Transfercar User Tips @nz | Transfercar Blog

Crazy about rugby but gonna be on the road? No panic, we’ve got you sorted!

To the rugby fans out there, we have some real good news: You can be on the road AND follow the Rugby World Cup 2015, so there’s no reason to stop relocating cars 🙂

Here’s our guide to watching the games while on the road, and the best pubs for some rugby action in the main cities of New Zealand.

WATCH THEM ONLINE

You have a mobile phone plan with data, and don’t want to leave that comfy campa bed? Great, you can watch the games from anywhere directly on your smartphone screen! All you have to do is get the Fan Pass app from Sky TV. It’s free to download for Apple and Android devices and lets you pay a daily ($15) or weekly ($20) rate to access the Sky Sport channels 1 to 4.

Just make sure there is enough signal where you are, or try to connect to a free wifi hot spot to save data.

It’s also possible to use ITV to watch the games, check out the details here.

You can also download the official All Blacks app (Apple and Android, free) which has some exciting features including news, player information, statistics, and videos. We also recommend downloading the Official Rugby World Cup 2015 app (Apple and Android, free).

IN AUCKLAND

Neighbourhood Bar, Kingsland
Good breakfasts, and so very close to Eden Park! Even though our players are on the other side of the globe, being in front of their favourite stadium will help you feel closer to them!

O’Hagans Irish Bar and the Fox, Viaduct Harbour, Central City
O’Hagans bar is like a little slice of Ireland on the waterfront in Auckland, and the Fox probably has the best atmosphere in Auckland of all the sports bars we’ve been to! Look forward to those hearty breakfasts and perhaps a cheeky morning pint as well…If you’re going to be in Auckland central, definitely check out those two options.

The Elephant Wrestler, Takapuna
It’s a spacious, light-filled venue with a big screen and delicious pub food and great coffees. We reckon it’s one of the best places to watch the games on the Shore.

IN WELLINGTON
One Fat Bird
HD projectors and big screens, so there won’t be any bad seat in this pub. Breakfast specials from only $10… If you’re going to be in Welly, One Fat Bird is an obvious good choice!

Green Man Pub>One of the busiest pubs in Wellington, centrally located on Victoria Street, this one will be packed during the All Blacks games!

IN CHRISTCHURCH

The Running Bull
Big screen, great beer, and daily drink and food specials.

The Fox & Ferret
Lively atmosphere and a dance floor, so be ready to shake that booty as early as 7 am!

IN QUEENSTOWN

Pog Mahones
The home of live sport in Queenstown, this pub is an institution. Don’t miss it if you visit the Southern Lakes!

IN DUNEDIN

The Terrace Sports Bar
They claim to have the largest TV screen in Dunedin, it’s the premier sports bar in the city. Great fun guaranteed.

Our new date picker explained

You may have noticed that the date picker of our calendar comes in two versions now, depending on the relocation, and you’re wondering why is this? Here’s a simple explanation:

Typically when you rent a motorhome or campervan, the duration and price of the rental is based on the number of calendar days used, that is for example if you pick up on a Monday at 10 am and drop-off on a Thursday at 10 am, even though you’ve only been on the road for 72 hours, the operator will count 4 calendar days (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday and Thursday, that’s 4!).

However typically when you rent a car, the duration of the rental is calculated on the number of 24 hours period, therefore in this example the rental will be considered 3 days only.

Our new date picker reflects those two different calculation methods, and the days are either fully coloured (calendar day) or half coloured (24 hour cycle) to show the difference.

Queenstown for non-skiers

Queenstown might be a winter paradise for skiers and boarders, but there’s plenty to do if you don’t feel like swishing down the slopes. The region is also renowned as the ”adventure capital of the world” and for its great party scene, but those who aren’t in their 20’s anymore can also enjoy soft adventures and wonderful pinot noir. Here’s our selection of some of the best things that non-skiers can do:

Funyak Safaris on the Dart River

Combine wilderness jet boating with unique Funyak inflatable canoes for a fun way to explore the Dart River as well as hidden side streams, rock pools and dramatic chasms. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of this stunning area at your own pace as you float downstream on sparkling water, then enjoy a wilderness picnic lunch before heading past ‘Paradise’ and on to Glenorchy. Then travel a back-country route passing by locations used in movies to illustrate Middle Earth.

A visit to the goldmining city of Arrowtown

A scenic 20-minute drive from Queenstown, Arrowtown is a must-do. This historic goldmining town looks like it came right out of America’s Wild West. It has charming cottages, offers a cute local museum and the opportunity to pan for gold in the nearby Arrow river. There’s also some fine food (try award-winning Saffron), and beautiful galleries.

Sample some great wines in Bannockburn

Central Otago is the place to when it comes to New Zealand’s famous pinot noir, and our favourite terroir has to be the scenic Bannockburn area, home to several top wineries, including Carrick and Mt Difficulty. It’s very easy to get from one winery to the next so you can actually swallow the wines that you’re tasting 🙂 The food is also wonderful.

Cruise aboard a Steamship

A cruise on Lake Wakatipu aboard the iconic steamship the TSS Earnslaw is undoubtedly one of the best ways to experience Queenstown’s famed scenic beauty. The leisurely 90 minute cruise across the lake showcases some of the region’s spectacular alpine scenery while offering you plenty of time to explore a piece of the city’s living history – the 100 year old TSS Earnslaw.

The list really goes on… Queenstown has SO much to offer that a week won’t be enough and you’ll want to come back. The good news is that Transfercar has a lot of car relocations going to and from Queenstown so make the most of it!

Photos by Pascal Languillon except Steamship by Real Journeys.

Discover the magic of Western Australia

Western Australia (WA) is so huge and so lightly populated that most of it is just pure wilderness. It is Australia’s final frontier!

Perth is the country’s sunniest capital city, offering a vast array of amazing sunsets over the ocean. It blends urban cool with spectacular nature and provides a good start to your Western Australia adventure. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and a very decent choice of beautiful wineries nearby.

Follow the coast up North and discover some of the world’s most pristine beaches. The World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is the largest fringing reef on Earth and one of the few places in the world where you can swim with the whale shark. Go South and you will find Margaret River, a bustling market town famed for its wine, incredible surfing nearby, and mysterious karri (eucalyptus) forests.

ningaloo reef

Western Australia is a superb destination for nature lovers. Wildlife-watching opportunities are extraordinary, from interactions with dolphins at Monkey Mia to the spotting of migrating whale pods off the coast of Albany. There’s also stunning gorges and waterfalls at Karijini National Park.

Broome offers a fantastic natural phenomenon called the Staircase to the Moon. It is best seen from Roebuck Bay in Broome, when the full moon rises over the exposed mudflats at extremely low tide and creates a beautiful optical illusion of stairs reaching to the moon. The Staircase to the Moon happens 2 – 3 days a month between March and October.

Transfercar regularly offers free rental cars and campervans that need to be relocated from one of the major cities of the East Coast to Western Australia. Relocation deals with 12 to 15 free rental days are not uncommon, giving you enough time to explore en route and see vast expanses of the country. Start planning your escape now!

How-to: Wellington to Auckland with Transfercar

So you have booked a car using Transfercar and managed to find one with three days to get from Wellington to Auckland, Yay! If you want to just drive and get there as soon as possible then that’s about 7 to 8 hours if you go straight up State Highway 1. But with three days, why rush? You can take some time to explore. The obvious first choice is to stop in Taupo and explore Tongariro National Park.

welly to auckland 2 — *Option 1 – State Highway 1*

But if you want to be a little more adventurous, you could go via Wanganui with its famous River and Art Community including the magnificent Sarjeant Art Gallery. After that up through the rugged limestone hills north of Wanganui that form the steep and curvy Parapara highway straight to Mount Ruapehu which has absolutely amazing views of a large part of the North Island. Alternatively you could head out to take a look at Mount Taranaki via the towns on the way like Patea, Hawera and Stratford. From New Plymouth the drive is easy up the west coast all the way to the glow worms at Waitomo Caves and then on to Hamilton.

Option 2 – through Taranaki

The sexy alternative is to go East. From Wellington, drive through Upper Hutt and all those towns ending in ‘ton’ Featherston, Carterton, Masterton, then up through Hastings to Napier. After the earthquake in February 1931 a lot of the new buildings in Napier were built in the art deco style and the town is often referred to as the ‘Art Deco Capital of the world’. From Napier, the drive around the much vaunted Hawkes Bay could provide the opportunity for a bit of sun, fun and relaxing on the beach and the wines are very good too!

welly to auckland 3 — *Option 3 – East Coast*

From there, on to Gisborne and some of the magnificent coastal scenery of the Pacific Coast Highway. Tolaga Bay is where Captain Cook stayed six days repairing the ‘Endeavour’ and taking on water and supplies and Tolaga Bay Wharf at 660 metres in length is the longest in New Zealand.

Wow so much to do, can we fit it all into the three days we have or will it take longer? From Whakatane it looks an easy drive through to Rotorua and the endless wonders of bubbling mud pools, Maori culture and a long soak in a natural hot spa – now that sounds nice! Or should you take the coastal highway around the Bay of Plenty through Te Puke and Papamoa Beach to Tauranga and the holiday spot Mount Maunganui ? From there it’s just a short trip to Thames and then on to Auckland.

Where do you stay when you relocate with Transfercar?

People who drive with Transfercar come from all walks of life and relocate with us for a huge number of reasons. In our 2013 survey we asked you for stories from your relocations with us and found you liked staying at a number of places in a number of different ways…

Some of you decide to sleep on the go inside one of our camper-vans

“We used Melbourne cup weekend to have a minibreak to new zealand and transfered a camper from christchurch to auckland the weather was miserable but we had a great time and the camper was very cosy. Loved it” – Genine, New Zealand

Some stay with family

“We have only used Transfercar once, but it was a very enjoyable experience. We hired a small campervan to travel from Brisbane to Cairns. Stopping along the way at Gladstone, Airlie Beach, Home Hill and Innisfail. At each stop we caught up with friends or relatives. Once special point that made the trip memerable was the fact the campervan didn’t have a cd player. It only had a cassette player. We were able to call in at home before we left and find some of our old tapes to listen to on the trip. When we reached Cairns the drop off was very easy and we enjoyed the experience. We then stayed in Cairns for about another 10 days with relatives. I would recommend using Transfercar for any trip in Australia. It is a great way to get first hand knowledge on how big this country is.” – Brad, Australia

Other drivers like to visit exotic or interesting hotels

“We arrived in Auckland with a parcel we were carrying for someone there – he helped us get to the depot ( we didn’t know Auckland) then took us on a tour of part of Auckland – with full commentary before taking us straight to our hotel. Made us feel most welcome!” – Margaret, New Zealand

And beach-lovers visit their favourite sun & surf spots

“Drove from Melbourne to Sydney, camped at beaches along the way” – David, Australia

But some drivers are just ADVENTUROUS and go where the wind takes them!

“This is our typical holiday, book a flight to a destination and the wait and see where a transfercar will take us. Our last holiday we wen from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island and then back to Adelaide and all the way to Uluru. We love the adventure of not knowing exactly where we are going. It is like a holiday lottery. Love the service of transfercar a. We are 100% happy customers even though we had a slight hiccup at the end of our travels” – Kathy, Australia

So how do you sort out accommodation when you travel with Transfercar?
Let us know by emailing [email protected]
(yes Aussies, you’ll have to email a New Zealand address!)