New Zealand

Info on Travelling in NZ

General knowledge or impressions of New Zealand often include terms such as clean, green, All Blacks, rugby, rowing, adventure travel, friendly, safe and easy to travel in.

It is probably correct to say that most of the world's population knows very little about our country, and that a lot of assumptions are made.

We consider ourselves a modern, westernised country with a diverse and tolerant population. NZ may be a bit further from the rest of the world but that doesn't stop us embracing new trends, and keeping up with the ways of the world.

We do not profess however to be as up-to-the-minute as New York or London, and in general the pace of life here is a lot slower. And that is how we like it!

This is a fantastic place to live and raise a family. While it is not perfect, overall it has many, many advantages.

WE LOVE TO TRAVEL

New Zealanders (often called Kiwis) are known for their love of travel, and a well-known rite of passage is the big OE (overseas experience) that many Kiwis enjoy in their early years of independence.

As a member of the Commonwealth, and a colony of Britain, we are English speaking and benefit from the ability to live and work in Britain more easily than some.

WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER

In more recent times we have benefited from the Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies that were directed by NZ Director, Peter Jackson. And as the movies were also shot here, there are many tourists who come here to see that fantastic scenery from the movies!

Add to that two major world sporting events in 2010 and 2011!

ROWING
The 2010 World Rowing Championships were successfully held at Lake Karapiro, Cambridge, Waikato in October 2010.

RUGBY
Plus the Rugby World Cup 2011 hosted next year. The venues for this huge event are spread across the country, and so as a nation we all feel a part of this rugby event.

WE LOVE OUR SPORT

As you may already know, we love our sport! There is ready access to the outdoors wherever you live here. And we achieve amazing success on the world stage for many sports from such a small population (check out the current population clock).

In fact, surely you heard about the stunning success of the All Whites (our national football team) at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa!
You can read about it on the official FIFA site.
Football is a growing sport in our country that has historically been dominated by rugby and the All Blacks.

WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

From luxury to budget back packing (with a bit of casual, paid work thrown in, perhaps?) there is a lot of choice.

Adventure travel is a big part of visiting NZ. The Original New Zealand Adventure Tour Company, Flying Kiwi are great people to talk to when looking for a NZ holiday with some adventure thrown in.

If you just have a few days, or plan to stay for months, the beauty and adventure of NZ will have something for you.

Airports

Ski Holidays in NZ

Campervans / Mobile Homes / RV's

There are numerous choices of rental companies, and the cost varies depending on factors such as the size of the camper and the time of year.

Try out this great website that links many campervan companies under one search option -

Rent a Camper Van or Motorhome in New Zealand. Big selection and deals to suit every budget!

INFORMATION ON TRANSPORT OPTIONS: For more general information on getting around, and to help you get started on your decisions about transport have a look here.

Hobbit Travel / Lord of the Rings

Many visitors to NZ take the time to visit parts of the country that are significant in the movies.

There are tours available in both the North and South Islands to help you revisit the sets for these amazing movies.

It pays to spend a bit of your travel money on an organised tour, as often the places are hard to find, or only accessible to organised tours.

NORTH ISLAND

For example, if you are a hobbit fan, then Matamata in the North Island is the home of the hobbit village set, Hobbiton. You will find all the info you need here at Hobbiton Tours.

SOUTH ISLAND

And once you get to Christchurch in the South Island then look up Hassle Free Tours for more Lord of the Rings action.

If you live in New Zealand and need a Home Loan, you can Apply Online.