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Milford Sound, New Zealand

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++1300
New Zealand Local time

Getting around in New Zealand

Air: 

Air New Zealand (NZ) (tel: (09)357 3000; www.airnewzealand.co.nz) and Jetstar (JQ) (tel: (03) 8341 4901; www.jetstar.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 (tel: (03) 520 3080; 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.

Side of road: 
Left
Road quality: 

Main roads are paved, but some quieter roads are not.

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.

The minimum age for driving a hire-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).

Taxi: 

There are metered taxis throughout the country.

Breakdown service: 

New Zealand Automobile Association (tel: 0800 500 222 (roadside assistance); www.aa.co.nz) operates emergency breakdown services.

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.

Getting around towns and cities: 

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.

Rail: 

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.

Rail passes: 

The Scenic Rail Pass offers 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 (tel: (04) 495 0775 or 0800 872 467; www.tranzscenic.co.nz).

By water: 

The 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: (04) 471 6188 or 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.

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