- New Zealanders drive on the left as we do in the UK. This makes the transition very straightforward and driving in the country a pleasure.
- Most cars are automatic transmission as in the USA. Despite driving a manual car at home I always enjoy the opportunity to drive an automatic
- Most roads, except those around big cities like Auckland and Wellington, are single carriageway. there are frequent passing lanes which are found usually on up hill sections.
- Drivers of slow vehicles, such as lorries and camper vans, will move over to let you pass on single carriage way roads where it is safe to do so. There are far less lorries on New Zealand roads compared to there UK or USA and many of the big trucks are logging vehicles.
- Outside the big cities traffic is light. The population of New Zealand is only 4.7 million and you really notice this on the roads. Indeed 75% of the population live on the North Island so the South is relatively much quieter, however most of the camper vans are concentrated in the south.
- Petrol price is currently around £1.12 a litre though you will pay more in some of the more remote areas.
- New Zealand’s roads are incredibly well maintained. There are no pot holes!. If there are road works then that section of road is being actively worked on. There are not mile upon mile of coned off road works. Roads can become closed because of slips/landslides and diversions can add a long detour to your journey. it is always worth checking for road updates before you set off.
- Bridges, and there are a lot of them especially in the South Island, are single lane. Signs give priority and this is strictly adhered to. In general drivers are incredibly polite and courteous. I only saw on example of aggressive driving in nearly a month of travelling.
- Driving is much slower in New Zealand. Â The speed limit outside built up areas may be 100km/hr but this is hard to maintain due to the twisting, turning roads. Â In short New Zealand has a lot of bends and corners to slow the driver down. As a result it takes much longer to cover distances than in the UK or USA
- Road signage and markings are very similar to the UK. Yellow lines are used in the centre of the road. A solid yellow line means you must not cross, so no overtaking. A dashed yellow line means that a solid yellow restriction is about to start. More details can be found here
Further advice can be found here Â
and here