New Zealand is a spectacular country with endless things to do and places to see and with so many camping areas a campervan is the perfect way to see it all!

Driving in New Zealand
New Zealand has an extensive network of very good quality roads with relatively little traffic enabling good access to the vast majority of the country. It would be common that most travelers to New Zealand would never have a need to travel on an unsealed road.

Vehicles are right hand drive and driving is on the left hand side of the road. Apart from on motorways found in or close to the larger urban areas most roads are two lanes wide with each lane traveling in the opposite direction.

The speed limit on the open road is 100km/h (62 mph) and this is reduced in certain areas. Usually the speed limit reduces to 80km/h as you arrive at a town or city and then the speed limit within the city is either 50 or 60km/h. This will be well signposted.

There are a lot of "Rest Areas" along the side of the main roads (about one every 10-15 kms) where you can pull over and have a break from driving and enjoy the scenery. We recommend that you stop frequently, stretch your legs and enjoy the view. It is also a good idea to swap drivers every 2-3 hours where possible to reduce the chances of tiredness causing an accident. The campervans are very easy to drive despite thier size.

Filling up with Fuel
Despite the small population base, there are still ample "Service Stations" available for you to fill up along your journey. Every major town and city and many minor towns will have Service stations and these will even open for you after hours for an extra fee.

In most instances, these towns and cities are located within 50 kilometres of each other but in some places (such as on the West Coast of the South Island) can be further apart.

Climate
New Zealand has a temperate climate and the weather changes remarkably quickly from one location to the next and also within very short time frames. The warmer months are from October to March and daytime temperatures of between 18 and 32 degrees Celsius would be generally expected during this time. It is generally several (3 to 4) degrees warmer on average per day at the top of the north island than the bottom of the south island but the temperature changes are not uniform and days of incredible heat can be found in areas of the south island such as central Otago and days of extremely cold temperatures could be found in some areas of the north island.

In the winter, it can be much colder and the temperature throughout the country fluctuates more wildly. From mild muggy days in Auckland to bitter freezing cold days in Queenstown the weather can throw all sorts of surprises at you and often does. This only adds to the adventure.