New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to go on a road trip! You’ll drive past beautiful scenery of volcanoes, glaciers, and incredible ocean views. Yet, driving in New Zealand can be intimidating for tourists, and it can hold back some people from going on the road trip of a lifetime.
But WHY is it so intimidating for tourists to drive?
Simply because in most countries you have to drive on the right side of the road, but in New Zealand you need to stay on the left. It’s as simple as that to why some people get scared of driving.
However, we’re here to tell you not to be!
New Zealand is actually one of the easiest countries we’ve ever driven in, and we think that one of the biggest dangers on the roads are the tourists that are nervous about driving. Therefore, we decided to make this guide about how to drive in New Zealand with confidence!
Once you’re done reading this guide you’re hopefully ready to drive in New Zealand and go on the road trip of your dreams. Now let’s get started!
Who can drive in New Zealand?
Anyone with a valid driver’s license. BUT there are always some exceptions…
For example, I’m Danish and therefore I have a Danish driver’s license. When I’m driving in New Zealand I also need to have an international driver’s license. I got my international driving license from my government.
So, make sure to check whether or not you need an international driving license (and where to get one) before you head to New Zealand as a tourist.
AND, even though you’re 18 and have your driver’s license, you might not be able to rent a car in New Zealand. Most rental companies only rent cars out to people aged 21 years and above. So make sure to read the terms and conditions before you rent a vehicle in New Zealand.
What are the driving rules in New Zealand?
The driving rules in New Zealand are basically the same as anywhere else.
- Wear a seatbelt
- Follow the speed limits (100 km/h on open roads and 50 km/h in urban areas, unless otherwise stated of course)
- Follow the traffic lights as usual
- Don’t drink and drive, don’t talk on a handheld phone while driving etc.
- You’ll have the same international road signs that you’re used to (except for the “beware of penguins and kiwis signs” – love it!)
So you don’t have to be intimidated about learning new driving rules in New Zealand. The rules are the same, but the roads are of course different. And it’s important to be cautious on roads that you’ve never driven before because you simply don’t know them.
How are the road conditions in New Zealand?
GOOD! Most of the roads in New Zealand are one-way lanes in fine condition.
However, there are a lot of windy and uphill roads around the country, and it’s important to be extra careful here. But apart from that, we found New Zealand to be one of the easiest countries to drive in.
Notice that the roads in New Zealand’s North island are more crowded than the roads in the South island. This is simply because more people live in the North. And because of this, there are also longer distances in-between towns and gas stations when driving on the South island.
10 + 1 tips on how to drive in New Zealand
All right! Now that we’ve got the driving terms, rules, and road conditions in order, it’s time to share our top 10 (+1 extra) tips on how to drive in New Zealand with confidence.
1. ALWAYS Keep Left!
We repeat: KEEP LEFT!
It’s the number 1 golden rule when driving in New Zealand if you come from a country with right-side driving. Accidents happen because some tourists forget to stay on the left side of the road, and it’s SO dangerous!
So that’s the most important thing to remember when you’re driving in New Zealand – stay on the left side of the road at all times.
2. The blinker is on the other side
Because you drive on the left in New Zealand, this also means that the driver’s seat is on the other side of the car. So you sit on the right side of the car while driving on the left side of the road.
This also means that the blinker is on the other side of the steering wheel… And you’ll probably learn this the hard way.
Every time I wanted to turn on the blinker, I put the windshield wiper on. At first, it was super frustrating, but then I quickly got the hang of it.
So basically, if you’re used to driving on the right side of the road, you have to mirror everything in the car. It may sound complicated, but it’s actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. As long as you keep left, then you and everyone else will be safe.
3. Be aware of missing cell phone reception
There is often no cell phone reception while driving in New Zealand. Cell phone reception is especially scarce on the South island because there are longer distances between cities.
Just take notice of this before you set out on your drive.
4. Buy a CD (or two) in Warehouse
And because there is no cell phone reception in New Zealand, it makes listening to the radio nearly impossible.
I actually don’t think I can explain how annoying it is to listen to the radio while on a road trip in New Zealand… The radio works approximately 5 minutes after leaving a city, and then the signal is gone for the next 2 hours before you hit the next city.
BUT where there is a will, there’s a way – and that way is named Warehouse. In Warehouse you can choose between many CD’s and just pop them in the CD player of the car.
And what better way to gain confidence on the road than to listen to your favorite tunes?
5. Let other cars pass you when it’s possible
I think that one of the best tips we can give you is to let the cars behind you pass. Tourists in New Zealand are often driving a rental camper van, which is naturally slower on the roads than a car – especially when going uphill.
Since there are so many one-way lanes in New Zealand, you’ll often end up with a trail of cars behind you that cannot pass.
So when it’s possible, make sure to keep left and let the cars behind you pass.
Road signs will often indicate when a “passing lane”, a “slow vehicle bay” or a “stopping bay” is coming up, and this is your chance to blink left and let the cars behind you pass.
It can be super stressful to have many cars behind you, so make sure to let them pass when it’s possible. Plus, the locals will really appreciate you doing this!
6. Always check the distance and your gas tank
Sometimes we underestimated just HOW LONG some of the drives were in New Zealand.
You often drive next to beautiful scenery in the middle of nowhere for hours. So always check the distance on the roads beforehand. If you’re heading up some hilly roads in an old camper van, then you might lose more gas than you think. Plus, there might still be a long distance to the nearest gas station.
Being low on gas can be stressful – especially if you’re driving somewhere without cell phone reception, so you can’t call anyone if you run out.
Therefore, always top up your gas tank if you’re driving towards… nothing. Sometimes there literally is nothing but nature for hours, which is what makes New Zealand so incredible to road trip in.
7. Expect smaller roads to be gravel roads
While the big roads in New Zealand are good to drive on, the smaller roads are often not.
We found that small roads often turn out to be gravel roads full of pot holes, so make sure to take it easy on these roads. We had a few scares on our road trip, and it was mostly on these small roads where we ran into trouble.
So be extra cautious when driving on the small roads.
8. Don’t drive in New Zealand when you’re tired
This doesn’t just count for New Zealand but really for anywhere! Don’t drive when you’re tired, you might cause accidents.
While the road conditions in New Zealand are great, you’ll sometimes find yourself driving on a narrow, steep, one-way lane. And if you’re tired, you might have a dangerous situation at hand.
So, make sure to take a few breaks on your road trip! Many stops will also allow you to appreciate all the wonderful things that the country has to offer.
9. Follow the speed limits at all times
The speed limits are there for a reason. And while you might question it on some of the straight long roads, you should still just follow the limits because they’re there for a reason.
It’s better to set more time aside for the drive than to hurry through New Zealand.
10. Don’t be intimidated by one-way bridges
Before driving in New Zealand, I’d never tried driving over a one-way bridge before. But just after visiting the glaciers on the West Coast, I had my first encounter. And it wasn’t scary at all. On the contrary, it was so cool!
There are road signs indicating who has priority to drive, so you needn’t be nervous. But it can be hard to see if someone is coming from afar. So, make sure to slow down before you make it onto the one-way bridge. Nobody likes to reverse on a small, narrow bridge.
11. Stop for a gas station pie when driving in New Zealand
Our extra tip for this blog post about how to drive in New Zealand with confidence is to stop for a pie. You should do it every day on the road! Seriously, the pies in New Zealand are divine.
Stop, eat, rest.
And may I suggest a potato top pie? They’re my favorite. You can easily find New Zealand pies at the BP Gas stations, but you can also find them in small shops in the local towns. Try them! They might bring your confidence level up with 5% – just because they make you feel good.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post about how to drive in New Zealand with confidence! It’s really not that intimidating, and if you’re already a solid driver, then you have nothing to worry about.
Just keep left, take your time, stop to rest and you’ll be fine! If you have any questions about driving in New Zealand, then make sure to pop them into the comment box below. Since I’m not the best driver myself, I probably cannot answer technical questions, but I’ll try. Thanks for reading!
Worthy road trip stops on the North Island:
Worthy road trip stops on the South Island:
Is it your first time in New Zealand? Check out:
Great post 🙂 Live the comment about letting the locals pass you. Also, the locals always encourage you to try and hit the possums if you’re driving at night.
Haha I remember we saw so many dead possums during our road trip. The locals really must hate them!