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Driving in New Zeland

Replies: 9 - Last Post: Dec 5, 2012 11:07 PM Last Post By: Scuba_albany

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sanjor98

sanjor98 avatar

Dec 3, 2012 7:40 AM
Posts:  1

Driving in New Zeland

Hi:
I'm planing to Drive From Wellington to Queenstown.
Can some one tell me how long in time and Kilometers is driving from these 2 towns?
thanks in advance for your answers

Best regards

Jorge

neverwinter

neverwinter avatar

Dec 3, 2012 8:08 AM
Posts:  1,636

1

this is using your James Bond aqua-car, is it? :-)

please look at a map.

yarmoss

yarmoss avatar

Dec 3, 2012 11:05 AM
Posts:  48

2

13 hours and 37 minutes according to Google, which took me about 13 seconds to type in the "Get Directions" boxes.

The Cook Strait ferry is a toll road, apparently.

hereandtherenz

hereandtherenz avatar

Dec 3, 2012 12:20 PM
Posts:  996

3

Google is invariably wrong about drive times.

This is a useful calculator:
http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/td-calculator.php

You should be looking for Queenstown to Picton. Then it will depend on how long you have to wait around for the ferry. With such a long trip you should also factor in rest stops.

Actually, you are much better to do this trip over two days.

jedgerandclyde

jedgerandclyde avatar

Dec 3, 2012 2:01 PM
Posts:  603

4

We have done some driving around NZ, and being from OZ the big thing we found that the road is at times is very windy and narrow, and out in the country side we did strike a few single lane bridges.

So it might be smart to give your self plenty of time.

LisaMNZ

LisaMNZ avatar

Dec 3, 2012 4:35 PM
Posts:  7,184

5

The Cook Strait ferry is a toll road, apparently.

ha ha... yes, look at a map. wises.co.nz is a good site for reliable travel times. I'm not sure how they view the ferry though..

ETA Wises say "take the blue bridge cook strait ferry to waimate, toll road"! Total time is 13 1/2 hours.

sneaker_fish

sneaker_fish avatar

Dec 3, 2012 9:13 PM
Posts:  32,884

6

weird

Mind you for the longest time google wouldn't let people travel SH1 from kaikoura to christchurch. it preferred molesworth station...

kereru

kereru avatar

Dec 4, 2012 2:28 AM
Posts:  464

7

Another vote for AA over Google.
To the OP: Ferry to picton takes a bit over 3 hours - allow an hour extra if checking in a car. Then if you took a morning ferry you could drive as far as Christchurch in one day.
Chch to Queenstown is a long second day (7+ hours). Better to stop somewhere around Mt Cook and enjoy the drive.

Ozziegiraffe

Ozziegiraffe avatar

Dec 4, 2012 2:39 AM
Posts:  4,847

8

It is much cheaper to do the ferry as a foot passenger, and hire a car in Picton to drive to Queenstown.

Scuba_albany

Scuba_albany avatar

Dec 5, 2012 11:07 PM
Posts:  145

9

Picton to Queenstown is 11hrs. Trust me, I have done it.

Edited by: Scuba_albany
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