Addresses and stuff
Please note: This information was compiled in 2004! Please do further note: I'm a German,
this means I'm obsessed with order, cleanliness, reliability and stuff. (And killing foreigners of course.) In addition to that I'm completely boring, I never laugh, don't know how to spell the word "fun" and thus tend to stay away from those happy party people."You could say I'm sort of the boss, so get lost."
People:
Generally speaking, Kiwis are friendly and helpful. If not, just tell them that you love the All Blacks and that Australia sucks. *g* There are less tourists in NZ than in Oz, and also less arseholes. NZ doesn't seem to be so attractive to young idiots as Oz - that's why travelling here was much more peaceful than Oz.
Accomodation:
The standard of accomodation in NZ is lightyears higher than in Oz. I've stayed in quite a few fantastic hostels. Most places were extremely clean, comfortable, and quiet. But there is also less accomodation than next door. Booking ahead is the thing to do. Watch out for rugby or cricket games in the big cities - on those weekends it'll be hard to find a place to stay if you don't book ahead early (1 week or more). Even if there's no special event going on: the higher-rated BBH hostels are often quite small and should be booked a few days in advance. The usual stuff applies to NZ as well as Oz: Avoid the big places. If a hostel advertises that it's fully licensed - stay away. Etc. You should become a BBH member (
Budget Backpacker Hostels New Zealand). Their hostel network covers the whole of NZ and the 40$ membership is well worth the money: most hostels offer a discount of 2-3$ per night if you're a BBH member. Membership also includes a 20$ phonecard (callingcard) which is very useful as well. Otherwise you might just end up spendig half your budget on those bloody expensive pay phones they got. You can also use this card to short dial the hostels listed in the BBH guide (which is free and the most useful thing to pick up once you're in NZ). This guide contains the adresses, location maps, and ratings of all NZ BBH hostels. Each place can be rated online by members. The website also shows you the comments people made when they rated a hostel. You do not need VIP or Nomads or any other membership.
Getting around:
Travelling by bus is comparatively cheap and easy. The biggest company is called Newmans/Intercitys. They offer hour passes and other discount packages, the buses are climatized and drivers are mostly harmless (and friendly). They cover both the North and the South Island but they don't to the Catlins (gravel roads, though that is about to change). On the South Island there's a company called Atomic Shuttles. They are cheaper and faster than Newmans/Intercitys and they also do drop-offs and pick-ups. (They also drive like mad, but hey, who am I to complain? *g*) Domestic flights are cheap, too, especially for covering long distances like Christchurch-Wellington. Unfortunately, there's also KiwiExperience - stay away!!! Some other companies, "Magic" and "Stray", offer "backpacker group tours" as well. I cannot say anything about "Magic" other that they belong to Newmans/Intercitys. "Stray" is okayish, but you still run the risk of having to stay with "funny" fellow travellers or bus drivers who think they're entertainers in an enclosed space (bus) for a couple of hours. If you're prepared to face the supernatural you could also rent a car, but remember, they're driving on the wrong side ... .
| Name |
Address |
| Stonehurst |
241 Gloucester Street, Latimer Square. www.stonehurst.com |
| Little India |
Gloucester Street |
| Name |
Address |
| Surat Bay Lodge |
See BBH guide |
| Lumberjack's Cafe (?) |
Owaka (near Surat Bay) |
| Name |
Address |
| Chalet Backpackers |
See BBH guide |
| The Arc Cafe |
At the bottom of High St |
| Echo |
George St |
| Replay |
Meridian Mall, George St |
| Name |
Address |
| Chez la Mer Backpackers |
See BBH guide |
| La Ile (Isle?) |
main street, across from Chez la Mer |
| Bon Email |
main street, across from Chez la Mar |
| Name |
Address |
| Vegetarian Cafe |
Cuba St |
| Ed's Juicebar |
Victoria St |
| Strawberry Fare |
Kent Tce |
| Name |
Address |
| Burke's Backpackers |
See BBH guide |
| Internet Cafe |
Tongariro St, across tourist info |
Avoid like the plague.
| Name |
Address |
| City Garden Lodge |
See BBH guide |
| The Chocolate Boutique |
Parnell, Parnell Rd |
| Burger Fuel |
Parnell, Parnell Rd |
Author and copyright of this website:
Christian Kohl.
Impressum.
