Renting A Car in Zealand
"Rent Only From An NZVRA Member - Your Guarantee Of Hire Quality"
Rental car operators in New Zealand are controlled by strict codes of practice - some statutory, some voluntary.
The law says that all rental operators must meet minimum standards of operational ability and good character. Vehicles must be maintained to a high standard, which is checked and controlled by the issuance of a Certificate of Fitness for each vehicle. This certifies that it is safe.
In addition to this, the better operators are members of the NZRVA - New Zealand Rental Vehicle Association - which prescribes a strict code of conduct for members. If you have received unfair or unethical treatment you may lodge a complaint with the association which will investigate it and - if shown to be well founded - will intercede on your behalf.
Matters to ponder
Here are some considerations when planning your itinerary:
NZ is split into two islands with a sizeable ferry journey separating them. There are two types of rental firms when it comes to dealing with this problem - those that have depots on each side of Cook Strait which divides the two islands, and those that do not. The first group - which includes all the major operators - has the advantage that you leave one car on one side of the strait and collect another on the other side, thus avoiding the cost of transporting the vehicle by ferry. On the other hand they tend to be the more expensive operations - those depots have to be paid for somehow.
The second group usually has much lower daily rates, but you must factor into the price equation the cost of the ferry which ranges from $85 to $165. See ferry rates.
The second consideration is direction of travel. In many cases you may get a better deal by travelling south to north - from Christchurch to Auckland, rather than the other way round. Most travellers arrive at Auckland and with a knee-jerk reaction want to hire a car, do their tourist number, then depart through Christchurch (to save going back over the same ground twice). Result: Cars pile up in Christchurch and Wellington and often have to be transported back the other way at high cost.
Most companies which operate nationally will from time to time, depending on the positioning of their cars, offer special deals for south-north drives. It is more common to get such deals on a stand-by basis, rather than by pre-booking. But even with a pre-booked vehicle there can be incentives for starting in Christchurch.
But a
couple of other considerations:
1: The "In one city/out the other" mentality.
Unless your time is particularly short (under three
weeks) you'll miss much, or spend a lot of time
back-tracking on this one-way approach. Go down the
centre of the North Island round the South Island and
back up the east coast of the North Island. Vary this to
follow special interests.
2: A lot of travellers find the convenience of drive-on,
drive-off ferries outweighs the cost. No unpacking
/packing and shifting all the mountains of possessions.
Auckland and Christchurch are well served with rental car
operators covering a wide range of vehicle types.
Auckland
If you just want cheap wheels try
Downtown Rentals. My own family-owned rental car operation (so what a surprise it gets a recommendation).
For something a bit later model, at a higher price try:
Or for late model/low mileage top of the range rentals
Christchurch
For upmarket options go to the nationwide firms listed above.
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All you need to know about a visit to the place where God set the contrast and colour and man hasn'nt fiddled with the dials.
What, hopefully, you'll get out of this mish-mash of peripatetic ramblings.
Background bumpf on the country.
Visas, customs, immigration, duty free shopping, and getting away from the airport. Bloody important if you don't want to be arrested on arrival.
Moving on . . . by road or rail, by air or by sea.
"nuff said.
What to see, what to do, and why to go there.
Diving, fishing, golf, rafting, sailing, skiing - and more.