New Zealand Travel Guide

On the whole, tipping is not the norm and is only now becoming more popular in some of the more expensive restaurants and bars. Tips are only usually made by locals in cases of good service for around 10% of the bill; this is, of course, discretionary and a personal choice.

Self-drive is the best way to explore New Zealand, with stunning scenery and plenty of places to stop on every route. Alike the UK driving is on the left-hand side. Journeys can sometimes take longer than estimated by satellite navigation, due to many roads being hilly and winding, and do pay attention to speed limits. It is far too easy to put your foot down when the mountain-lined road ahead of you is empty and seems to stretch on forever!

Like the UK, New Zealand has four distinct seasons and in our opinion, each of these seasons offers something unique and magical:

Summer (December to February) is by far the most popular and busiest time to visit New Zealand. Sunny days and temperatures of the mid-’20s are the norms although a light jumper is still recommended for the evening. Think British summer.

Autumn (March to May) is a lovely time to holiday to New Zealand when the crowds of the summer have departed, prices have dropped but the temperatures are still very pleasant, hovering around late teens and early ’20s. Add to this the autumn colours and this is definitely a time of year to consider planning your trip.

Winter (June to August) offers skiing in the South Island so great for snow enthusiasts and a nice option for people maybe visiting family. However, the weather can be similar to a British winter with much cooler temperatures and more chances of rain.

Spring (September to November) brings the spring flowers, think iconic images of pink and purple lupins carpeting the shores of Lake Tekapo and pleasant temperatures around the high teens.

The ideal scenario is a holiday which combines both the North and South Islands, and a duration of around three weeks would allow this. The South Island probably contains more of the iconic sites for which New Zealand is famous, such as Mount Cook, Milford Sound, Kaikoura and Abel Tasman. It is also the more scenically spectacular with the Southern Alps mountain range visible across the island. The North Island is more known for its geothermal sites, Maori culture and beaches. Both islands offer the chance to get outdoors and active plus some world-class vineyards.

New Zealanders drive on the left-hand side of the road.

With approximately 100,000 kilometres of road, much of which is flanked by spectacular scenery, New Zealand is a perfect self-drive destination. Many of the roads have good tarmacked surfaces making them easy to drive on. Some more remote areas and lodges are accessed via tracks with unsealed surfaces, some roads have tolls to pay and there are lots of mountain roads with hairpin bends to negotiate and spectacular views to enjoy.

Visas are not required for British Nationals travelling to New Zealand for up to six months. You must have two blank pages side by side for your stamp and your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.

There are no non-stop, direct flights from the UK to New Zealand. Most airlines fly via cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok or Los Angeles, taking around 26 hours in total.

Most people who travel to New Zealand with Steppes Travel spend on average, around three weeks exploring a combination of the north and south islands. This sort of duration allows a nice amount of time to take in the highlights of the country. If you are lucky enough to have more than three weeks there is of course always more to see…

During the summer, the sun can be exceptionally strong due to the southern hemisphere having far less ozone to block the UV rays. We advise using a high-factor suncream and covering up along with avoiding the midday sun.