Skip navigation

Tag Archives: New Zealand Maps

New Zealand Travel Times

New Zealand Travel times are ideal any time of year…there really are no blackout seasons!   Tourism means a great deal to New Zealanders, so services and facilities are some of the best in the world, including their travel pass New Zealand. The variety of accommodations and restaurants along with easy access to tourist information makes this country a super-enjoyable destination. Look for Department of Conservation offices for reliable travel info, and if you plan to ask locals for info, keep in mind you’ll need to know at least a little English to communicate.

Many of the best things to see and do in New Zealand are free…beaches, national parks in particular. The best time to go is almost anytime…Spring Summer or Fall, and even Winter if you wand to ski. Spring Summer and Fall are from September to April…seasons are in reverse in the Southern Hemisphere country.

To figure New Zealand travel times, New Zealand is twelve hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.  The locals follow daylight savings time from October to March.

Visas aren’t required for citizens from 50 countries with with New Zealand has visa waiver agreements. To check on your country, visit the New Zealand immigration website.

Along with tourism, agriculture is important to New Zealanders, and Customs is very careful about introduced pests and diseases that could put the farms and orchards at risk. Any fruit, meat, plant or animals must be declared upon entry to New Zealand, and the fines are stiff if you don’t.

For a quick summary of New Zealand Travel Times, here’s a handy list:

  • twelve hour flight from Los Angeles, California
  • three hour flight from Sydney, Australia
  • more than twenty hours from Europe!

As you can see, folks flying from Europe have some of the longest New Zealand travel times in the world.

Driving New Zealand

Driving New Zealand is the best way to get around this country. Bus schedules are hard to coordinate and you will lose time and flexibility if you rely on public transportation. If you have all the time in the world and want to save money, then buses are your best bet, however. Don’t forget, when driving New Zealand, stay on the left side of the road, like the British.

Drive to Northland

If you rent a car, then you can take a road trip to Northland on the Twin Coast Discovery Highway. This road loops around the Northland region so you can explore any way you like. There’s the east coast section and the west coast section, so you could do one section going up and one section going down. Time it right and catch the sunrise on the east coast, then the sunset on the west on the return trip a few days later.

Satellite Map of New Zealand

New Zealand satellite map, print, poster, photo – $ 29.95
24″x36″ “Museum Quality” Photo Gloss Print of New Zealand This is a beautiful satellite map/print of New Zealand. Notice that bathymetry (oceanic depth) has been used to enhance this island nation.

The Terrain of New Zealand – A Look at New Zealand Maps

new-zealand-mapsYou can tell from taking a look at any of the New Zealand maps available online that there is lots of nature here.  Because of the island setting and abundant rainfall, New Zealand has lots of vegetation.  Even today, much of this country is untouched, leaving a lush natural environment, of which 30 percent is protected by parks and reserves.

The islands have no native land mammals…those you will find were brought by early Maoris and Europeans.  Northland’s forests contain massive Kauri trees, kiwis (the bird), and giant wetas, which are crickets that can’t fly.

Other climates of New Zealand include the Shrublands which are shorter forests that may once have been logged and are now making a comeback, coastal areas with rocky terrain and sandy beaches AND 11,300 miles of coastline, and mountain regions, ranging from 2,900 feet  in the South Island to 4,270+ feet above sea level on the North Island.  Topographic New Zealand maps are very bumpy!

The mountain regions experience severe weather in all directions, from frigid conditions to dry heat and high winds.  It’s here that visitors will find Keas, or mountain parrots, who possess intelligence and playfulness, and therefore make for excellent bird-watching.