General Information and Advice

Spectacular New Zealand scenery

These pages are intended to provide you with more information about travelling to New Zealand.

If you are used to staying on Club sites you may find camp sites abroad quite different. Facilities and pitches vary from site to site and from country to country. In particular, you should note that there is no six metre rule.

Members report that kitchens are of good quality on New Zealand camp sites and washing machines are readily available too.

Passports and visas

Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the date you leave New Zealand and must be machine readable for transit through Los Angeles. Passports issued on or after 26 October 2006 will have to include biometric data for transit through Los Angeles. A visa is not required by holders of UK passports, as long as you are described as a “British Citizen” on the personal information page. If you hold any other passport, you should contact your consulate or embassy to find out about requirements.

Prohibited items

No sharp objects, even penknives or nail scissors, must be taken into the plane cabin. All liquids may also be refused in cabin baggage, unless you can prove, with appropriate certification, that they are for essential use (please check your airline’s documentation for its specific policy on this).

Because of the importance of agriculture and horticulture to the New Zealand economy, certain animal products, fruit, plant materials or foodstuffs that could contain plant or animal pests may not be allowed into the country. You should also make sure that shoes do not have soil or dirt attached to them.

Transit through Los Angeles

British machine readable passport holders who are also British citizens need to follow no special procedures for their brief transit through the USA at Los Angeles airport. Forms regarding the transit formalities will be handed to you on the plane, so make sure you have a pen with you. Anyone who does not hold a British machine readable passport, or who does but whose status is anything other than that of British citizen should be especially sure to check transit requirements before travelling.

A machine readable passport can be identified by the presence of two lines of text as letters, numbers and “<”s, printed at the foot of the personal identification page at the back of the passport. Further information is available on www.usembassy.org.uk

Transit arrangements are very strict in the USA, so please be patient and expect to queue more than once during your transit through Los Angeles airport. The Department of Health makes no specific recommendations for visitors to the USA. Consult your doctor for further details.

The UK is a member country of the United States’ Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). VWP member countries’ citizens may travel to the US for business or pleasure for a period of less than 90 days without applying for a visa (which is a process involving several steps and that usually takes some time).

Be sure to take the normal precautions with your valuables that you would in any large city.

Currency

The New Zealand dollar comprises 100 cents and there are (as of 18 December 2011) NZ$2.02 to the pound. Currency can be purchased in advance from your bank or from bureaux de change. Visa and MasterCard credit cards can be used to withdraw cash from cash machines in New Zealand, as long as you have your PIN number. You should check with your bank regarding charges and interest rates. Plus and Cirrus debit cards may be used in cash machines displaying the appropriate logo. Travellers Cheques and credit cards are widely accepted at banks, hotels and some shops. We recommend credit cards and Travellers Cheques as the most effective way to pay for your purchases, as they avoid the need to carry large sums of cash, and give you a slightly better exchange rate than the standard tourist rate.

Banks are open from 0930 to 1630 Monday to Friday.

Time zone

All of New Zealand lies in one time zone, twelve hours ahead of GMT, thus making the country one of the first in the world to see each new day. New Zealand’s summer “daylight saving” makes this difference 13 hours between the first Sunday of October and the third Sunday in March.

Telephones and postage

International Direct Dialling is available, the country code for calls to New Zealand being 64. To call the UK from New Zealand dial the outgoing international access code (00). Follow this with the UK’s country code (44) and then the full UK STD number minus the leading zero.

Most public phones take cards purchased from newsagents. Some accept credit cards, but very few accept coins.

Post offices are open Monday to Friday from 0900 to 1700. Airmail to Europe usually takes four to five days.

Security

New Zealand has a reputation for being one of the safest countries in the world, particularly in the countryside. In general you should meet polite, helpful, down-to-earth, friendly people, but it is still wise to apply normal caution and pay attention to securing belongings. No one wants any unnecessary trouble while on the holiday of a lifetime!

Weather and clothing

The north of New Zealand is subtropical and the south temperate. The warmest months are December, January and February, and the coldest June, July and August. In summer, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20-30ºC and in winter between 10-15ºC with temperatures warmer in the north and cooler in the south.

You should bring, comfortable clothing, with plenty of layers and a warm waterproof jacket to take care of any cool or wet weather. Expect some rain, particularly in the south and west of the country and most especially on the west coast of the south island. A comfortable pair of shoes for walking and sightseeing is essential and a walking stick is also highly recommended. You should take a wide brimmed hat to protect against sunburn.

Tipping

Procedures for tipping in New Zealand are very similar to home. People tip by way of thanking particularly good service. Service charges are not added to restaurant bills.

Shopping

Shops are generally open on Monday to Friday, 0900 to 1700 as at home. Most shops also open on Saturday morning, and some are now open on Sundays. Items that you might like to buy in New Zealand include sheepskins, or sheepskin clothing, items of wood craft generally and Maori woodcarvings in particular (indigenous New Zealand woods are varied and beautiful), paua (abalone) shell, local jewellery items and woolly jumpers. Around Auckland, the Coromandel and Nelson in particular, there are communes of craft people who sell their art and craft in shops, galleries and stalls around the country.

New Zealand sportswear and outdoor clothing and equipment also enjoy a very good reputation and make excellent presents.

Local taxes

All goods and services in New Zealand are subject to a 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST). This is usually included in the price and is non refundable. However, many imports carry very low, or no, tariff or duty, and you may find many consumer goods cheaper in New Zealand than at home.

Health

The Department of Health makes no specific recommendations for visitors to the USA or to New Zealand. However, you may like to check with your doctor before departure and read the Department of Health booklet Health Advice for Travellers, available from post offices and supplied with your travel documents. There are reciprocal health agreement between New Zealand and the UK, so UK citizens are entitled to free treatment as a hospital in-patient, but must pay some charges for services provided as outpatients and by private doctors. Visitors bringing in medications should make sure that they also carry a doctor’s certificate in order to avoid problems with customs. Please note that full and comprehensive medical and personal holiday insurance with Europ Assistance is available through Carefree Travel Service.

Sandflies

In wetter areas, such as Fjiordland, sandflies can be pests, but are effectively controlled by use of insect repellent.

Giardia

This is a water-borne parasite that causes diarrhoea. To avoid contracting it, it is best not to drink water from lakes, ponds or rivers without first boiling, chemically treating or filtering it.

Sunburn

New Zealand's clear, unpolluted atmosphere and relatively low latitudes produce sunlight a great deal stronger than much of Europe, so be prepared to wear hats and high factor sun block when out in the sun for more than a few minutes.

Smoking

To protect people from the health effects of second-hand smoke, smoking in all hospitality venues, including bars, restaurants, cafes, and casinos, is prohibited in New Zealand. If you smoke, please remember to smoke outside.

Bringing goods into the UK

You are entitled to the allowances shown below

200 cigarettes; or 100 cigarillos; or 50 cigars; or 250g of tobacco
60cc of perfume
2 litres of still table wine
250cc of eau de toilette
1 litre of spirits or strong liqueurs over 22 per cent volume; or 2 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine or other liqueurs such as port or sherry
£145 worth of all other goods, including gifts and souvenirs.

If you want to bring back more, you will have to declare it to customs on your way back and pay Customs duty and VAT. For more information, visit http://customs.hmrc.gov.ukand select the “Travel home page” icon.

Water

New Zealand’s cities and towns have excellent water supplies and in all cases tap water is fresh and safe to drink. Water from rivers and lakes should be boiled, chemically treated or filtered before drinking, to avoid stomach upsets.

Electricity

Electricity is supplied throughout New Zealand at 230/240 volts (50 hertz), although most hotels and motels provide 110 volt AC sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only. For all other equipment, an adapter/converter is necessary, unless the item has a multi-voltage option. Please note that power outlets only accept flat three or two-pin plugs, depending on whether an earth connection is fitted. Your motorhome will have the appropriate site hook-up equipment.

Propane Gas

Your motorhome cooking and heating facilities run off propane stored in an onboard tank that will be full when you pick it up. This should last you for approximately three to four weeks and should you need to top it up, you can do so at petrol stations at a cost of NZ$15 to NZ$20.

Revised on 24/01/08

Information correct at the time of going to press.