Maz

I know I've seen this somewhere recently in this forum, but haven't had any luck searching.

After getting some beautifully detailed maps, we're looking at distances between towns. Boy, it's all pretty tiny isn't it! Easy to see why people "just pop" up into the mountains in Winter to go skiing. Everything seems in very easy reach.

So anyway (I'll get to the point eventually ), we're looking at driving from Auckland to Wellington (via Tauranga, Rotorua, Naper and Masterton, where we'll stop and spend some time with a friend who owns a vineyard ), spending 2 nights or so in each place.

I know someone said there's a glut of hire cars in either Auckland or Wellington, but can't remember which, but that driving one-way from one to the other was a bit cheaper as they wanted people to drive the cars from one to the other.

Can someone please refresh my memory as to which direction is, or may be cheaper?

Also... can we rent mobile phones at the airport in Auckland?

Thanks anyone who knows the answers to my queries.

GowHow

I cannot answer the bit about cheap car hire but when we got our campervan form Maui, we were able to borrow a mobile phone. I seem to remember only paying for the credit, the phone was "free"

Maz

That sounds a pretty neat deal, thanks for the feedback. How much was it to hire a campervan? That must have been fun!

GowHow

It was great fun (see my blog)

We went for the slightly cheaper option of Backpacker campers - This is a Maui owned brand but the campers are a couple of years old (branded as Maui for the first 2 yrs)

From memory it cost about £70 per day.

Maz

Excellent, thanks so much! I've bookmarked your blog and will read it this evening.

dlmckay

Usually the glut of cars is in the south, as people arrive in Auckland and then travel south... however, I suggest you ring the various companies and find out!

My friends got a great deal just after the Lions Rugby tour as the games started in the south and headed north, finishing in Auckland. Big glut of campervans and she got a half price deal to drive it to Christchurch including a free ferry pass across the Cook Strait.

P2L

www.avis.com

They offer a reduction for taking cars south to north and you can also hire a mobile phone thru them

Maz

Thanks dl! Wow half price eh? That's brilliant! Not sure we're 'doing' the South Island as it's more of a fact-finding trip (hopefully) with hols to come if/when we move there. But that's a great deal nonetheless.

Maz

Ooooh excellent, thank you! I have a Hertz Gold card free through my work and it's valid worldwide, so I'll try them, too. I always forget about that little perk, d'oh! Great news about the mobile, too, ta very much!

minky

Dont be misled by thinking its tiny your max speed here is 100km the roads are mostly one track can be twisty and hilly and if you get behind something slow there are not many double overtaking lanes.
One good rule is double the time it would take in the UK.
We did the camper loop last year from Auckland down the west to Wellington and back up the east side it was good fun and with two children they were happy drawing etc while we drove. Some sites were better than others.
We drove a couple of weeks ago to Tauranga from East Auckland nearly 3 hours that included a lunch break.
When parking here you must park the same way as the traffic and dont park over two spaces either there are plenty of spaces for campervans.
Enjoy the trip we did hence we are here.

lardyl

thanks for the advice - we may well do this for a couple of weeks on arrival and before MrsL is sent out to work!!

SirEglamore

You'll probably find you cant take a North Island car south on the ferry or vice versa. you have to drop one then pick up another. also be careful of non tarmac roads for inaccesibility or stones through your windscreen. just a couple of tips we managed to find out for ourselves

P2L

Just had a quick look on Avis, can't see anything that says you can't go bewtween islands. You could also try Apex who are recommended by Interislander

shazzafromnz

You wouldnt want to take one over on the ferry..its much much cheaper to go over without a vehicle and rehire on the otherside

P2L

True but a pain if you've got luggage, kids etc. Agree with the ferry suggestion as opposed to flying!!! Wellington runway is sscarrrry :scared: