Although the journey to New Zealand can take well over 40 hours, the country is quite rightly a popular destination for holidaymakers and freeriders who want to escape the summer in the northern hemisphere. In contrast to "normal" tourists, the travel-experienced freerider carries a lot more equipment with them and would like to get to less touristy places. To help you get from A to B without any problems in the hunt for the best runs, we give you tips on traveling in the land of the Kiwis in our second part of our series "Freeride NZ".
The flight to New Zealand
If you take another look at a world map in your old school atlas, you will quickly realize that the only sensible way to get to New Zealand is by plane. Flights to New Zealand are available from every major airport, although you should expect at least one transfer stop. Many of the flights include stops in Dubai or Australia. Flight times vary greatly. However, you can hardly get there in under 26 hours: realistically, you should expect over 30 hours, but it can easily be 40 hours. If you want to combine your freeride trip with a round trip, we recommend Auckland in the northern part of the North Island as your destination airport. From there, you can travel south and make your way along the coast to the ski resorts on the South Island. On the return journey, you can then take in a surf spot or two on the other side of the coast. You should definitely plan three days for the journey from Auckland to the ski resorts around the Southern Lakes. A week in each direction is not too short to enjoy the scenery, sights and one or two activities. You should definitely include the cost of the ferry between the two main islands in your travel budget. Depending on the time and size of the means of transport, these are around €150 each way.
If the trip is purely focused on freeriding, it makes more sense to fly directly to the major airports of Christchurch or Queenstown on the South Island. Flight times and prices are similar (flights cost between €1200 and €1400 depending on the booking period). If you want to freeride in the larger ski areas around the Southern Lakes, flying to Queenstown saves you the approx. 6-hour journey from Christchurch. However, if the Clubfields in Canterbury are your destination, Christchurch is closer. Freeride equipment is generally more expensive in New Zealand than in Europe and although you will find freeride gear for hire in the large ski resorts, you will often look in vain for it in the small, fine clubfields. It is therefore advisable to bring your own equipment to New Zealand. You probably know from trips to huts how heavy all that stuff can get. It is therefore worth taking a close look at the airlines' baggage regulations. Currently (as of May 2015), the major airlines Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Quantas carry ski and snowboard equipment within the free baggage allowance. This means that if you fill a ski bag with skis and all your other gear and otherwise only take hand luggage with you, you don't have to pay for any extra baggage. The free baggage allowance at Lufthansa is currently (again as of May 2015) 23 kg. With skis, boots, emergency equipment etc. this can quickly become tight. The 30 kg of Emirates, Singapore and sometimes Quantas (depending on the exact flight route, among other things) are a great help. How to distribute the weight between the various pieces of luggage and yourself is a science in itself. Here's just a tip: Everything you wear on your body (dressed) is not counted as part of your baggage weight. So, even if you are traveling in Europe in midsummer: put on your ski clothes, carry your down with you and simply put heavy items such as skins or bindings in your jacket pockets. You'll quickly lose 5 kg!
From A to B
The number one means of transportation in New Zealand is the car. Apart from that, there is public transport, but it is usually only the larger towns that are easily accessible. KiwiRail provides an overview of train connections. There are various bus services to Wanaka and Queenstown (Intercity, Central, Atomic, etc ). And the Arthurs Pass with its many club fields can also be accessed publicly via Zug erreichen. However, you have not yet reached the ski resorts when you reach the villages. These are usually a few kilometers out of town and most shuttle buses are chargeable. Hitchhiking is an even more common form of transportation in New Zealand than in Europe. While it may be a little more difficult to find someone to take you and all your equipment between the larger towns, the chances of finding a lift to the ski resort are much greater. You can find organized carpooling opportunities on the web.
Finding a car
All in all, the car is the mode of transportation with the most advantages. In addition to the independence that a car offers you on your trip, you can also find your accommodation for the trip in a camper. New Zealand is a tourist country and campers flood the whole country in summer.
The infrastructure is designed accordingly and in winter you can often use it much more cheaply and in any case with fewer fellow campers. There are plenty of campsites, especially in the south, which you can use free of charge. These are managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and are listed on their homepage. Camping in winter is also a cold affair in New Zealand, although extreme temperatures like in the Alps are the exception rather than the rule. Many of the campers are equipped with heating and some have showers. Due to the additional equipment that a freeride trip entails, it is not advisable to fill the camper to the last seat. In winter, you can often find extremely cheap offers on the Internet. For example, you can find a medium-sized camper with shower and heating for three weeks for less than €600 (e.g. on Motorhomerepublic). Relocator offers are a very affordable alternative to renting a car for the entire duration of your trip. You pick up a rental car or camper at location A and have to drop it off at location B. In return for the transfer, you will receive a very reasonable rental price. In many cases, the rental car is also free of charge or you even receive fuel money. The offers range from small cars for a few days to campers for more than ten days. The following website provides Relocator deals. The deals are often only available a few days before collection. However, if you accept this uncertainty, you can travel extremely cheaply or even for free. If you are traveling for longer (5 weeks+) it can also be worth buying a car. You can find offers on various platforms. The most common is probably trademe.co.nz. On average, cars in New Zealand are significantly older than in Germany or Austria.
You shouldn't be put off buying a car because of its age, however. Even older cars are often still in good shape and if the Warrenty of Fitness (WOF) required for registration is still valid beyond your trip, there is a good chance that you will be able to get away with your new ride. Registration and insurance are quite simple compared to Europe. In addition to the WOF, registration and insurance are also required. Registration is simply done using a form at the nearest post office. Insurance (third party insurance - equivalent to simple liability insurance) is available at a reasonable price (around €100 per year). However, these are then only limited to one driver. One provider is, for example, the New Zealand Automobile Association AA. When taking out insurance yourself, you should be able to provide an address and, if asked, state that you plan to stay here for longer (1 year). It may be difficult to get insurance for shorter periods.
Traveling in the country
Once you have rented or bought a vehicle, the adventure of driving on the left begins... But don't worry, as a reasonably experienced driver you'll soon have it under control. The only important thing is to stay focused. If you're not careful, you'll quickly fall into a pattern you've learned and join the right-hand lane or enter the traffic circle the wrong way round (the direction you're heading in is not only indicated when you leave the traffic circle, but also by indicators). The roads in New Zealand are often even more exciting than the left-hand traffic. You shouldn't expect European highways (and should take this into account when planning your journey times).
Many of the roads around the mountains are winding country roads. Bridges are often single-lane and you sometimes have to share them with a train! Things get more challenging for both car and driver when it comes to the ski resorts. The "ski field roads" are usually always rough gravel tracks with potholes that wind their way up the mountain, exposed and without crash barriers. They are often quite long and you shouldn't be surprised if you have to cross a stream. As the cars are usually only equipped with summer tires, a four-wheel drive vehicle is a good option. In any case, you should carry chains with you and be able to put them on if necessary. As an alternative to driving on the ski field roads, you can leave your vehicle in the parking lots that are usually available in the valley and hitch a ride to the ski area. Basically, you will find your way around New Zealand quite easily: the roads are well signposted and if you get off the beaten track, you will quickly get directions. However, the most convenient way is to use your cell phone's navigation system. If a data connection is required for this, you can use the specially offered travel mobile phone tariffs, which usually have an integrated data volume. You should also bring an FM transmitter with you to New Zealand so that the trips don't get too boring. There are so many radio stations that the constant search for a new frequency quickly becomes tedious and with the transmitter you can use your smartphone as a welcome alternative source of music.
The landscapes in New Zealand often make the drive to the snow an experience in itself. Having your own means of transportation is recommended due to the poorly developed public transport system and the associated independence. Especially in winter, you should take advantage of the low off-season rates offered by rental companies and, with a little logistical effort, you may even be able to rent a car for free for your entire trip. Don't let the left-hand traffic put you off and the rides on the skifield roads can become one of the most lasting memories of your New Zealand freeride trip.
