How to Get Around New Zealand

A car is how most visitors see New Zealand, and the driving is a genuine part of the trip rather than a transfer between the good bits. New Zealand drives on the left. Distances read short on a map and take much longer than they look — winding, single-lane, often unpassable stretches mean a 200-kilometre leg can be a four-hour day.

The two islands are joined by the InterIslander and Bluebridge ferries across Cook Strait, a three-and-a-half-hour crossing from Wellington to the top of the South Island that is worth doing in daylight. Book vehicles well ahead over summer. Domestic flights are the fast alternative and are frequent between the main centres.

Intercity coaches reach most towns, and a network of hop-on backpacker buses covers the standard circuit, but neither gets you to trailheads — trailhead shuttles are a separate, bookable thing in walking areas. In Auckland and Wellington the buses and trains cover the centre well; almost everywhere else, you are back to a car.

Freedom camping is regulated, not free-for-all. Many councils allow it only in certified self-contained vehicles and only in marked places, and instant fines are issued. Check the rules for each district rather than assuming.