Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Car rental question between WLG and AKL

Hi There

Flying down to NZ in early Feb, Booked to fly in /out of WLG, but the plan is to travel one way bwtween WLG and AKL by car and fly back down ( or vice versa- not sure yet as waiting for Super 14 schedule to come out for 2008 to see if I watch the Blues or the Hurricanes play.

Any how

Approx how long at leisurely pace would it take to drive between WLG and AKL- I plan on overnighting some where en route.

Would you hug the coast or travel inland to from WLK and AKL??

Also is it impossible to use USA credit cards in NZ to decline the CDW?? I thought I remembered somthing about NZ being one of those few countries that were a problem .

Been there one before north of AKl at Langs beach and had a great time

thanks

Wellington to Auckland is about a 10 hour drive... at a leisurely pace. Clearly longer if you stay overnight somewhere along the way.

I would suggest taking a bit longer route and staying the night in Rotorua - take route 1 the whole way (past Lake Taupo... possibly stop and check out the waterfalls, then continue on the 30 to Rotorua) - instead of taking the 3/4 bypass from the 1. The Novatel there is very nice, and there are some fantastic cafes for breakfest within walking distance from the Novatel. All together it will add about 50 miles (80km) to your trip, but it is worth it.

Im gonna save you some money here.
www.thrifty.co.nz/index.cfm/1,119,299,0,html/FREE-Relocation-Deals-

They have a permanent relocation deal where you get a free car for 48 hours if you drive it from Wellington back to Auckland for them .I have done this several times in the past couple of years and always overnight in beautiful Lake Taupo which has plenty of accomodation options.

Im pretty sure to that they cover all insurance and your cost are only the fuel you use.

Im gonna save you some money here.
www.thrifty.co.nz/index.cfm/1,119,299,0,html/FREE-Relocation-Deals-

They have a permanent relocation deal where you get a free car for 48 hours if you drive it from Wellington back to Auckland for them .I have done this several times in the past couple of yearsand always overnight in beautiful Lake Taupo which has plenty of accomadation options.

Im pretty sure to that they cover all insurance and your cost are only the fuel you use.

Cheers

works in the other direction too?

Cheers

works in the other direction too?

I don't think so as everyone usually starts in Auckland and drops cars in Wellington to catch the ferry to the south Island.
Its also a lucky dip as to what car you get although thats part of the fun.

That free relocation deal is fantastic. I am going to have to use that the next time I am in NZ!

They aren't the only car rental company to offer it. But yeah generally Wellington to Auckland rather than in the other direction, and some may only allow 24 hours rather than 48.

The road is mostly inland. While you can detour to drive around Taranaki coast (part of the way along the western side) or around East Cape (part of the way along the eastern side), they are a long way out of your way and will add a minimum of a day to the travel time, maybe more. The roads also are not as good making for a more tiring drive.

The NZ master thread sticky has links to Automobile Association drive time calculator & maps, as well as lots of information on Taupo and Rotorua - the two most obvious stopover points en route.

Just double check with the relocation deals. Most have a mileage limit, it may not work too well if you plan to detour.

I've done this trip several times, but mostly from WLG to AKL, since I live in Wellington. But for AKL to WLG, I'd leave Auckland in the morning, drive to Rotorua, spend a day to see the sights. Overnight in Rotorua or Taupo, see the mountains and the Army Museum at Waiouru, then drive to Wellington.

There isn't much to see between Waiouru and Wellington, except the cookie monster plane. (I can't find a link to that plane, sorry...)

The NZ master thread sticky has links to Automobile Association drive time calculator & maps, as well as lots of information on Taupo and Rotorua - the two most obvious stopover points en route.

Google maps also has great maps and driving directions for NZ.

Thanks for the link, Aussie Battler. We have reserved a car for Jan 2-4, WLG-AKL. Our quick research has yielded Lake Taupo/Rotorua and/or Waitomo Caves as possible stops. Does anyone have other suggestions on an itinerary?

Also, as we will be spending New Year's Eve in Wellington, can someone speak to the events that might take place? What about a WLG restaurant suggestion for our actual NYE dinner (hip/modern as opposed to romantic)?

Many thanks in advance!

Normally, there's something on at Queen's Wharf, a short firework display, plenty of loud music and 'happy' people. A short walk away is Courtenay Place where most of the nightlife is. Wellington is generally fairly quiet during the holiday period because most residents head out of town, so there aren't many organised events.

Plenty of restaurants around those places, also on Allen Street and Blair Street (which are off Courtenay Place), you can look at:

www.dineout.co.nz
www.menus.co.nz
www.courtenayplace.com

I'd consider Hope Bros, the Last Supper Club, Hummingbird, Monsoon Poon and One Red Dog - all are near/on Courtenay Place. Dockside and Shed 5 are quite good too, and they're near Queen's Wharf (there's also a One Red Dog near Queen's Wharf). Dockside may be considered to be the 'romantic' type...

Technically, NYE isn't a public holiday (New Years Day is), but most restaurants charge a 10%-20% surcharge on public holidays. While this surcharge is optional, many restaurants charge it nowadays.