New Zealand is straightforward to travel in and expensive to travel in. Distances look small on the map and take much longer in reality, because the roads are two lanes, winding, and rarely straight for more than a few kilometres.
Entry
Visitors from visa waiver countries, including the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, must obtain an NZeTA before travelling. It costs NZD 23 through the official app or 17 online, takes up to 72 hours, and is valid for two years. The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, raised to NZD 100 in October 2024, is paid at the same time. Australians need neither.
Biosecurity
Border controls are among the strictest in the world and the fines are immediate: NZD 400 for an undeclared apple. Declare all food, plant material, wooden items, and any outdoor equipment. Hiking boots, tents and fishing gear are inspected and will be cleaned if soil remains. This is not theatre — kauri dieback and myrtle rust arrived anyway, and the country is trying to prevent the next one.
Driving
Drive on the left. A foreign licence is valid for twelve months if in English, otherwise with a certified translation or an international permit. Rural roads are narrow, often unfenced, and single-lane bridges are common — the larger arrow has right of way. Reckon on an average of 60 km/h on state highways including stops, and do not trust travel times based on distance. Petrol costs around NZD 2.60 a litre. Some roads, particularly Skippers Canyon and parts of the Crown Range, are excluded from rental insurance.
Campervans
Renting a campervan is the classic way to do the country, but freedom camping is regulated and increasingly restricted. Only self-contained vehicles, certified with a green sticker, may park overnight outside designated sites, and since 2023 that certification requires a fixed toilet. Councils enforce with instant fines of NZD 400. The Campermate and Rankers apps show legal sites, and Department of Conservation campgrounds cost NZD 8 to 20 a night.
Costs
Budget accommodation runs NZD 40 to 60 for a hostel dorm, 150 to 250 for a mid-range double. A cafe breakfast is 20 to 28, a main course at dinner 30 to 45. Great Walk huts cost NZD 60 to 100 a night in season, standard backcountry huts 5 to 25. GST of 15 percent is always included in displayed prices and tipping is not expected.
Safety and health
There are no snakes and no dangerous land mammals. The genuine hazards are the sea, the weather and the sun: rip currents kill swimmers every summer, so swim between the flags; alpine conditions change within an hour; and UV levels are among the highest anywhere. Accident treatment is covered for everyone, including visitors, by the ACC scheme, but illness is not, so travel insurance remains necessary. Tap water is safe; water from streams should be treated because of giardia.