New Zealand Transportation System

World241 Views

air new zealandNew Zealand is a country that is arguably not too broad. With more choice of public transport to most destinations and tourist places, exploring the country isn’t very difficult. Indeed, some types of public transport only operate one or two times a day. However, with good planning and high flexibility, all this things can be arranged. Domestic flight isn’t too expensive if ordered from the previous day. However, use land transport modes make travelers easier to enjoy the beauty of New Zealand. The most easy and cheap transportation, but slow, is using the bus. Instead, use train is a limited choice and quite expensive.

To explore the area outside the common route, travelers need to bring a vehicle. If traveling with a friend or group more than 2 people, hire a car or campervan is strongly recommended. However, if planning to stay in New Zealand while browsing for a few months, more efficient if you buy a private vehicle which then sold before leaving New Zealand. For fans of cycling sports, cycling could be one effective way of traveling around New Zealand, although probably not as wide area exploration drive. Competition manager between some ferry services which connecting the North Island and South Island bring to benefit to passengers because ticket prices comparable to the facilities offered. However, if the carrying vehicle such as a campervan, car, or motorcycle, crossing costs become more expensive. One of the most practical way of exploring New Zealand is to follow the local tour. That way, you don’t have to bother thinking about transportation. Not all of the tour was more expensive tariff. Transportation to a place sometimes is difficult and much more expensive if done alone so travelers should follow the tour available.

Domestic Flight

Domestic flight to reach some far place enough highly recommended if you have only limited time to exploring New Zealand. By far the largest domestic flight operator is Air New Zealand which serves about 25 cities. Is the biggest rival Qantas routes serving Wellington, Auckland, Rotorua, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown. Air New Zealand flight opened the class with 3 levels of fares, which offer lower prices for low-level of flexibility that means departure date can not be changed suddenly.

Qantas also has the same system. They have 3 types of tariff, the Flexi Plus, Standard, and Smart Saver. The difference, for example, if the standard tariff of one-way flight Auckland – Christchurch about 399 NZD, price around 279 NZD for Flexi Plus and Smart Saver could be just 79 NZD. Differences Smart Saver and Flexi Plus is located just on the flexibility of changing the current flight schedule and facilities. Other airlines offer such wonderful scenery from Auckland to Great Barrier Island, passing through Cook Strait, or a short flight from Invercargill to Stewart Island. Some list the airlines that serve domestic routes include Air New Zealand, Air Coromandel, Great Barrier Airlines, Qantas, Fly My Sky, Stewart Island Flights and Soundair.

Ferries

Wellington – Picton. Travel by ferry is usually done if you want to cross Cook Strait between Wellington in the North Island with Picton in the South Island. The company ships serving most widely schedule is Interislander, a ferry named Kaitaki, Aratere and Arahura. Crossing as far as 92 km to over 3 hours 20 minutes. The scenery along the way offered, ranging from the port to the waters around Marlborough Sounds, is very beautiful. don’t worry about being bored because interislander ferry has complete facilities ranging from bars, cafeteria, game room, playground, cinema, as well as a comfortable sitting room. If the holiday season, ferry tickets should be ordered prior to the day of departure. Applicable tariff includes Web Saver, Saver Change, and Easy Change. Children under 2 years of age are not charged, while children aged 2 to 17 years old get a discount. Tariff web saver can only be seen if the booking is done in New Zealand.

In Picton, all buses and other passenger departing from Picton Interislanders Ferry Terminal. While in Wellington, buses and shuttles passengers departing from Wellington Railway Station. There is a transfer service available from the Wellington Interislander Ferry Terminal towards Platform 9, Wellington Railway Station for $ 2 NZD. Travelers also be via another route. From Bluff in the South Island to Stewart Island ferry special available. There was also a ferry that connects Auckland to Great Barrier Island, Rangitoto and Waiheke Hauraki Gulf. Cook Strait ferry addition, there are also transport ship used for cruise purposes, such as whale-watching in Kaikoura, swimming with dolphins in the Bay of Islands, Coromandel or enjoy the ferry which departs from Auckland.

The Coastal Connection

This is a combination of travel by ferries and trains that offer beautiful scenery along the North Island and South Island. His trip could starts from Christchurch, Wellington, or Kaikoura, and includes a ferry trip between Wellington and Picton across the Cook Strait, and the train journey be between Kaikoura, Picton, and Christchurch. After the ferry to Picton, before departing by train, travelers can enjoy the city with beautiful scenery and visit the Aquarium or the Edwin Fox Museum. The train journey from Christchurch to Picton took the east coast of South Island lines passing through Marlborough wineries, Lake Grassmere Salt Ponds up to Kaikoura, famous for the daily tours to see whales or swim with dolphins. If interested, tourists can stay overnight in Kaikoura before going on a train trip the next day.

The train has an open platform so that passengers easily take pictures of scenery that passed. In addition, trains also provide drinks, food, and snacks. Coastal Connection is also connecting buses from Wellington to Christchurch and surrounding cities. Coastal Connection trip ticket from Christchurch to Wellington for 213 NZD and 240 NZD if you want to stop at Kaikoura for 1 day. There are points of departure in Christchurch Troup Drive off Clarence St, Addington, about 10 minutes taxi ride from the city center. Usually the train will depart from Christchurch at 7am and arrived in Wellington at 16 pm.

Bus

New Zealand is very easily explored with backpacking style. The country isn’t very wide, but dense with beautiful scenery. If you want to feel the unique experience and see the lives of every day people of New Zealand, tourists can try riding the bus. Long-distance buses and shuttle buses offer similar services, which pick up passengers from tourist places to stay and deliver them to the destination. Because many companies offer similar services, fare buses are also very competitive with similar services. Large buses usually have a cooler and a toilet. However, all buses will stop every few hours in interesting places or in other places so that passengers can stretch out for a moment. Bus routes throughout New Zealand can be found at the website intercity.co.nz. for a list of bus stops can be seen in railnewzealand.com/busstops. I-Site also has scheduled several bus companies operating in the area. So travelers can easily check schedules and prices or to compare ticket jadwan. Here are some bus operators that can be used to browse the New Zealand sparingly.

Intercity Coachlines is the largest national companies that operate long-distance buses. The company has a network of 700 cities with more than 130 scheduled departures every day, with no off days. Tariff buses ranging from 1 NZD, with convenient bus conditions. Although not available in the bus toilet, long-distance buses stop at several stops to take a break. Intercity Coachlines also operates Starlighter, night bus routes serving Hamilton, Auckland, Taupo, Rotorua, Wellington, and Palmerston North. Join with Cook Strait ferry services using the ferry from Wellington to Picton. On the bus there tonight footrest and head facilities, restrooms, reading lights, reclining seats, and individual cooling regulator. In addition to inter-city lines, Intercity also offers several fixed-route Passes, such as Auckland to Bay of Islands including Cape Reinga, Nelson to Queenstown via the city on the west coast, and a variety of other routes that offer other New Zealand experience. The price different from the price for the backpacker bus.

Great Sights is a bus company that is engaged in the many popular tourist route such as Queenstown, Milford Sound, Christchurch, Mount Cook, Bay of Islands, Auckland, Rotorua, Waitomo Caves and departing each day. Buses equipped with coolers, headrests and foot, reclining seats, video and toilets. In fact, some special tour provided an explanation in several languages. Bus with destination Milford Sound has a translucent roof to ensure passengers can enjoy the scenery with a maximum.

Newmans Coachlines is a passenger transport company first operated. Initially, in 1879 they offer mail service using horse. Currently Newmans Coachlines run commercial route linking the cities visited by tourist and provide a brief daily tour services to be some attraction. Some of these bus connecting remote town in the South Island like Christchurch, Fox Glacier, Queenstown, Fran Josef, Wanaka and Lake Tekapo.

Pass card

If you are planning to use the bus to get around New Zealand, travelers can select multiple pass card that can help save money. Web for a variety of pass card can be accessed at newzealandbuspasses.com.

Flexipass

This card can be used for Intercity, Great Sights and Newmans. This card can be used as a card hop-on / hop-off for buses and other passenger transport, the Interislander ferry, follow the cruise to watching dolphin in the Bay of Islands, and many other tours. The use of these cards is calculated based on the hours of the trip. So every hour journey passed would reduce the value of the card. In addition, this card also give passengers are free to change travel plans. This card can be used for multiple trips of sight seeing options, but extra services such as admission tickets, scenic flights, and meals will be charged to the credit card used. Flexipass can be recharged with the desired additional hour trip, which is 9 NZD per hour, 5 hour package for $ 41 NZD, or package of 10 hours for 81 NZD. Travelling with flexipass can be designed as desired card holder and card validity period for 12 months. Card prices start 119 NZD for a 15 hour trip per person. Guidelines for planning a travel itinerary using Flexipass can be seen in newzealandbuspasses.com. This card can be purchased via the web flexipass.co.nz or through a travel agent.

Flexitrip Pass

This card almost has the same function as Flexipass. The difference, the use of these cards is calculated based on the number of trips by bus or transit passengers who boarded the bus number, not how many hours as Flexipass. Flexitrippass card prices ranging from 156 NZD per person for 5 times the trip. Cards can be purchased through the web flexitrips.co.nz or through a travel agent. Itinerary planning guide using these cards can be seen in newzealandbuspasses.com/flexitripsnetwork.pdf.

Travelpass

Differences with Flexitrips Pass and Flexipass is calculated based on the card is the card valid from 1 day to 14 days. Prices start from 106 NZD per person. Trip option along with the price schedule can be seen in travelpass.intercity.co.nz. Travelpass cards can be purchased through the web travelpass.intercity.co.nz or through a travel agent.

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