4 month winter/spring trip

Hi

I am planning a 4 month trip (July to Oct) to New Zealand and working remotely. This means that I would need a decent internet almost everyday on at least for the hours I'm working. Since it will be winter and I don't really want to freeze to death And get a wifi, I'm planning to stay in airbnb, motels, inns and couchsurf.

Would you guys recommend to buy or rent a car? I have no clue about cars so if anyone wants to accompany me buy a car, I will be really grateful..:D or would love to hear your recommendations.

What type of itinerary would you guys suggest? Since it is a long trip (kinda), I would like to situate myself in one place for a week or two (exploring the place from morning to abt 3 pm in the afternoon). I love adventure activities and will be looking to get some skiing lessons.

What do you guys recommend? Just would like to hear some opinions/recommendations and unique places, off-the-track places to explore, eat and just enjoy what NZ has to offer.

PS. If anyone want to just hang out and explore together ....I'm cool with that too...:).

Normally I don't recommend buying a car for less than 6 months, but since you are coming in winter and so will be selling in the spring, I think that it could work. Have a look at www.trademe.co.nz This is NZ's go-to site for everything from used cars to share houses, jobs & lost cats. Once in the country you could also try Turners Auctions. Do read up on NZ law regarding Warrant-of-fitness (WOF) and registration.
Where do you come from? Have you checked what visa you require if not from OZ? If you are planning to work, you may need a work visa, and Immigration NZ will check your credentials.
Which airport are you arriving at? If you want to ski, probably best to start in the SI, but weather might be milder if you start in the NI for 6-8 weeks & hit the SI as spring blossoms. There is still skiing in September, although it might be starting to get slushy.

I think four months is long enough to warrant buying a (cheap) car. Presumably if you're working at least some of the time, then it will more than pay for itself, and you won't be "wasting" rental car costs if you stay in the one place for a week or more.

If you are plan to thoroughly explore the whole country, it might be best to start with the North Island in July, and get to the South Island by September, when it will start to slowly thaw out. I'm not sure when the ski season ends on the South Island, but there is extensive skiing available around Mt Ruapehu in the centre of the North Island.

You could consider heading north on arrival (presumably into Auckland), after buying a car there. The Bay of Islands are beautiful, and a week or more there will be a good introduction, even in winter. You might need to research the regulations attached to foreign nationals buying, registering, and insuring a vehicle in New Zealand.

In terms of reliable Internet, you could invest in a mobile broadband dongle for use when you cannot access free WiFi. You can easily buy a cheap car online (subject to whatever the rules are), but if you are fairly inexperienced in this area, it might be better going to a second-hand car dealer - but never pay the asking price - always aim to haggle the price down by at least 40% if you can.

In terms of itinerary, you have more than sufficient time to see essentially "all" the country ... but where you concentrate your time will depend mostly on your interests and priorities. The South Island is pretty straightforward ... you can circumnavigate the island either way, and see just about all of it.

The North Island is excellent too, and I would not neglect the two east-west "extremities" (meaning Taranaki/New Plymouth to the west, and Gisborne to the east).

You can even drive right round the isolated East Cape region as well if you are interested. But the centre strip is compelling and interesting - from Coromandel Peninsula / Tauranga through Rotorua > Taupo > Ruapehu > Wellington (via Napier/Hastings).

Hi Kereru

I do have a working holiday visa which is eligible till November 2016 since I have not used it yet. I'm
coming in from Singapore and will be working remotely for the company I'm currently working at....:)

Hi ianw6705

I am planning to fly into Auckland to start off. I think I will spend about a week or two there till I settle my car n explore it up before heading anywhere just to my feet on the ground for the long trip ahead. Thank you for the suggestions on the places to visit and the second hand dealer, I shall look out for those and try to educate myself as best as I can on the regulations, and cars in general..:)

Also, may I know what you mean by extremities when it comes to Grisborne and New Plymouth?

I just meant the most westerly point (New Plymouth) and the most easterly point (Gisborne) of the North Island, that most travelers either miss on a short trip, or remain unaware of their attractions. The East Cape drive (from Gisborne around to Whakatane) was nice, without being exceptional ... but given the time you have, why not? You would need to check the availability of Internet services right round though, if this is important to you on daily basis.

Ahh kkie......i misunderstood the extremities portion...facepalm..:).

Don't rule out small hostels either. There are some wonderful ones in nz. Check out the bbh site.

Indeed ... although we preferred YHA Hostels because of their consistent quality, and while we stayed in a couple of very good BBH ones, their standards are rather more patchy. But you can always check reviews.

@neverwinter @ianw6705

Yeap, noted..:D

I want to say check out the South Island ski fields sooner rather than later (especially if you're a keen skier), as they have a pretty good base of natural snow as well as manmade at the moment...but it will depend entirely on whether you can find somewhere to stay or not. I'm thinking of the Treble Cone, Cardrona, Coronet Peak and Remarkables ski fields. Queenstown and Wanaka are the two main base towns, but you can also look into Hawea and Cromwell for accommodation if needed.

Here are some useful sites with information on buying used cars in NZ:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/choosing-the-right-vehicle/tips-for-buying-a-used-car/

http://www.aa.co.nz/cars/cars-for-sale/how-to-buy-a-used-car/

Hi knightia

Thank you for the car resources. Actually, I have never skied' in my life before. I'm just looking to learn when I go there. I will take a look at the places mentioned...:). If the peaks are calling me...maybe ill just shift around timeline to experience a bit of winter at south island too..

Cardrona is a great skifield for learners (down hill skiing). Also, if you want to learn cross-country skiing, the Snow Farm is opposite Cardrona.

You'll be able to get a shuttle bus to both of those skifields from Wanaka. Both offer learner lessons as well as equipment rental (ski's and boots) - most, if not all, the ski fields do, so research the best deal.

Out of your four months, it will depend a bit on how much of that you wish to spend on the North Island, prior to heading to the South. As I mentioned up-thread, you can do ample skiing on the North Island in the July-August period, if that suits your overall itinerary better.

Anyway, it's all good, whatever you decide with that much time.

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