Planning my first trip to New Zealand before I move there. Need some advice. Thanks.?

Question

I've been studying New Zealand for a little over 2 years and have fallen in love with it. I plan to move there in two years and hope to visit in May for my first time. I want to scout out where I'd like to move, etc. I'm looking for some advice on how to see the most for the least. I'm leaning towards living in Arrowtown so I could be close to queenstown to work without losing the scenery. I have a million questions outside of this one so if any citizen would be willing to help me, I'd really appreciate it. My main question now is, how would you see your country if you were me? Should I travel the country by train or rental car? I'm trying to keep my whole trip to around $2500 USD for 10 days... Thanks for the help. Any opinions would be great.

Answer 1

Go to Australia instead.  Cheaper and better.  The cost of living here is absurdly expensive and the roads are c**p.  Service is non-existant.

Answer 2

Hi - hope these sites help.  Obviously NZrail and the other is Intercity (bus company kind of like Greyhound).

http://www.railnewzealand.com/

http://www.flexipass.co.nz/

Rental car is an option - just don't go for one at the airport.  They always cost more.  Most rental companies have a courtesy pickup at airports and take you to their office and will  get you back to airport in time for your flights.  Whatever you do ... don't hitch-hike.  Always horror-news about missing tourists.  NZ is not the idyllic land people think it is.

Yes Arrowtown is beautiful and near Queenstown - wonderful part of the country.  Apart from tourism and construction - can't think of much else work-wise.

Sounds like you're drawn to mountain/lake scenery of the Sth Island.  A North Island option is Taupe.  Great Lake, views etc  and near the alpine plateau for skiing etc.  Another tourist hotspot of the country.

Feel free to email  me ... see what I can find out.

btw - the thing about Oakland and Auckland - years back - a guy flying into LAX on Air NZ  stayed on board for his connection to 'Oakland' and ended up arriving in New Zealand.  Story goes a few hours after leaving LAX he asked the Oakland arrival time ... only to be told in 10 hours time!



I love the flight from LAX to Auckland being told that cabin attendants are 'bio-lingual'.  Good old Kiwi dipthongs!

Answer 3

i lived in nz for 5 years and it's such a beautiful country. definitely travel by car- you get too see all the scenery you normally would, but you can stop and have a look at the little towns as you please.  ive never been to the south island so i can't be much helo there, but i spent 5 years living on the north island so i can help there. waiheke island in auckland is beautiful, and rotorua gives you the whole maori culture experience. i loved living in cambridge, a quaint little town near hamilton, but there isn't very much to do there.

enjoy nz!

Answer 4

Try a group tour like contiki....I did that...it was alot of fun....and you see everthing that needs to be seen.  I remember Arrowtown...it was very small....have you thought about Christchurch....it's a great little city....and you might find a better paying job there.  But if you want to be close to queenstown then just move there.  Truely the best spots in New Zealand :)   Wish I could go there again!  Good Luck

Answer 5

ok firstly definately go rental car, you have to stay in Rotorua for at least 2 days and experience a maori cooked meal called a hangi(it's cooked under ground--yummy lol)(i was born there and worked in the  top hotels there), when you drive around a country you see more of it, there are plenty of cheap places to stay that are nice, if you are already planning arrowtown as your base(which is picture perfect too by the way)then leave that til last so you can take your time discovering that region, you will love it here especially down the south island which in my opinion(i live in the north island lol)is far more beautiful than the north, good luck with the rest of your planning :)

Answer 6

if i was you i,d buy myself a little car,you answer to know one but yourself,and you see what you want to see,remember new zealand is a small country from christchurch to Dunedin takes,maybe 5 hours,ch ch to west coast of the south island takes 3 1/2 hours you,ll be looken around,so it will be longer 4 you,there's backpacker all the way,i think about 25 dollars a nite.it is cold down that way but you can always put more cloths on,arrowtown is small but a nice little town,know matter where you live in the south island ,its always a good weekend away .4 hour drive to queenstown ,there are a lot of little town you would fine work in ,have a great holiday and happy traveling ,born a kiwi and can,t wait to go home

Answer 7

come and visit but giveup the idea of moving here. You'll be sorry.. Also arrowtown is colder than Queenstown. I moved here 3 yrs ago. First wages are very low barely enough to pay your rent... houses are built very poorely no central heating...electic is expensive  food is expensive... but do visit you'll love it as a tourist.. but be sorry if you move...

Answer 8

Hi Email me at [e-mail] and I will send you some information, the best way to see NZ in my opinion is with a tourist travel group, where you travel with a whole lot of other tourists by bus and do a lot of cool things, it works out cheaper in the end, and you can make some awesome friendships.

Answer 9

Other than the glaringly obvious like Oakland (California) and Auckland sounding identical in the New Zealand accent, I don't know too much about NZ.

However, rent a car :-) That way, you're not bound by the constraints of a schedule, which leaves you with more time to explore the beauty of New Zealand when you find that one incredibly breathtaking spot of scenery that you could just die in.

If it was me taking the trip, I'd find a place where I could learn about the Maori people. Enjoy your trip :-)