Hitting the Kiwi Road

KEEP LEFT. That’s the first thing we tell everyone when they travel here. We also tell them about a dozen more times. In your jet-lag induced, underslept state, it is a valuable piece of advice.

Now that that’s out of the way, driving in New Zealand can be a bit of a wild ride. Combining the advice above with a couple of other pieces, such as looking right at roundabouts, right of ways on one lane bridges and ridiculous speed limits that only a rally car driver can achieve all amount to one thing: fun. Yes there is a learning curve, but overall, it is part of the experience and by far the best way to see this incredibly beautiful country.

On my most recent trip, we clocked 3500 KM over three weeks of intensive research. We saw dozens of amazing hotels, flew in helicopters, ate amazing seafood, radio-tracked kiwi birds, fished, sailed, jet-boated and discovered natural hot springs. On top of this, we saw some of the most jaw-dropping (and varied) scenery you can imagine.  Sure, some days entail longer drives than others, but you’re guaranteed to always have something interesting along the way, and a picnic on a deserted beach sure is a nice way to break up those hours in the car.

If you are thinking about New Zealand, go. You won’t be sorry. Whether a foodie, outdoor enthusiast, fisherman, golfer or luxury hotel-seeker, it is all here. Whatever you do, try to get at least a bit of driving in. Half the fun of a vacation is discovering the unexpected. “Why yes, I would like to pet a tame eel” and similar phrases become commonplace, your wife (or husband) may scream at you to stop at a previously unknown merino wool outlet, or you may just find yourself bottle-feeding a six week old lamb. Awesome.