New Zealand master thread
Introduction
No, not a thread about NZ (Air NZ). This is a central place for useful advice, tips and collective wisdom of FTers about travel in NZ.
Links to external sources are italicised. Please feel free to post (or PM) suggestions, corrections and constructive criticism.
Where is New Zealand?
World map showing New Zealand in its rightful place!.
map of New Zealand including most placenames (zoomable), and a searchable topographic map of New Zealand (warning second link takes a while to load).
New Zealand is located around 42 degrees south and close to the international date line. The antipodes of New Zealand is Spain - Auckland is close to opposite Malaga whereas Queenstown is opposite the Bay of Biscay. This means it has seasons reversed from North America and Europe, and we are nearly a full day ahead of California and half a day ahead of Western Europe.
New Zealand is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea. There is a lot of water between us and the major landmasses. A common misconception is New Zealand is right next to Australia and not much south of Hawaii, but distance on a map is deceptive. Here are some example great circle distances to Auckland - Sydney 1,345 miles; Antarctica (McMurdo Station) 2,838 miles; Santiago 6,011 miles; Los Angeles 6,504 miles; Honolulu 4,389 miles; Tokyo (Narita) 5,472 miles; Singapore 5,225 miles; London 11,404 miles.
When to visit?
The peak season for international visitors is summer - December through February in particular. Ski areas can also be busy in winter time - July through September. It is worth knowing the dates of public and school holidays in New Zealand, as this is when accommodation may be harder to obtain (particularly summer beach areas and winter ski areas) and traffic heavier on the roads (especially start and end of summer school holidays and also at long weekends). These dates can be found in the NZ Key Dates thread, along with the dates for start and end of daylight savings.
Due to the terrain and the range of latitude across New Zealand, daylight hours vary significantly by location. Here are the official sunrise and sunset times in New Zealand (for 2007). Note that twilight lasts for about an hour (in summer) at New Zealand's latitude - ie it is light well after sunset and before sunrise.
Climate and weather
New Zealand's climate is temperate - generally dont get extreme heat or cold. However our weather is very changeable - as a general rule most places wont get the same weather for more than a few days, and we can sometimes get "Four Seasons in One Day" as the song goes. Particularly in mountain areas, or if out on the water, check the forecast before you go and be prepared for sudden changes in the weather.
Summer is December to February, with usually the best weather in February. Winter is June to August. The northern parts of New Zealand have an almost subtropical climate, warm summers and mild winters (snow is unheard of and frost is confined to the most sheltered inland areas a couple of times a year). Generally most rain falls in winter, but apart from the east coast of both islands and inland South Island, summers are not excessively dry. Wellington is famous for its wind. The west coast of the South Island (and also Mount Taranaki and Tararua Ranges in the North Island) get phenomenal amounts of rain due to the prevailing westerlies (we are in the roaring 40s) and orographic effects. Fiordland and south Westland get 10 metres of rain a year in the mountains!
For more climate information, please visit Metservice (the government weather forecaster).
For current weather and forecasts see here and this useful rural focussed version (good local forecast summaries, national rain radar and rain & wind forecasts).
For current weather warnings see here.
Getting to New Zealand
As New Zealand is so far from most other places, the most common and easiest way to get here is by plane. There are also many cruises from Australia and the South Pacific.
As at time of writing the following major airlines have passenger services to New Zealand by alliance and by route. The main gateway is Auckland (AKL), with smaller number of flights to Christchurch (CHC). Other airports with international flights tend to only have Australian and South Pacific flights and none from further afield - these include Wellington (WLG), Hamilton (HLZ), Palmerston North (PMR), Queenstown (ZQN) and Dunedin (DUD).
Star Alliance
Air NZ (NZ)
LHR-HKG-AKL, LHR-LAX-AKL, YVR-AKL, SFO-AKL, LAX-AKL, LAX-RAR-AKL, LAX-NAN-AKL, LAX-APW-TBU-AKL, LAX-APW-AKL, PPT-AKL, RAR-AKL, APW-AKL, NAN-AKL, TBU-AKL, IUE-AKL, VLI-AKL, NOU-AKL, NLK-AKL, NAN-CHC, NAN-WLG, RAR-CHC, CNS-AKL, BNE-AKL, SYD-AKL, MEL-AKL, ADL-AKL, PER-AKL, SYD-WLG, MEL-WLG, BNE-WLG, SYD-CHC, MEL-CHC, BNE-CHC, SYD-ZQN, MEL-ZQN, NRT-AKL, NRT-KIX-AKL, NRT-CHC-AKL, KIX-AKL, KIX-CHC-AKL, HKG-AKL, PVG-AKL, HNL-AKL
Singapore Airlines (SQ)
SIN-AKL, SIN-CHC
Thai Airways (TG)
BKK-AKL
One World
Qantas (QF)
SYD-AKL, SYD-CHC (now shared with Jetstar), SYD-WLG, SYD-ZQN, MEL-AKL, MEL-CHC (now Jetstar), MEL-WLG, BNE-AKL, MEL-AKL-LAX, BNE-CHC (now Jetstar), BNE-WLG, MEL-ZQN (seasonal) and BNE-ZQN (seasonal)
Cathay Pacific (CX)
HKG-AKL
LAN (LA)
SCL-AKL-SYD
Sky Team
Korean Air (KE)
ICN-AKL, ICN-CHC
Other
Emirates (EK)
DXB-BKK-SYD-AKL, DXB-SIN-BNE-AKL, DXB-MEL-AKL, DXB-SYD-CHC
Royal Brunei
BWN-BNE-AKL
Eva Air (BR)
TPE-AKL
Air Pacific (FJ)
NAN-AKL, SUV-AKL, NAN-CHC, NAN-WLG
Polynesian Blue
See Virgin Blue
Aerolineas Argentinas (AR)
EZE-AKL-SYD
Air Tahiti Nui (TN)
PPT-AKL
Air Vanuatu
VLI-AKL
Malaysian Airlines (MH)
KUL-AKL
Air Calin
NOU-AKL
Low cost carriers
Freedom Air (SJ)
OOL-AKL, BNE-AKL, NAN-HLZ, OOL-HLZ, BNE-HLZ, SYD-HLZ, MEL-HLZ, NAN-PMR, BNE-PMR, SYD-PMR, MEL-PMR, OOL-WLG, BNE-WLG, OOL-CHC, BNE-CHC, OOL-DUD, BNE-DUD, SYD-DUD, MEL-DUD
(note Freedom Air is discontinuing service 31 March 2008, from that date Air NZ will operate all these routes except flights to/from PMR which will cease)
Pacific Blue (aka Virgin Blue in Australia) (DJ)
OOL-AKL, BNE-AKL, SYD-WLG, BNE-WLG, SYD-CHC, BNE-CHC, MEL-CHC
Pacific Blue under Polynesian Blue name TBU-AKL, APW-AKL, RAR-AKL
Jetstar (JQ) SYD-CHC, MEL-CHC, BNE-CHC, OOL-CHC
From Australia
CNS-AKL Air New Zealand
BNE-AKL Air New Zealand, Qantas, Royal Brunei, Emirates, Freedom Air, Pacific Blue
SYD-AKL Air New Zealand, Qantas, LAN, Aerolineas Argentinas, Emirates
MEL-AKL Air New Zealand, Qantas, Emirates
PER-AKL Air New Zealand
ADL-AKL Air New Zealand
SYD-WLG Air New Zealand, Qantas, Pacific Blue
MEL-WLG Air New Zealand, Qantas
BNE-WLG Air New Zealand, Qantas, Pacific Blue
SYD-CHC Air New Zealand, Qantas, Pacific Blue, Jetstar
MEL-CHC Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Emirates, Pacific Blue
BNE-CHC Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Freedom Air, Pacific Blue
SYD-ZQN Air New Zealand, Qantas
MEL-ZQN Air New Zealand, Qantas
BNE-ZQN Qantas
OOL-AKL Freedom Air, Pacific Blue
OOL-HLZ Freedom Air
OOL-CHC Jetstar
BNE-HLZ Freedom Air
SYD-HLZ Freedom Air
MEL-HLZ Freedom Air
BNE-PMR Freedom Air (ceases 31 March 2008)
SYD-PMR Freedom Air (ceases 31 March 2008)
MEL-PMR Freedom Air (ceases 31 March 2008)
OOL-WLG Freedom Air
BNE-WLG Freedom Air
OOL-CHC Freedom Air
OOL-DUD Freedom Air
BNE-DUD Freedom Air
SYD-DUD Freedom Air
MEL-DUD Freedom Air
From South Pacific
PPT-AKL Air New Zealand, Air Tahiti Nui
RAR-AKL Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue
RAR-CHC Air New Zealand
APW-AKL Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue
NAN-AKL Air New Zealand, Air Pacific
TBU-AKL Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue
IUE-AKL Air New Zealand
NOU-AKL Air New Zealand
NLK-AKL Air New Zealand
SUV-AKL Air Pacific
NAN-CHC Air New Zealand, Air Pacific
NAN-WLG Air New Zealand, Air Pacific
VLI-AKL Air Vanuatu, Air New Zealand
NOU-AKL Air Calin, Air New Zealand
NAN-HLZ Freedom Air
NAN-PMR Freedom Air
From North America
LAX-AKL Air New Zealand, Qantas
LAX-RAR/TBU/NAN/APW-AKL Air New Zealand
SFO-AKL Air New Zealand
HNL-AKL Air New Zealand
YVR-AKL Air New Zealand
From South America
SCL-AKL LAN
EZE-AKL Aerolineas Argentinas
From Asia
NRT-AKL Air New Zealand
NRT-KIX-AKL Air New Zealand
NRT-CHC-AKL Air New Zealand
KIX-AKL Air New Zealand
KIX-CHC-AKL Air New Zealand
ICN-AKL Korean Air
ICN-CHC Korean Air
HKG-AKL Air New Zealand, Cathay Pacific
TPE-AKL EVA Air
BKK-AKL Thai Airways
BKK-SYD-AKL Emirates
SIN-BNE-AKL Emirates
SIN-AKL Singapore Airlines
SIN-CHC Singapore Airlines
KUL-AKL Malaysian Airlines
BWN-BNE-AKL Royal Brunei
DXB-SYD/MEL/(SIN-BNE)/(BKK-SYD)-AKL Emirates
DXB-MEL/(SIN-MEL)-CHC Emirates
PVG-AKL Air New Zealand
From Europe
LHR-LAX-AKL Air New Zealand
LHR-HKG-AKL Air New Zealand
From Antarctica
There are no commercial flights to or over Antarctica, although both New Zealand and United States Antarctic Research programmes fly from Christchurch to McMurdo Station and Scott Base.
Immigration and Customs
In New Zealand, duty free may be purchased for departure and on arrival. New Zealand's very generous duty free limits are outlined below. Prices at the main outlets (Regency and DFS Galleria) are generally very competitive, and you can check prices online for both these and other duty free stores.
Summary
In most cases each adult can import 3 x 1125ml bottles of spirits or liqueurs, plus 6 x 750ml bottles of wine or port or equivalent in beer, plus 200 cigarettes without paying any extra duty or tax.
Detail
On entering New Zealand you are permitted two additional bottles of spirits under the special 'Over Allowance' provision, providing you do not exceed the following provisions:
Tobacco
200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars or a combination weighing not more than 250 grams.
Liquor
Six bottles (4.5 litres) of wine, port or sherry or 12 cans (4.5 litres) of beer. One 1125ml bottle of spirits or liqueurs.
Fragrance
Personal quantities of fragrances and cosmetics are additional to the above, although perfume concentrate is included in the General Allowances provision.
General
NZ$700.00 of other goods.
Agriculture inspection
New Zealand is very strict about bringing in food, plant and animal material. If in any doubt either dispose in the amnesty bins prior to agriculture inspection, or disclose on the arrival form. If something banned is found (even dirt on tramping boots) and you have not declared it, then you will be fined NZ$200 on the spot (ie must pay before you are allowed to enter New Zealand) and for serious offences risk going to jail. If you have declared it then the worst that can happen is take up a small amount of time and item gets confiscated. In case anyone thinks I am overstating how seriously this is taken, let me tell you of the time nearly a whole plane-load got fined NZ$200 - this was shown on a documentary called "Border Patrol". Apparently the flight attendants had not warned the passengers who took apples from the flight and ignored all the warning signs plastered everywhere.
For details on what is or isnt allowed, please see the Quarantine Service website. Note they are very helpful in answering any questions.
Departure Tax
Currently the departure tax is NZ$25 per adult (over 12) and collected at the airport on departure - pay at the bank branches, or some airlines will handle it at their premium desks (only). Visitors who stay in NZ less than 24 hours can collect an exemption sticker upon proof (ie inward boarding pass). From 1 July 2008 the tax rises to NZ$26, charged as NZ$13 arrival tax and NZ$13 departure tax, and will be collected at time of ticket issue.
Work in progress. Please bear with me. Thank you.