The most important thing to remember is that in New Zealand, people drive on the LEFT HAND SIDE of the road.

The maximum speed limit on the road here is 100 kilometres/hour (62 miles/hour) and unlike many European countries, drivers generally travel slightly under the speed limit.

Due to the hilly and mountainous nature of the landscape, it often takes longer to travel distances in New Zealand than you might expect.

If you're driving in rural areas, watch out for gravel verges, especially on corners. Some isolated roads are unsealed and use gravel as the surface. In these cases, drive slowly.

Some of New Zealand's roads are not suitable for campervans. Avoid the following; Skippers Road (Queenstown); Ninety Mile Beach (Northland); Ball Hut Road (Mt. Cook); and
North of Colville Township (Coromandel Peninsula).

Sometimes in the South Island and the centre of the North Island, roads may be closed due to snow and ice. This can happen right through winter and into early spring. The New Zealand AA can provide you with up-to-date information on conditions in these areas.

In New Zealand, seat Belts are compulsory (for all passengers).

Diesel costs range from 1.00 and 1.10 Dollar per litre. Unleaded petrol will cost you between 1.45 and 1.50 Dollar per litre.

An unrestricted, valid drivers licence from your home country is all that you will need to drive in New Zealand.

Be aware when driving at night in the country side for nocternal animals such as possims, rabbits and deer which are attracted to your head lights,it happens often that drivers loose control of their vehicles trying to dodge them and dont be too sad if you accidently kill a few possims as they are a national pest and are destroying our native forests.


Area:
104,454 mi2 (270,534 km2). North Island--44,701 mi2 (115,777 km2); South Island--58,385 mi2 (151,215 km2); Stewart Island--674 mi2 (1,746 km2); Chatham Islands--372 mi2 (963 km2); other islands--322 mi2 (837 km2). Coastline--about 3,200 mi (5,150 km).