New Zealand Travel Tips - Things I Wish I'd Known Before Going

Indian passport holders need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) to enter - it's not a visa, but it's required. Apply at immigration.govt.nz online or through the NZeTA app. It took roughly 4 hours for us to upload the docs and apply for e-visa. Processing usually takes a week and it costed us around NZD 541 for 2 people. Status of the application moved from "Identity and document checks" to "Application received and completed" to "Under assessment no medicals required" to "Approved". It's valid for one year once granted, with multiple entries allowed.

If you're planning a campervan road trip - especially on the South Island in December/January - book as soon as your dates are fixed. Good campervans from reputable operators like Jucy, Britz, or Wilderness sell out months ahead in peak summer season. Waiting until a few weeks out means you'll either pay a premium or not find what you want.

You'll be driving on the left. Most people adapt within a day. One-lane bridges are common in NZ, especially on the South Island. Always check before crossing. Roundabouts are common too, so familiarize yourself with the rules. Also add significant buffer to any Google Maps estimate: winding roads and photo stops addtime.

New Zealand's speed cameras are everywhere and fully automated. Fines are issued digitally within hours of the offence - no police stop, no warning. The camera reads the plate, the notice goes to the registered owner (your rental company), and they charge your credit card.

The roads are scenic and beautiful. Drive slow enough to actually see them.

If you're staying in the CBD or Viaduct area, don't bother renting a car for Auckland itself. Parking is expensive, annoying to find, and parking buildings in the CBD charge significant overnight rates. Use public transport, rideshare, or walk - Auckland's waterfront area is very walkable. Pick up your rental car when you're actually leaving Auckland.

If you're renting a car, check whether your rental company allows inter-island travel - not all do.

The ferry from Auckland to Waiheke Island costs around NZD $200 one way per car. For a day trip, that's a lot. Consider going as a foot passenger and renting a car or e-bike on Waiheke instead.

Air New Zealand's economy carry-on allowance is 7kg including your personal item. On domestic flights especially, they weigh bags right before boarding at the gate. So if you purchase anything in the airport that is also counted into your 7kg limit.

Tipping is not customary in New Zealand. Hospitality staff are paid a living wage so they don't depend on tips the way US service workers do. Most Kiwis don't tip and won't expect you to.

Some EFTPOS machines will offer a tip option, and some cafés have tip jars. You can leave something for exceptional service if you want to - it'll be genuinely appreciated.

New Zealand runs on card payments for almost everything. Most places - including small cafes, markets, and parking meters - accept card. You won't need much cash, but carry a small amount for farmers markets, roadside stalls, and DOC huts in very remote areas. Use a no-foreign-transaction-fee card and always pay in NZD (not USD) when given the choice.

Auckland's souvenir shops are tourist-priced and often generic. The best places to buy things that are actually made in New Zealand: Geraldine (South Island) and any small town market you pass through. You'll find better quality, more interesting pieces, and friendlier prices than the big Auckland tourist shops.

Exception: Auckland Airport is genuinely good for last-minute shopping. Whittaker's chocolate (a NZ institution), merino wool products, and pounamu (greenstone/jade) jewelry are all well-represented and decent value.

New Zealand is known for its fresh produce, seafood and milk products. As we are vegetarian, we cannot recommend meat-based dishes, but we can recommend the following:

Unlike in the US where cars are generally expected to stop for pedestrians, New Zealand road rules do not give pedestrians automatic right of way at most crossings. Kiwi drivers will not automatically stop - especially when turning at intersections. Wait until cars have actually stopped or waved you through before crossing. On the plus side, at marked pedestrian crossings (the striped zebra crossings), cars are required to stop - look for the yellow beacons.

If you're doing a road trip and need accommodation in multiple towns, Haka Hostel is a reliable chain with locations in Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, Christchurch, and elsewhere. Clean, social, well-run. Not the cheapest option but a notch above the average hostel and worth the small premium for consistency, especially when you're moving cities every couple of days.

Hobbiton in Matamata is genuinely well done - the attention to detail is remarkable and the tour is worth it even if you're not a Lord of the Rings obsessive. If you are a fan, dress for it. People do show up in cloaks and elvish gear and no one bats an eye. It's one of those places where committing to the bit makes the experience significantly better. Book in advance - it sells out, especially in summer.

A large, thin travel towel (a Turkish towel/peshtemal works perfectly) is one of the most useful things you can bring to NZ. Hostels charge for towel hire. Beaches are everywhere and you'll want to swim. Changing out of wet gear in a public car park or by a roadside waterfall is a real scenario. A thin towel doubles as a wrap for exactly this - change under it, dry off and pack it.

New Zealand sits under a thinner part of the ozone layer. The UV index on a NZ summer day is significantly higher than what you're used to - you will burn faster than you expect, even on partly cloudy days. SPF 50+ is not overkill; it's correct. Reapply every two hours if you're outside. This is one of those tips that sounds like standard travel advice but is actually more important in NZ than almost anywhere else. If you are driving, cover your hands with sun protection gloves. My husband drove in NZ for the most part, his hands were not protected and he got severe burns - small boils all over his hands.

Around Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Te Anau, and most of Fiordland: sandflies. They're tiny, silent, and their bites itch for days, but you'll only notice hours later. DEET-based repellent works. But me mindful while spraying - so many times it has hit my eyes through wind when others were spraying nearby.

NZ tap water is clean and safe in all towns and cities. No need to buy bottled water. Carry a reusable bottle and refill it. The environmental ethos in NZ is strong - single-use plastic is frowned upon and many places actively encourage you to bring your own.