TRANSPORT TO NEW ZEALAND’S KEY SEASONAL WORK AREAS
The way you choose to travel New Zealand to get to your seasonal employment will be personal to your budget, personality, previous experiences and individual travel style.
Below we have outlined the most common travel options.
Buying a Car or Campervan
This option offers you the most flexibility to travel where you want, when you want. As many orchards, vineyards and packhouses are located “off the main road” this will also enable you to drive to your workplace. While upfront costs can seem high, remember you can sell your car when you leave the country, and offering rides to other travellers (ridesharing) means others will pitch in for the cost of fuel.
Key tips:
- Campervans will cost more but save you money on accommodation…think carefully about whether you would enjoy living in a van for long periods of time before you commit.
- It is fairly easy to find a reliable car in New Zealand. The larger the city, the more cars available. Auckland has a number of weekend and weekday car fairs including the country’s largest, Ellerslie Car Fair, held every Sunday morning. The internet site Trade Me, noticeboards in hostels, and backpacker forums are also popular resources for travellers.
- The Dog & Lemon Guide is available in book shops. It ranks the reliability and lists common faults and safety ratings for several thousand different types of vehicles. You can also pay for a pre-purchase mechanical check that will provide you with a report telling you about the condition of the vehicle and any issues you should be aware of.
- There are various costs associated with running a car including fuel, registration and a warrant of fitness. We recommend you put money aside for breakdowns and repairs.
- While not compulsory, third party (liability) insurance is recommended for peace of mind in case of an accident. Check out Travellers Car Insurance for low cost, short term options, as well as a comprehensive guide to car buying in New Zealand.
Rental Cars & Campervans
Depending on the time of year and the number of you sharing a vehicle, renting a car or campervan can be a hassle free and reasonably economical way to travel around. There are a variety of companies that cater to the working holiday/backpacker market. This means an older car at a lower price with breakdown service included and usually unlimited kilometres.
Key tips:
- Dec/Jan/Feb is peak season (prices are highest) and May/June/July is low season (prices are lowest).
- When getting a quote be sure to ask about insurance as your car rental per day cost can sometimes double if you would like a low excess insurance option.
- Ask what the pick up and drop off options are for your vehicle.
- Travelling between the North and South Island is by ferry. There are two companies (Bluebridge and Interislander) that operate and prices vary depending on the time of year you are crossing and how far in advance you book.
- Popular low cost rental car and campervan companies include: Explore More, Spaceships, Escape, Jucy, Ace, Rent-a-Dent, Backpacker Car & Campervans.
Bus
Up to 700 cities and towns in New Zealand are well connected by two main bus companies, Naked Bus and Intercity. Keep in mind that with a population of only 4 million people, lesser used services tend to run only once a day so planning and booking in advance is recommended.
Key tips:
- Depending on how long you are in New Zealand for, purchasing a travel pass could save you money. Check out Intercity’s Flexipass & Flexitrips and Naked Bus’s Passport for more info.
- Both operators advertise fares starting from $1. Sounds like a bargain but you often have to book well in advance to get these.
- Many hostels and backpackers that specialise in seasonal work accommodation will collect you from the nearest bus station (by request).
Adventure Travel Buses
Three main companies, Kiwi Experience, Stray Travel & Magic Bus offer hop on, hop off, travel passes that are valid for up to 12 months. Sightseeing and activities (paid and unpaid) are included along the way. You can choose a pass that will extensively cover New Zealand or just take you to a small part of it. If you do not buy or rent a vehicle then this is the next best thing to getting you “off the beaten track”. Key seasonal work regions such as Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay and Martinborough are not serviced by these companies so you would need to purchase an Intercity or Naked Bus fare to connect you through to these areas.
Train Travel
New Zealand’s train network is very limited with only three main services; Auckland to Wellington (the Overlander), Picton to Christchurch (Coastal Pacific) and Christchurch to Greymouth (the TranzAlpine). While many travellers prefer train travel for scenery and comfort, it is not an ideal option to connect you with key seasonal work regions of New Zealand.
Flying
Two main airlines operate in New Zealand and the country’s national carrier, Air New Zealand, will connect you with many of the regional towns where seasonal work is carried out. Flying can be a great option if you need to get somewhere quickly to begin work and prices can be much lower than you think. Air New Zealand offer its lowest prices through Grabaseat as well as standby fares. This is a great opportunity to get unsold seats at the last minute for as little as $59 one way. Jetstar is the other key airline in New Zealand but their routes are focused on our largest cities, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch as well as Queenstown.
Hitchhiking
Even though New Zealand is considered a relatively safe country, hitchhiking still has an element of risk (especially for women travelling alone). With the low cost bus fares that will connect you to seasonal work areas, we do not recommend hitchhiking as a safe option of travel around New Zealand.
