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We are considering a rental car in a couple of ports, Dunedin being one of them. How is the driving for someone not used to driving on the left? I've done it before but it was on an Island with very few turns.
As long as you get an automatic and you're not driving around Auckland you should be all right. If you are not used to driving on the other side of the road, are renting an 5 speed, and landing at AKL and driving north on the southern motorway it can be intimidating unless of course the southern motorway is bumper to bumper traffic which is common (LOL). But compared to Melbourne's hook turns, driving around Auckland is a breeze.
We are considering a rental car in a couple of ports, Dunedin being one of them. How is the driving for someone not used to driving on the left? I've done it before but it was on an Island with very few turns.
Two things you have to remember for certain.
1. Think clockwise instead of counter clockwise
2. Look right.
I think driving in NZ is easy compared to Australian cities or some place like the UK. Dunedin for instance is easy to get around. There are some steep inclines on some of the roads but no big deal. Christchurch is very simple except for the downtown area which has some one lane roads that take a while to decipher the traffic pattern to get where you want. In Auckland it is fairly easy to get around on major roads. Wellington is a probably the worse. You have to be a mountain goat to survive in Wellington so the downtown area has narrow roads with little parking so watch it there.
Rural NZ is relatively simple driving as many areas have little traffic. However it is almost all two lane roads. Very few "freeway" or "expressway" type roads exist in NZ in comparison with other first world countries. Do be aware that there can be very sharp corners or steep grades even on major highways like Highway 1 on the south island. Also be aware in quiet rural areas there are many one lane bridges that you should note who has the right away on which side upon coming to them.
NZ has a mixture of roundabouts and traffic signals. Roundabouts make sure you yield to the traffic in the circle.
Also NZ has a weird law for turning at intersections or elsewhere. Probably people can put it into words better than I can.
The AA at the airports or other tourist areas is an excellent source for free maps with great detail.
I've driven tens of thousands of kilometers in NZ and never really had a problem.
As long as you get an automatic and you're not driving around Auckland you should be all right. If you are not used to driving on the other side of the road, are renting an 5 speed, and landing at AKL and driving north on the southern motorway it can be intimidating unless of course the southern motorway is bumper to bumper traffic which is common (LOL). But compared to Melbourne's hook turns, driving around Auckland is a breeze.
Auckland the roads sometimes meander around due to the topography. Usually if going into Auckland from the airport I just head due north at the main airport intersection which IRC takes me over Mangere bridge onto Pah Road and right into downtown and it avoids HWY 1 altogether.
Usually though I am trying to escape Auckland as soon as possible after landing so it's easy to go south towards Hamilton by following the road through Manukau and over to Highway 1. Very simple.
Talking about Auckland, it reminds me of one thing. Auckland is usually the point of entry for the country so after a long flight over the Pacific if one plans on driving, I do advise getting a room at one of the few airport hotels. Reason being the flights come in at 0530 AM from the USA. Best to get an airport hotel room, take a nap, get a shower, before hitting the roads. Based on my experience it's a wise thing to do.
We are considering a rental car in a couple of ports, Dunedin being one of them. How is the driving for someone not used to driving on the left? I've done it before but it was on an Island with very few turns.
I've rented cars in Ireland, Barbados, Australia and New Zealand where I've driven on the left. Once you get out of town, there's not much traffic in the countryside, and I found NZ the easiest to drive in. It's a lot easier than a narrow road in Ireland with stone walls on either side!
I've rented cars in Ireland, Barbados, Australia and New Zealand where I've driven on the left. Once you get out of town, there's not much traffic in the countryside, and I found NZ the easiest to drive in. It's a lot easier than a narrow road in Ireland with stone walls on either side!
Do you purchase the extra insurance for the car rental or does your credit card or home auto policy cover things.
Do you purchase the extra insurance for the car rental or does your credit card or home auto policy cover things.
I took my chances. One other visit to Ireland, I had a minor "fender-bender" that the credit card covered, but I understand that since then, a lot of credit cards don't cover countries that drive on the left.
I did have a hubcap that was damaged by my ham-handed attempts to parallel park in a couple of places; the agency charged me $40NZ which is a lot less than the insurance would have been.
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