Back Packing in New Zealand
New Zealand is the perfect place in which to travel in the backpacking style. A compact country with dramatically different scenery between the main towns and cities. Getting around is easy, and better still, your choice of routes, activities and accommodation is limitless.
If you’re a keen cyclist New Zealand’s South Island is a great place, with excellent roads and stunning scenery throughout the island.
Other forms of transportation are as flexible as you like. Roads in New Zealand are excellently maintained, it’s hard to get lost, traffic between cities/towns is virtually non existent and there are limitless places to picnic or stop for a break. So travelling by campervan or rental car is probably one of the best ways to get up close to the fantastic New Zealand landscapes. Campervans are great fun and a cost effective option for groups of people travelling together. There are a huge range of excellently maintained caravan parks in truly spectacular locations. Many people pick up a hire vehicle in the North Island and drop it off in the South Island, or vice versa. Don’t forget to book up the ferry between the islands nice and early - it gets very busy during peak periods. Also pack some sea sickness pills as it can get very choppy on the way over.
If you want to skip around the country quickly, hop on a plane - New Zealand has a comprehensive domestic flight service. Domestic air travel is very reasonably priced and booking online makes it even cheaper.
Buses are the traditional backpacker mode of transportation whereby you can use Flexi Passes to buy travel by the hour on the nationwide network of Intercity buses. Or you could try the convenience of a Travelpass to go directly from one location to another.
According to NewZealand.com:
“Magic Travellers Network and Kiwi Experience buses take you off the main routes and also allow you to get on and off as you choose (even taking you to the door of local hostels). With Magic Bus you can even tag on a train journey such as the spectacular TranzAlpine or TranzCoastal. Then there are the smaller bus operators like Bottom Bus in the lower South Island that let you get into some of the wildest scenery in the country.”
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