Travel @nz | Transfercar Blog

Exploring New Zealand on the Cheap: The Ultimate Backpacker’s Guide

If you are an avid backpacker looking for a genuine summer adventure, New Zealand is the perfect destination for that. The land of scenic landscape, rocky mountains and lovely beaches will leave you speechless the moment you arrive. Since it has so much to offer, you should put on a backpack and start exploring. For a truly unique experience, you need to be prepared and informed, so here’s what you need to know.

Where to Start?

The most breathtaking beauties of New Zealand are at the South Island, which means that you should save the best for last. Therefore, start exploring the land of many unspoiled areas from North (the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Islands, to name a few) to South. This way you can cover everything and leave the highlight of your trip for its ending. As you slowly progress towards the South, you will feel your excitement building up, so imagine how you will feel when you finally experience the best of the best that New Zealand has to offer.

How About a Free a Car?

You’ll have a lot of places to visit and a variety of activities to try out, so if you find it hard to keep up with the bus or train schedules or you are not particularly keen of hitchhiking, now there’s an option for free one-way car rentals in New Zealand, allowing you to go wherever you want and whenever you want. You can visit some secluded areas which you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise, and you’ll have a completely different experience if you’re behind the wheel, not having to organise your trip to someone else’s schedule, but create one that actually works for you.

Where to Stay?

There’s a variety of different options when it comes to accommodation, but you should keep one thing in mind – stay away from the chain hotels. These hotels aren’t budget-friendly, which means that you’ll spend a lot of money and be broke by the time you reach the middle of your trip. Instead, you can find motels, hostels and resorts with self-contained accommodation, both in North and South, that are much more affordable, but equally comfortable. You can also go for AirBnB, which is a great opportunity to save money, and meet new and interesting people who can give you tips on which places to visit.

Buy a New Zealand Sim Card

While exploring New Zealand, you should use one of their operators to cut down on the roaming expenses. You should find the one with the best offer when it comes to the international calls and the Internet packages (assuming that you’ll keep in touch with your friends and family). You can inform yourself prior to your travel, pick one of the three operators and not worry about it when you arrive to the country.

Try Bungee Jumping

If you’ve always wanted to do something daring and exciting, New Zealand is the perfect choice for you. You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to do a bungee jump while you’re there, so make sure to put this on your to-do list. Since you’ll probably arrive in Auckland, you won’t have to go far for such experience. Just visit the Auckland Harbour Bridge, take a deep breath and jump! Your heart will be racing, you’ll be afraid and you’ll love it! Since it’s summer, you can try a jump with a river dip – you won’t be cold! And if you are looking for a more private experience, Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown is what you are looking for.

Don’t Miss Mountain Biking

It won’t be difficult to find mountain track where you can try this activity, but Rotorua, located on the North Island, is the centre of the mountain biking in New Zealand. It’s really simple – just rent a bike, and take a day to explore the trails in the Whakarewarewa Forest. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the scenic landscapes and get yourself in shape!

Summer time is the perfect period for exploring the natural beauties of New Zealand. Instead of retreating to your home, pack your bags, get your free car and go on the trip of your lifetime.

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5 Reasons You Should (Re)Visit NZ’s North Island This Spring

If you live in the South Island, a trip up North is always worthwhile. Even if you live on the North Island, you haven’t seen it all. The variety of wonderful natural attractions and interesting cities is just too great. Here are 5 reasons why you should plan a spring road trip!

Spring Festival in Wellington

ships-in-the-bay-in-wellington-new-zealand

It’s logical that your spring visit to New Zealand and its North Island starts in its capital – Wellington. Due to its southernmost position, this town is a great starting point for a tour de Te Ika-a-Māui for people coming from the South Island.

Apart from being the gate of the North Island, Wellington also hosts a wide range of interesting spring events, the most important being the Spring Festival. Here you can see the natural treasures of the local Botanic Garden, as well as buy plants for your home collection. When your feet start to hurt from all the plant-seeing, relax and try some tasty food and first-class wines at Picnic Café, inside the Garden.

Moreover, if you’re in Wellington’s Botanic Garden this spring, don’t miss the Victory Medal cultural installation, in memory of the New Zealand’s soldiers who died in WWI. It’s going to be on display from 9 September to 13 November this year.

Taranaki Garden Spectacular

This region is situated on the geographical horn that dominates the middle of the North Island. It was named for Mount Taranaki – the dominant geographical feature of the entire area. Since this mountain is actually an old volcano, the slopes around it have fertile soil. Thanks to a God-given combination of volcanic rocks and rainforests, Taranaki is famous for its lush gardens, the most prominent being Te Kainga Marire. If you want to see some endemic rhododendrons or samples of original New Zealand-grown roses, come and observe how these and other plants create one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

Garden-lovers should come to Taranaki at the end of October, to witness the Taranaki Garden Spectacular – a large garden festival, during which you can visit more than 50 enchanting gardens and see some fine examples of garden design and landscaping. The easiest way to get to Taranaki region is to rent a free car and enjoy a 250-mile drive along the west coast of the North Island.

The Waitomo Caves are Less Crowded

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Situated in the continental part of New Zealand’s northwest, The Waitomo Caves are famous for Black Water cave rafting, which is an endemic extreme sport – a blend of mountaineering and rafting. Check out this ideo to See what this thrill-provoking activity looks like.

Since you can’t squeeze the visit to this site in one day, you’ll need some fine accommodation. Although you can find dozens of hotels and bungalows in this area, try camping in Waitomo. Combined with a cave rafting tour, it will give you the best experience this region can offer.

The easiest way to get here is to go along the coast from New Plymouth to Awakino and then follow the signs to Waitomo.

Blossoming Orchards in The Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty is a great follow-up to a visit to The Waitomo Caves. The reason this part got such a sound name is definitely the plentitude of natural wonders it displays. First of all, there are eight rivers that flow into the sea in The Bay of Plenty (take a look at the map). Apart from the rivers, in spring, you can see the beautiful sights of blossoming kiwi orchards throughout the region. It’s interesting that this branch of agriculture is developing rapidly there, so use this opportunity to visit those orchards of plenty.

As for sea activities, surfing is the most popular sport in this region. But the real eye candy and a holiday treat every visitor to this part of the North Island should experience is definitely White Island. It’s a volcanic island located about 35 miles from Whakatane. You can visit it by boat or by helicopter. Here you can read more about the island and the preparations necessary for a visit to this Pacific gem.

Rotorua: It’s always good there!

If you’re visiting Bay of Plenty for the first time, you might be surprised that this waterfront region also hides some wonderful attractions in the continental part, too. The most interesting inland area of this bay is located around the town of Rotorua. In spring, you can go for endless strolls around one of 18 beautiful lakes located in the vicinity of this town.

Moreover, you can go to river jet tours, hiking adventures and casual walks. Finally, when every single muscle in your body starts aching from all these activities, visit one of numerous geothermal pools and relax your mind and soul.

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Mount Taranaki

Waitomo Caves

Rotorua

The Strangest Overseas Driving Laws That Could Catch You Out

It’s hard enough trying to remember all the laws of your own country, let alone memorising those from overseas. When you’re next in any of these countries, make a note of these driving laws which could catch you out.

Don’t stop for pedestrians – China

Kicking it off with a doozy, this Chinese law actively encourages you to continue forwards, even if you see a pedestrian coming. You should obviously be very careful and drive safe no matter what the rules are. If you need legal advice regarding personal injury issue, call the Clark Law Office.

That’s a little harrowing when you think about it – and certainly something you’d need to watch out for if you’re a stranger in the country.

While jaywalking might be actively punished in places like the US, there’s still an expectation on the part of the driver to stop. On the brutal streets of China, that apparently isn’t the case.

No Speed Limit – Germany

If you’re out for a nice drive on the German autobahn network – effectively their equivalent of a motorway or highway – you’re not actually forced to follow any kind of speed guidelines.

That might sound somewhat scary if you’re a beginner, but it isn’t too bad. People are allowed to travel at whatever speed feels best for them – with different lanes offering varying acceleration.

Worryingly though, stopping or breaking down is illegal – meaning you can’t head out if you even remotely suspect you might be in danger of either of those things happening.

6-Eyes – Spain

For some reason, Spanish law states that if you require glasses, you must carry a second pair when driving.

I suppose the concern is the first pair might break – but then, it begs the question as to how that could happen without already having crashed?

Glasses don’t tend to fall apart off their own steam – they need something to cause them to break in the first place…thus making the second pair somewhat superfluous.

Blind driving – USA

Only the good old U.S. of A could pump out such an obscure law, yet, amazingly, in the state of Alabama it’s illegal not just to perform the spoliation of evidence, but also to drive while being blindfolded.

It speaks volumes this would even need to be implemented as a regulation in the first place and does leave one wondering how it came about.

Whatever the circumstances which brought in this bizarre rule, I guess we can’t argue you definitely shouldn’t drive without being able to see. Well done Alabama, I guess?

Check with an experienced attorney like Stuart DUI attorney to educate on drunk driving rules and how to prevent yourself from getting involved in drunk driving charges.

Drink and drive – Costa Rica

According to this page from Cohen Law Group, it’s perfectly legal for people driving in Costa Rica to have a pint of beer while they’re out for a casual drive.

Wow, talk about liberal views on drink driving right? Wrong. Despite that rule, it’s an instant jail sentence if you’re caught with more than 0.75% of alcohol in your blood.

It’s not really clear why a nation would be so casual in one regard, yet so stringent and authoritarian in another. The simple solution to avoid catastrophe is to avoid drinking and driving at the same time altogether. This post from Babcock Partners LLC will provide you with proofs.

These are just five of the most bizarre driving laws from across the globe which could catch you out. Make sure you don’t fall for any of these and avoid the need for a Legal Aed DUI Lawyer when you’re next in any of these countries, or else you could find yourself in a spot of bother. Always be sure to check ahead of travel for local laws and customs because as we all know, ignorance is no excuse to break the law… and we do love our freedom!

Read Hoyer Law Firm for Utah DUI cases for more information.

Springtime Beach Escapades in Australia

Springtime is usually associated with beginnings, awakenings and other dynamic notions. So, no wonder Australia, vibrant and joyful, attracts so many people between September and November. Apart from the always popular city breaks, hiking tours and visits to outposts, the most in-demand destinations are the magnificent and renowned beaches.

Despite the existence of coastline paradox, which makes it impossible to say exactly how long Australia’s coastline is, it’s safe to say that it’s among the longest ones in the world. It happens every now and then that great potentials simply don’t deliver. However, this can’t be further from truth when it comes to the beauty of Australia’s beaches and what they have to offer.

Surfing

The obvious first choice. There are few keen surfers who haven’t heard or dreamed of hitting the waves at Bells Beach in Victoria, Byron Bay in New South Wales and, well, the name says it all, Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Naturally, there are hundreds of less famous and less frequented beaches which offer amazing surfing experience, as well. Whatever your preference, there is a wave waiting for you at one of Australia’s pristine and breathtaking beaches.

Beach festivals

These are becoming increasingly popular, attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists, some ready to travel more than 15 hours just to feel the world famous atmosphere. Bands and DJs heat up the stages all over the continent in spring, while after-parties may either cool everyone down or keep the temperature up, depending on the crowd.

Since these festivals last for several days, it’s vital to book accommodation early enough. Luckily, you can choose from a wide offer of private accommodation units, campsites and hotels in the vicinity of the beaches. Depending on the part of Australia you’re visiting and the dates of your visit, you might be lucky enough to attend one of the many festivals organized there

One of the premier surf beaches in Australia. Unfortunately, we could not get any closer as they were setting up for some big surf competition. On to our next scenic stop.

Diving and snorkeling

There aren’t many more awe-inspiring places for divers and snorkelers than the Great Barrier Reef and the area around it. Whether you’re an experienced diver or a complete novice who’s never donned the equipment before, you’re bound to find your own piece of heaven underwater.

You may organize your own trip or decide to join a guided tour. If you’re interested and can afford the time and money, you could take a diving course and become at least a certified recreational scuba diver.

Canoeing and kayaking

Usually associated with tranquil backwaters and inlets or inland white-waters, canoeing and kayaking off the shore provide you with an opportunity to see the marvelous coastline from another perspective. Plus, you’ll be getting an excellent workout while doing something fun.

Chances are, whichever part of Australia you choose, dolphins are quite likely to keep you company while you paddle your way off the coast. They might be accompanied by seals or other curious sea creatures, which would only bring the experience to a whole new level.

Chilling and eating

Perhaps an adrenalin rush is not what you’re after this spring, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have some extraordinary time by the water. For example, you can throw your own beach party for your family or friends. What better way to celebrate one of Australia’s greatest contributions to the culinary world – a barbecue breakfast, than having it at one of nature’s greatest gifts to us – a beach in Australia.

Millions of people flock to the beaches in Australia each year in search for fun, excitement or relaxation and an overwhelming majority of them find what they want. A lot of them find even more than they bargained for, while some find exactly what they need, though they didn’t have that particular experience in mind before embarking on their journey.

You’re probably not a jolly swagman who’s going to camp by a billabong, but someone looking for a spring holiday with a twist. Well, look no further, because you’ve chosen your destination wisely. Now all you need to do is make up your mind about what you’d like to experience, but keep it open. What might happen could be just the thing you need.

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Byron Bay

How to Truly Enjoy Cairns

The largest part of the Australian land still remains unknown for both Australian tourists and foreign visitors. While the majority of people go to Victoria and South New Wales or the Great Barrier Reef, Australia generously displays a variety of other natural and historical spots. The beautiful town of Cairns is one of such places. Its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and a strategic location on the coast of the Coral Sea make it a perfect place for visitors striving for peace and natural beauties.

A culinary tower of Babel

Like many other Australian towns and cities, Cairns is a blend of people from different parts of the world. This is why restaurants and bars here offer a wide range of different cuisines, fusing them together into a unique melting pot of various cultures. Therefore, if you want to try something tasty from that pot, you can choose from a wide range of traditional Australian restaurants, as well as places that offer Greek, Italian, Thai food and other specialties.

As for unusual local meals to try in Cairns, you should go for smoked crocodile, a kangaroo burger and various delicacies made from emu meat.

Beach relaxation

As for the beaches, the most logical choice in the town centre is Lagoon, placed inside the Esplanade, which is a strip of hotels, restaurants, bars and recreational facilities. You can observe the Great Barrier Reef from this promenade, especially if you choose one of the accommodation units in this part of the town. Also, swimming in the sea by Trinity Beach is a great in-Cairns experience.

Alternatively, tourists can visit dozens of breath-taking beaches outside Cairns. The most famous one is Palm Cove, which is actually a fancy resort, about 25 miles north of Cairns. On the other hand, if you’re less into luxury spa beach resorts and more into long, soothing beaches, continue driving another 20 miles to the north and indulge yourself with the gold sands of Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas.

Learning about the Aborigines

Visiting this part of Australia has to be accompanied by several educational courses on the Aboriginal culture. Hence, when in Cairns, do as the Aborigines did. Learning more about one of the oldest cultures in the world will take you back to the times when people were a rare species on this planet – about 40,000 years ago.

So, the tourists that want to see how the Aborigines lived should apply for The Bama Way. This journey from Cairns to Cooktown is enriched with various features of the Aboriginal way of living. In addition to learning about their customs and beliefs, you’ll have a chance to hunt animals with a spear and collect bush food.

Moreover, don’t miss the Mossman Gorge Center – the home of the indigenous Kuku Yalanji people – as well as the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, which will expand your knowledge of Aboriginal stories, dance and music.

Hail the giant – The Great Barrier Reef

The peak of your Cairns adventure should be a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. Visible from space, this enormous coral reef consists of about 3000 smaller, independent reefs, spreading to about 130,000 square miles.

The most economical way to see this giant of nature is a daily boat trip from Cairns or Port Douglas. Most operators offer snorkeling and diving in this coral realm, which should be more than enough for a drained wallet.

On the other hand, a higher budget will allow you to book a helicopter tour and observe the reef from above or stay a night in one of the hotels placed on the islands inside the Reef.

Adding North Queensland to your Aussie itinerary will give you a chance to meet Australia as it once was, due to numerous Aboriginal sites. Also, the natural attractions and the urban coziness of Cairns should let you have a relaxing and affordable holiday.

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Touring NZ’s finest filming locations

Known for its untamed nature and marvellous landscapes, New Zealand has become one of the world’s most popular destinations for film-making. The scenery is just perfect for a movie, which is why many blockbusters have started their journey right here, in the heart of Aotearoa. Listed below are some of the most popular movies filmed in our stunning country, that you can go visit among one of our free rental car or campervan!

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

No other place in the world could portrait Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth as did New Zealand. The entire trilogy was shot solely here, as it had everything the movie director needed to create this breathtaking blockbuster. It all began in the dairy farming landscape around the Waikato town of Matamata, which has now been transformed into a peaceful and adorable touristic destination known as the Shire, or Hobbiton. Once the necessary movie shooting was performed at this location, the place remained pretty much untouched and is today visited by people and fans from all over the world.

Wellington and the South Island were used to portray the gardens of Isengard, Anduin River, Rivendell and Osgiliath Wood. Grassy area surrounded by naked forest served its purpose, and we saw many epic fights in this scenery, including the one where Boromir died and the two Hobbits were captured. Some other known locations are the Southern Lakes, Fiordland and Mackenzie country.

The Hobbit Trilogy

Following the LOTR trilogy, kiwi director Peter Jackson continued his ascension by filming the prequels known as the Hobbit trilogy. Once again, all three movies were filmed solely within New Zealand. This time, the filming locations started from Hobbiton and were followed by Mangaotaki Rocks and Piopio, where Bilbo Bagins acquired the Sting and defeated the ogres.

The Hidden Bay and the entrance to the Lonely Mountain were filmed in Turoa, Mt Ruapehu, as well as the Tongariro Crossing. Twizel’s alpine charm was captured in both Hobbit and LOTR, and we saw the warg chase scenes and Aragorn falling into the river canyon. Some other memorable destinations were Nelson, Wanaka and Queenstown, as well as the Pelorus River which the dwarves used to travel down inside barrels.

The Last Samurai

The first challenge which the movie crew had was to discover a place which will resemble Japanese culture and attributes. They found exactly that in Uruti Valley, which was modeled to mimic Japanese rural life back in the 1860s. No one watching the movie realized that it was not actually mount Fujiyama where the movie was filmed. Pukekura Park and its natural bliss were used to portrait the Imperial army gardens and the area around the Palace.

Lake Mangamahoe was the place where the horse battles took place. The crater below Mount Taranaki has many plains surrounded by high trees, where the movie producer Edward Zwick placed the ending battle, which took the lives of all remaining samurai, except for the one of our protagonist, Tom Cruise. Other places worth mentioning are Port Taranaki, which was transformed into Japanese fishing village, and the Sugar Loaf Islands and Paritutu, which are inhabited by eight different Maori tribes.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Yet another trilogy was completely filmed on the plains and landscapes of New Zealand, the chronicles of Narnia, directed by another kiwi director, Andrew Adamson. The filming started at the Coromandel Peninsula, just east of Auckland, with the kids taking their first steps back into Narnia. The Ruins of Cair Paravel were filmed on the eastern shore of the Peninsula, at Cathedral Cove. Woodhill Forest, located north-west from Auckland, was transformed into the dark camp of the White Witch of Narnia. This forest is known for its many mountain bike trails and usually you can find a few daring adventurers passing by.

In the walking distance from Woodhill Forest you can see Muriwai Beach, known for its black sand and gannet colony and widely popular among surfers. The Great Battle took place in the Flock Hill, located on the Southern part of the South Island. Elephant Rocks that sprout from the rocky hills were used as Aslan’s Camp. This entire area was under the sea millions of years ago, which is why the area is rich in fossils and limestone outcrops. Waitaki Valley is an excellent place to start your exploration journey, and if you are looking to see the heart of New Zealand’s forming history, this is the place to go.

There are many other movies filmed in New Zealand, such as Avatar, King Kong, The World’s fastest Indian and 30 Days of Night. The whole country is spectacular, and it holds some of the nature’s greatest treasures, untamed greenery and dreamy landscapes. When I heard from a friend that I could rent a free car, I almost momentarily decided to set on a moviegoer road trip!

Article by Lillian Connors, Photos sourced ‘labeled for reuse’.