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New Zealand help

Sun 4-ever

By Sun 4-ever,
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

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Aus Traveller

Aus Traveller

Posted
Posted

I would rate Devonport as 'nice' and not as a 'must see'. In my opinion, Rotorua is a 'absolute must see'. At the Te Puia village in Rotorua there are geysers, and lots of boiling mud pools, a kiwi (bird) house and a Maori cultural show (great). We went to Waitomo many years ago and really liked it, so I would rate it as 'must see'. I would be easy to combine these on one trip in a loop south from Auckland. I note that you say your husband would be comfortable driving, but I have to say that there is very, very little traffic on NZ roads.

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chesterbear

chesterbear

Posted
Posted

Agreed about the lack of traffic. It's far nicer to travel around this part of nz by car than by bus.

 

You will pass through hamilton to get south, I live there. There's not a lot of touristy stuff here so I'll understand if you don't stop along the way. [emoji1]

 

 

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The Other Tom

The Other Tom

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Posted (edited)
I would rate Devonport as 'nice' and not as a 'must see'. In my opinion, Rotorua is a 'absolute must see'. At the Te Puia village in Rotorua there are geysers, and lots of boiling mud pools, a kiwi (bird) house and a Maori cultural show (great). We went to Waitomo many years ago and really liked it, so I would rate it as 'must see'. I would be easy to combine these on one trip in a loop south from Auckland. I note that you say your husband would be comfortable driving, but I have to say that there is very, very little traffic on NZ roads.

Agreed. That was our experience as well. Devonport was nice but not a must see. The Rotorua area is a must see and can be done in one (long) day. As previously mentioned, we took the tour due to my fear of driving on the "left".

Edited by The Other Tom
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Kiwi Kruzer

Kiwi Kruzer

Posted
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I would rate Devonport as 'nice' and not as a 'must see'. In my opinion, Rotorua is a 'absolute must see'. At the Te Puia village in Rotorua there are geysers, and lots of boiling mud pools, a kiwi (bird) house and a Maori cultural show (great). We went to Waitomo many years ago and really liked it, so I would rate it as 'must see'. I would be easy to combine these on one trip in a loop south from Auckland. I note that you say your husband would be comfortable driving, but I have to say that there is very, very little traffic on NZ roads.

 

Agreed about the lack of traffic. It's far nicer to travel around this part of nz by car than by bus.

You will pass through hamilton to get south, I live there. There's not a lot of touristy stuff here so I'll understand if you don't stop along the way. [emoji1]

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The roads you will be driving can get very busy at times, and very frustrating , espec if you are stuck behind a logging or stock truck . The lack of traffic on the secondary tourist roads lulls overseas drivers into a false sense of security, espec coming around corners . Visitors tend to drift to the side they are used to and we have had many head on collisions as a result.:eek:

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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Posted
Yes and the other thing is that a lot of roads are 2 lanes- 1 in each direction. They are building some expressway roads but this is not everywhere. Our open road speed limit is 100 km/hour maximum even if it's not signposted.

 

 

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Yes, and they have police checking those speeds which the hire car companies have no issue adding the fine onto your bill with an extra fee for processing as well. Just don't speed.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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And hand held mobile use by the driver while behind the wheel will also lead to fines. The police take that very seriously.

 

Always better to pull over or get a passenger to deal with a phone.

 

 

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Or the navigation if using the phone for directions.

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lyndarra Holiday Sharing Rare

lyndarra

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Agreed. That was our experience as well. Devonport was nice but not a must see. The Rotorua area is a must see and can be done in one (long) day. As previously mentioned, we took the tour due to my fear of driving on the "left".

A couple of times we have had a guded tour of devonport on segways. Alot of fun and you get to see a lot more than on foot. Advisable to book ahead - Magic Broomstick Segway Tours https://www.facebook.com/MagicBroomstickSegwayTours/

 

antebellum

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

Posted
Posted (edited)

Also the walk up to North Head is really interesting. There are old war fortifications up there, including a disappearing gun placement. You used to be able to walk though some of the old tunnels (take a torch). The views of the harbour are wonderful.

Edited by OzKiwiJJ
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plode

plode

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Really, I could say get a life and get over it,

Sorry if this was misinterpreted, I thought one of the previous posts was being rude about Americans. I dislike people making rude comments about other races. If everyone was the same life would be boring

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plode

plode

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Congratulations, you win today's award for the most unhelpful post of the day. :rolleyes:

Sorry if this comment was misinterpreted, I was upset about a previous comment about Americans , Being a kiwi myself I am used to getting derogatory comments made about me, but it is really not acceptable, and can make a difference about the enjoyment of cruising on Princess ships.

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

Posted
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Sorry if this comment was misinterpreted, I was upset about a previous comment about Americans , Being a kiwi myself I am used to getting derogatory comments made about me, but it is really not acceptable, and can make a difference about the enjoyment of cruising on Princess ships.

 

Yeh, you need to grow a thick skin on this forum. :p Just a tip, with comments like that make sure you quote the original comment so that your comment isn't taken out of context. ;)

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Sun 4-ever

Sun 4-ever

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You ALL have giving me so many great ideas, I want to do it all. Gonna try and squeeze in as much as we can. Can't wait to see your beautiful country.

 

Regarding the driving on the opposite side of the street, my hubby who is Retired State Police has had a lot of driving practice under lots of conditions and he says he will have no issues. I'm sure at first he'll be a little uneasy getting use to the opposite side of the road but then he'll do just great and no worries he is a speed limit kinda guy (me on the other hand think posted speed limits are a suggestion :D)

 

Seeing as you are all so helpful and friendly can you tell me what the temperatures are in mid October?

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OzKiwiJJ Great Review Rare

OzKiwiJJ

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He'll be fine on NZ roads.

 

It will still be quite cool in October. Pack layers. The average in Auckland will probably be 15C/60F to 20C/68F. Down in Fiordland it will be quite cold so make sure you have a warm hat and gloves for the scenic cruising. We needed them even in December last year.

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linanles

linanles

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Posted
When renting a car in New Zealand you will need to purchase insurance. US car and credit card insurance does not cover rentals in NZ.

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That's good to know. Is it only US credit cards? Does Aussie Credit Card Insurance cover car rentals in NZ?

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