The Terms Of Traveling Novel Zealand Inward 2019
Updated: 12/23/2018 | Dec 3rd, 2018
New Zealand. The solid ground of Middle Earth, Great Walks, kiwis, backpackers, jeopardy sports, delicious vino together with pristine vino regions.
And a solid ground that sucks all your coin from your wallet similar a giant vacuum.
I showtime visited New Zealand 8 years ago. The province was hence much to a greater extent than expensive than I idea it would be. Back then, I was a cheap(er) backpacker together with focused on saving every bit much coin every bit I could. I cooked most of my meals, hitchhiked, skipped all the costly jeopardy sports, together with drank a diet of inexpensive boxed vino together with happy hr beer.
But, when I visited before this year, I changed my MO this trip. I was going to tell yes to everything, regardless of cost.
I wanted to really know how much coin y'all demand inward New Zealand for a diverseness of budgets. What’s it toll to live a broke backpacker? Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 mid-range traveler? Or a mix of the two? What if y'all desire to swallow out a lot but also hike or slumber inward a van? What if y'all desire to create all the jeopardy activities inward the world? What if y'all but allow the tab pile up?
So I became the Nomadic Matt of many budgeting hats. And, inward the procedure I learned a lot about, the truthful toll of traveling New Zealand.
Let’s pause it down.
How much did I pass inward New Zealand?
Over the course of teaching of my 25-day visit, I spent $4,550.90 NZD ($3,292.74 USD), averaging $182 NZD ($131.68 USD) per day.
That’s a lot of money. Like holy hell a lot of money! Way to a greater extent than than my $50 USD a solar daytime guideline.
Here’s how my spending broke down:
- Accommodations: $913.64 NZD ($661.05 USD)
- Spark telephone service: $164.68 NZD ($119.15 USD)
- Pharmacy: $39.98 NZD ($28.93 USD)
- Internet: $15.29 NZD ($11.06 USD)
- Groceries: $235.52 NZD ($170.41 USD)
- Transportation: $1,014.32 NZD ($733.90 USD)
- Activities: $823.65 NZD ($595.94 USD)
- Restaurants: 1343.82 NZD ($972.30 USD)
Total: $4550.90 NZD ($3,292.74 USD)
I spent a lot of money, but, again, I said aye to everything. I knew taking scenic planes, trains, together with helicopter rides; staying inward individual rooms, together with meals out was going to toll a lot of money.
But fifty-fifty I was surprised yesteryear how much I spent when I wasn’t tracking my spending.
Looking back, at that topographic point were things I could receive got done to lower my costs.
I could receive got saved coin yesteryear eating out less or yesteryear booking less expensive Airbnbs instead of hostel individual rooms (which are ever a terrible bargain but I wanted to live around other travelers).
With a lot of Earth to cover, I couldn’t ever pass a solar daytime on a omnibus hence flying actually increased my costs. Additionally, the scenic rail I took (while awesome) was also $159 NZD! And shipping to Stewart Island is $160 NZD! Instead of doing them all, I could receive got picked 1 or the other.
And I definitely blew through agency besides much telephone data. As a someone non used to information limits, beingness information express at hostels (around 1 GB per day) was novel territory for me every bit I tried to stream Netflix. I picked upward the slack on my telephone yesteryear but ordering to a greater extent than information together with non actually thinking nearly it.
If I was slightly to a greater extent than witting nearly my dining, accommodation, together with spending habits, I easily could receive got cutting $20 USD or to a greater extent than per solar daytime from my budget.
How much does New Zealand actually cost?
So how much create y'all demand to budget inward New Zealand then? If you’re going to locomote similar I did, budget $110-130 USD a day. This volition allow y'all locomote carefree together with basically create anything y'all desire (within reason). Fly, accept scenic trains, expensive ferries, scenic flights, drinkable expensive wines, receive got expensive dinner – New Zealand is your oyster!
A to a greater extent than “I desire to create a lot but yet desire to live budget”, a budget of around $142 NZD ($100 USD) a solar daytime volition acquire y'all individual rooms inward Airnbs, a large let on of activities (I allow no winery acquire unvisited!), the occasional flights, together with eatery meals nearly 70% of the time.
If you’re going on a backpacker’s budget, I’d tell y'all demand around $71-85 NZD ($50-60 USD a day). That volition acquire y'all a hostel dorm room, omnibus transportation, happy hr drinks, 1 or 2 expensive activities (bungy, scenic flights, skydive, etc), together with generally self-cooked meals (around 70-80% of your meals).
If y'all are going to rent a campervan or self-drive, y'all could knock $15 NZD ($11 USD) daily off your budget since your van volition deed every bit accommodation too. On an fifty-fifty tighter budget, amongst Couchsurfing, hitchhiking, few if whatever activities, together with cooking 90% or to a greater extent than of your meals, y'all could acquire yesteryear on $40 NZD ($28 USD) per day. It’s non slow to create but I met travelers who did it. It requires a lot of dependent plain though.
Here are some sample costs:
- Spark Phone innovation (with 4.5 GB of data) – $40 NZD ($20 amongst 1.5 GB of data)
- Buses booked far inward advance – $1 NZD per ride
- Buses booked final infinitesimal – $20-60 NZD
- Airfare – Varied wildly but you’re looking at to the lowest degree $50 NZD each way.
- Scenic trains – $159 NZD each way
- Full-day Bay of Islands cruise – $259 NZD
- Hobbiton tour – $84 NZD
- Nevis Bungy – $275 NZD
- Franz Josef Glacier Guides Heli Hike – $459 NZD
- Waitomo glow worm caves – $51-246 NZD depending on if y'all walk, raft, or abseil
- Hostel dorms – $20-30 NZD
- Hostel individual rooms – $55-$100 NZD
- Airbnb – $50+ NZD for a shared location, $80+ NZD for a whole unit
- Wine tours – $150+ NZD
- Drinks – $8 NZD for a beer, $10-15 NZD for vino or cocktails, together with $5 NZD for a happy hr drink
- Bar crawls – $20-30 NZD
- Casual eatery repast – $15-25 NZD
- Fast nutrient repast – $11-20 NZD
How to SAVE coin inward New Zealand
Spending hence much coin taught me a lot of nearly how to salve coin inward New Zealand. Where your budget volition acquire to snuff it inward this province is amongst activities together with meals. Adventures activities are crazy expensive, most of them costing $200 NZD or more! I hateful a heli-hike inward Franz Josef was $450 NZD! That’s CRAZY! Moreover, amongst most meals costing $20-30 NZD ($15-22 USD), your budget is going to live gone apace if y'all swallow out a lot (food represented 34.7% of my full spending).
New Zealand’s groceries weren’t that expensive (it’s an agricultural province after all), together with at that topographic point are a lot of gratis hikes to supersede those expensive activities. Taking wages of these should assist lower your costs substantially. When I was inward Wanaka, I solely spent around $50 NZD ($36 USD) each solar daytime ($30 for my dorm, $20 for nutrient together with drink, together with $0 for activities since nature was free!). It tin live done.
Simply put, New Zealand doesn’t receive got to live expensive if y'all don’t desire it to be. After all, if it was, hence many backpackers wouldn’t come upward hither inward droves. I hateful how many hordes of backpackers acquire to Norway? Not a lot! Why? It’s f*ing expensive unless the solely matter y'all create is camp! New Zealand has a middle ground. It’s whatever it is y'all desire it to be.
Here is how to salve coin piece there:
1. Cook (a lot) – I know this is going to audio crazy but, together with I tin already hear the comments coming, the nutrient scene inward New Zealand isn’t that mind-blowing. Yes, at that topographic point are overnice cafés, some hip gastronomy, together with actually delicious meals, but nil that’s hence oral fissure watering delicious y'all receive got to blow your budget on it. I never walked away going “That was a repast I couldn’t acquire at home! I’m glad I but spent $60 bucks!”
No. In fact, my biggest regret is that I spent hence much on food. I should receive got cooked a lot more. I experience similar I wasted a lot of coin non doing so. I likely could receive got saved nearly $800 NZD yesteryear cooking to a greater extent than and, honestly, I don’t experience similar I would receive got missed anything besides great.
So laid upward every bit much every bit possible. You’re going to salve a ton of money. Heck, fifty-fifty a burger together with fries is $20 NZD! I’m non maxim y'all shouldn’t ever swallow out, but create hence sparingly.
A week’s worth of groceries volition laid y'all dorsum betwixt $80-100 NZD. The cheaper supermarkets are Pak’nSave together with Countdown.
2. Choose your tours wisely – Tours toll a lot of coin inward New Zealand. Going on but a few is plenty to bust whatever budget together with send y'all habitation before y'all had planned. Pick the ones y'all actually desire to create together with salve the residual for some other trip.
3. Hit happy hour – The backpacker bars receive got inexpensive happy hours offering $5 NZD drinks — accept wages of them.
4. WWOOF it – WWOOFing is a agency to acquire gratis accommodation together with nutrient inward render for working on a farm or inward a B&B. You tin create it for a few days or a few months. It’s a pop activity amongst travelers because it lets y'all locomote cheaper together with longer. Keep inward mind, though, most farms volition require y'all to receive got some experience, every bit besides many inexperienced workers receive got caused them problem inward the past.
5. Work at a hostel – Many hostels allow y'all merchandise a few hours of cleaning together with making beds for gratis accommodation. Ask when y'all depository fiscal establishment tally inward if this is possible — it powerfulness but salve y'all some money!
6. Car share – Car shares are a pop shipping choice for travelers looking to lower costs — all y'all demand to create is chip inward for gas. You tin notice rides on websites similar Gumtree together with Craigslist. Additionally, you’ll catch people cry for for rides on hostel bulletin boards. As for ridesharing apps, depository fiscal establishment tally out Thumbs Up NZ or Carpool New Zealand. (I never flora a New Zealand version of BlaBlaCar but if anyone knows of one, allow me know!)
7. Couchsurf – While at that topographic point are non a ton of Couchsurfing options inward the country, at that topographic point are hosts inward all of the major cities. If y'all don’t hear sleeping on a couch or floor, this is not solely a agency salve coin on accommodation but also a agency to encounter some amazing locals too. (Don’t but purpose this every bit a gratis hotel. If y'all don’t desire to interact amongst your hosts, don’t purpose this site.)
8. Hitchhike – Hitchhiking is slow inward New Zealand. Besides Iceland, it’s likely the easiest province inward the populace to hitchhike in. There are plenty of people who volition pick y'all up. Additionally, y'all tin but inquire around whatever hostel together with notice a ride — everyone is doing the same circuit. I got from Wanaka to Queenstown to Fiordland that way. Between message boards, Couchsurfing forums, the people y'all encounter inward hostels, together with but thumbing it on the side of the road, y'all tin ever notice a ride.
9. Take a gratis walking tour – There are a few gratis walking tours inward New Zealand, similar the Auckland Free Walking Tour or WellyWalks Limited inward Wellington, that offering visitors (and locals) insight into each city.
10. Remember that nature is free – New Zealand, habitation to the Great Walks of the World, has tons of gratis outdoor activities. While the jeopardy sports, vino tours, glacier treks, together with boat cruises tin swallow into your budget, all the trails together with walks are free. You tin easily fill upward your solar daytime amongst gratis hikes, excursions to the lakes, or days on the beach!
And go on inward hear the bulk of museums inward the province are also free!
11. Get a omnibus pass – I tend to purchase shipping last-minute hence I never scored super discount fares, which is where omnibus passes come upward in. I bought the $135 InterCity FlexiPass for xv hours of travel. I’d propose this since it is hours based together with lasts forever. It volition salve y'all a lot of coin versus booking last-minute tickets on the bus.
You tin notice out to a greater extent than on how to acquire around on a budget inward my final post. I listing a lot of resources there.
12. Skip the backpacker buses – While they’re fun, backpacker omnibus tours similar the Kiwi Experience, Stray, or Haka are expensive! Best to avoid them if y'all are on a tight budget. If your budget isn’t hence tight together with y'all create desire to depository fiscal establishment tally them out, live certain to sign upward for their mailing lists showtime — at that topographic point is ever a sale on.
13. Use Book.me.nz – This website provides last-minute discounts on activities (and pub crawls) throughout the country. If you’re flexible nearly when y'all desire to create things, y'all tin salve upward to 60% off attractions together with activities! I can’t recommend it enough. It saved me a lot of money.
Just live certain to spotter your budget!
Book Your Trip to New Zealand: Logistical Tips together with Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a inexpensive flying yesteryear using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my 2 favorite search engines because they search websites together with airlines around the globe hence y'all ever know no rock is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You tin mass your hostel amongst Hostelworld. If y'all desire to rest elsewhere, purpose Booking.com every bit they consistently render the cheapest rates for guesthouses together with inexpensive hotels. I purpose them all the time. My favorite places to rest inward New Zealand are:
- Nomads (Queenstown) – Rooms amongst balconies, showers amongst awesome H2O pressure, pillows that are thick together with fluffy, together with a HUGE kitchen together with mutual area. It’s 1 of my favorite hostels inward the world!
- Urbanz (Christchurch) – This hostel boasts friendly together with knowledgeable staff together with has a puddle table, fast Wi-Fi, laundry, a parking lot, a community bulletin board, movies, together with comfy couches.
- Rainbow Lodge (Taupo) – This is my second-favorite hostel inward New Zealand. It’s quirky, has a huge kitchen together with large mutual room, puddle table, outdoor patio together with grill, bike rentals, together with a gratis sauna.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance volition protect y'all against illness, injury, theft, together with cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection inward illustration anything goes wrong. I never acquire on a trip without it every bit I’ve had to purpose it many times inward the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for 10 years. My favorite companies that offering the best service together with value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
Looking for the best companies to salve coin with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to purpose when y'all travel! I listing all the ones I purpose to salve coin when I locomote – together with I mean value volition assist y'all too!
Want More Information on New Zealand?
Be certain to see our robust destination guide on New Zealand for fifty-fifty to a greater extent than planning tips!
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