New Zealand 2004

|  General Information | South Island | North Island |

General Hints

• Small Kiwi companies offer rental cars at substanially better prices than large international companies. They also usually offer a free car exchange in Picton/Wellingston, which helps you save some additional $250 for the ferry. We found Omega Rentals very good.
• In New Zealand, there are about 70 million possums. As they do not have any natural enemies, they spread in an uncontrolled way and are a danger to New Zealand's ecological balance. They eat 21 tons of tree leaves per night and destroy whole forests. They also like the eggs of the endangered Kiwi bird. Therefore extensive programmes have been set up to trap or poison the possums. As a consequence, car drivers do not try to spare them, and you can find dead "Squash'ems" or "road pizza" everywhere.
• A Budget Backpacker Hostel Club Card costs $40 and offers a price reduction of about $2 per night. Additionally it serves as a prepaid telephone card with a credit of 20$ and very good rate.
• Special local fruits you should try are nashis (a crossing between apples and pears) and tangeloes (a sort of tangerine).
• If you want to take photos, a sky light filter is recommended.
• The 14 National Parks are controlled by the Department of Conservation (Te Papa Atawhai). Access is free. Information is available in the visitor centres.

South Island

(The photo index provides all photos in full size.)

5-7 Mar

Mon, 8-Mar

Tue, 9-Mar

Wed, 10-Mar

Thu, 11-Mar

Fri, 12-Mar

Sat, 13-Mar

Sun, 14-Mar

Mon, 15-Mar

Tue, 16-Mar

Wed, 17-Mar

Thu, 18-Mar

North Island

(The photo index provides all photos in full size.)

Fri, 19-Mar

Sat, 20-Mar

Sun, 21-Mar

Mon, 22-Mar

Tue, 23-Mar

Wed, 24-Mar

Thu, 25-Mar

Fri, 26-Mar

Sat, 27-Mar

Sun, 28-Mar

Mon, 29-Mar

Tue, 30-Mar

Wed, 31-Mar

Thu, 1-Apr

Fri, 2-Apr

Sat, 3-Apr