10.00
N. Plymouth	1.00	8.30	-
Christchurch	0.45	*7.20	*5.20
Dunedin	1.20	*12.20	-

* Plus ferry crossing of three hours.