When traveling to New Zealand you should know the basics of driving before you get behind the wheel. First, here are the basics. All measurements are metric in New Zealand, so it’s easy to do calculations. Typically you should drive at 50-70 km/h to optimize your travel experience in NZ. If you have a valid driver’s license that was issued in your home country, then you can legally drive in NZ for a maximum of one year. However, you must have an International Driving Permit (IDP) at the same time. If you want to know all the rules of the road in New Zealand, you should secure the New Zealand Road Code.
One of the most critical issues when driving in New Zealand (or anywhere else for that matter) is the speed limit. To account for imprecise speedometers, drivers are generally permitted to drive on the open road at 100-104 km/h. However, in terms of the letter of the law vehicular speeding is prohibited. Major speeding is classified as driving over 40 km/h over the posted speed limit. Driving at that speed will result in being arrested, having your driver’s license suspended, and perhaps your vehicle being impounded. The police’s Highway Patrol division. Speed cameras exist throughout the country on the back of unmarked vehicles, or from locations where camera boxes are affixed.
In New Zealand the highway network consists of State Highways (SH), which are major roads located throughout the country. SHs are usually fairly narrow. It’s important to understand that the term “highway” in New Zealand can simply refer to the major roads located between major sites. Besides vehicles, bicyclists, walkers, and even farm animals can travel in highways. When driving you should also be aware of the various types of road signs located throughout New Zealand. The main types of regulatory signs (red border or red background), warning signs (yellow orange), and information signs (green, blue, or brown background).
When doing city driving in New Zealand, there are tons of city and country roads. In terms of city driving, Auckland is the biggest city in the country. During rush hour, one will experience extremely heavy traffic. At approximately 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. large cities such as Wellington also experience traffic jams. You could also experience heavier traffic when road construction is being conducted on either city or country roads. In terms of one-way streets, you typically won’t encounter many of them. Most of them are situated in the central business districts of the country’s cities. In Wellington you’ll also encounter streets that are bus-only. Finally, be cautious about the extremely high road curbs in Wellington, which can damage the paintwork on your vehicle.
While traveling in New Zealand, driving can certainly help to make your experience an even more enjoyable one. The key is to know what to expect so you can follow the rules of the road. By doing your homework you’ll have a working knowledge of those rules. If you do that then you’ll experience happy travels down the road.