New Zealand Appendix: Some tips for travelling

These are just some things we think might be useful for folks considering travelling to New Zealand, in no particular order!  If you want to ask a specific question, go for it in the comments. Exchange rate for us when we travelled, Feb - March 2016 was approximately 2 dollars = £1

• Book well in advance, particularly if you want to see the country by motorhome.  We met several people who left it late and had to have the very large motorhomes which restrict where you can go and are heavy on fuel
• On the commercial sites we stayed on with our motorhome there were often well equipped cabins which would make another alternative way of seeing the country if you are hiring a car.  If you stay in the cabins you have access to the laundry, bathroom and kitchen facilities.
• I have noted some commercial site prices (for powered sites) in my blog, but generally they ranged from NZD19 - 25 per person per night.  All of the sites we stayed on had good facilities.
• If you are travelling by motorhome and wish to wild camp, then you need a van which is self-contained.  
• If you are hiring a motorhome, consider booking in to a nearby site to airport for at least one night before you set off on your travels.  It gives you time to 'come round' from travelling, to shop and to suss out where everything goes in the van.  Similarly book on to a commercial site the night before you hand the van back so you can pack, clean the van, fill it up etc
• If you are hiring a motorhome and intend to just use commercial sites, look at the Top 10 and Kiwi sites loyalty clubs which give discounts on a range of stuff inc some tours
• We used Wilderness Motorhomes and would highly recommend them.  They cost a little more than the 'popular' companies but their insurance package is very good and allowed us to use the gravel roads.  They have excellent reviews and responded quickly to the two concerns we had during our trip.  Not all motorhome companies allow travellers to go 'off-road'.  We were also able to hire bikes and a wi-fi router as part of our package (but we found the wi-fi expensive).  Wilderness also give you a wild campsite book and a book of places to visit close to the wild camp sites which we used a great deal.
• Talking wi-fi, I-Sites (tourist information centres) usually have free wi-fi as do many cafes, restaurants etc.  Commercial Holiday Parks also offer wi-fi, some free, others for a small charge -  we used all of these at some point or other during our holiday.
• Clothes (said these weren't in any particular order!) - we travelled mid February to the end of March.  I only used my coat to get to the airport in the UK.  We lived in shorts, capri trousers and t-shirts/shirts putting on fleeces when needed.  The trousers and jeans and jumpers did not leave the luggage.
• Take more than one travel adaptor or a multi adaptor
• Don't take suntan lotion unless you are stopping off en route to New Zealand.  Instead buy the largest bottle of 30+/50+ factor as soon as you arrive at a supermarket and apply liberally - that hole in the ozone layer catches you out straight away.  Also take a hat!
• Include sat nav in your package to locate those wild camps more easily.
• Some random examples of prices of things: posh lunch at Edgewater Resort $25; 1 litre Meadowfresh Trim Milk $3.49; 330g tim tam choccy biscuits value pack $5.49; Leggo stir thru pasta sauce 350g $4.89; Kellogs Cornflakes $3.19; 30 Twinings Tea Bags $3.79; 500g penne pasta $1.89; 2 litre Charlie's low pulp orange juice $8.39; salmon fillet $11.26
• Good supermarkets:  Countdown (do a tourist loyalty card) and New World.  Some supermarkets have links with local petrol stations for discounted fuel
• Decent evening meal, eg in Queenstown (Finz Seafood and Grill) $91 for two inc. two mains, side of vegetables, glass of wine, fruit juice, coffee and tea
• Diesel cost - ranged from $0.78 a litre to $1.24!  Prices were more expensive on South Island.
• If you are packing walking gear you must declare it and you need to scrub boots etc before you go.  New Zealanders are quite rightly very keen on protecting their eco-systems and will fine travellers who do not declare walking gear and/or charge you if your gear has any residues.

	kilometres
Auckland to Waipu Caves	131.7
Waipu Caves to Whangarei	30.4
Whangarei to Sandy Bay	29
Sandy Bay to Kawakawa	44.8
Kawakawa to Paihia	16.8
Paihia to Kerikeri	23.5
Kerikeri to Awanui	89.4
Awanui to Waipapakauri Beach	4.5
Waipapakauri Beach to Rangiora	81.2
Rawene to Dargaville	105.5
Dargaville to Auckland	175.5
Auckland to Miranda	80
Miranda to Cathedral Cove	95
Cathedral Cove to Coromandel	54.6
Coromandel to Te Ahora	106.5
Te Ahora to Hobbiton	49.2
Hobbiton to Holdens Bay	77.3
Holdens Bay to Taupo	85.2
Taupo to Te Perore	88.1
Te Perore to Ketetahi	2.4
Ketetahi to Whakapapa	37.1
Whakapapa to Wanganui	142.6
Wanganui to Foxton Beach	87.6
Foxton Beach to Lower Hutt	116.4
Lower Hutt to Wellington	16.3
	1770.6	1106.625	miles
Picton to Ward	73
Sawcut Gorge	24
Ward to Kaikoura	83.3
Kaikoura to Waikari	127.9
Waikari to Methven	160.1
Methven to Salisbury	110
Salisbury to Lake Pukaki	145
Lake Pukaki to Mt Cook Village	42.4
Mt Cook Village to Bendigo	163
Bendigo to Arrowtown	66.3
Arrowtown to Queenstown	20.5
Queenstown to Wanaka	114
Wanaka to Franz Josef	286
Franz Josef to Carters Beach	331
Carters Beach to Motueka	226
Motueka to Hira	61
Hira to Saint Arnaud	102
Saint Arnaud to Waikuku	323
Waikuku to Eyrewell	44.1
Eyrewell to Christchurch	41.3
Christchurch to Airport	7.8
	2551.7	1594.813	miles
		2701.438	miles