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Cars 4 Rental Information on New Zealand

General

Area: 270,534 sq km (104,454 sq miles).

Population: 3,850,000 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 14.2 per sq km.

Capital: Wellington. Population: 339,747 (2001). Auckland, with a population of 1,074,507 (2001), is the largest urban area in the country.

GEOGRAPHY: New Zealand is 1930km (1200 miles) southeast of Australia and consists of two major islands, the North Island (114,470 sq km/44,197 sq miles) and the South Island (150,660 sq km/58,170 sq miles), which are separated by Cook Strait. Stewart Island (1750 sq km/676 sq miles) is located immediately south of the South Island, and the Chatham Islands lie 800km (500 miles) to the east of Christchurch. Going from north to south, temperatures decrease. Compared to its huge neighbour Australia, New Zealand’s three islands make up a country that is relatively small (about 20 per cent more land mass than the British Isles). Two-thirds of the country is mountainous, a region of swift-flowing rivers, deep alpine lakes and dense subtropical forest. The country’s largest city, Auckland, is situated on the peninsula that forms the northern part of the North Island. The southern part of the North Island is characterised by fertile coastal plains rising up to volcanic peaks. Around Rotorua, 240km (149 miles) south of Auckland, there is thermal activity in the form of geysers, pools of boiling mud, springs of hot mineral water, silica terraces, coloured craters and hissing fumaroles which make Rotorua a world-famous tourist attraction. The South Island is larger, although only about one-third of the population lives there. The Southern Alps extend the whole length of the island, culminating in Mount Cook, the country’s highest peak. In the same region are the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers.
There are also four Associated Territories: The Cook Islands, about 3500km (2175 miles) northeast of New Zealand; Niue, 920km (570 miles) west of the Cook Islands (area 260 sq km/100 sq miles); Tokelau, three atolls about 960km (600 miles) northwest of Niue (area 12 sq km/4 sq miles) and the Ross Dependency, which consists of over 700,000 sq km (270,270 sq miles) of the Antarctic.

Note: Cook Islands and Niue have separate individual sections in the World Travel Guide.

Government: Constitutional monarchy since 1907. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II since 1952, represented locally by Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright since 2001. Head of Government: Prime Minister Helen Clark since 1999.

Language: English is the common and everyday language, but other languages are also spoken, including Maori, which is New Zealand’s second official language (spoken by the indigenous Maori people who constitute approximately 15 per cent of the population).

Religion: 60 per cent Christian: Anglican, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and Methodist are all represented.

Time: New Zealand: GMT + 12 (GMT + 13 from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March). Chatham Island: GMT + 12.45 (GMT + 13.45 from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March).

Electricity: 240 volts AC, 50Hz. Most hotels provide 110-volt AC sockets (rated at 20 watts) for electric razors only.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available. Country code: 64. Outgoing international code: 00. Most public phones take cards purchased from bookstalls; some also accept credit cards, but very few still accept coins.

Mobile telephone

Extensive AMPs network operated by Telecom New Zealand (website: www.telecom.co.nz). GSM 900 network operated by Vodafone New Zealand (website: www.vodafone.co.nz). Handsets can be bought or hired from Vodafone New Zealand. There are also mobile telephone shops at Auckland and Christchurch airports.

Fax

Most hotels provide facilities.

Internet

ISPs include Kiwilink (website: www.kiwilink.co.nz). There are Internet cafes in the city and smaller town central business districts. Travellers may access the Internet at many hotels and youth hostels.

Post

Post offices are open Mon-Fri 0900-1700. Airmail to Western Europe takes 4 to 5 days and to the USA 3 to 10 days.

Press

The English-language daily newspapers with the highest circulation include New Zealand Herald, The Dominion and The Press.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

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Money

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of NZ$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of NZ$2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents.

Currency exchange: Exchange facilities are widely available throughout New Zealand.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that might be available.

Travellers cheques: Can be exchanged at official rates at trading banks, large hotels and some shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Pounds Sterling or Australian Dollars.

Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign or local currency.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the New Zealand Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb '04 May '04
£1.00= 2.73 2.69 3.26 2.89
$1.00= 1.71 1.61 1.79 1.62

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1630.

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Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No No
Cholera No No
Typhoid and Polio No N/A
Malaria No N/A

Food & drink: Mains water is considered safe to drink. Milk is pasteurised and dairy products are safe for consumption. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.

Other risks: There are no snakes or dangerous wild animals in New Zealand. Sandflies are prevalent in Fiordland, but these can be effectively countered with insect repellent. The only poisonous creature is the very rare katipo spider.

Health care: Medical facilities, both public and private, are of a high standard. Telephone numbers for doctors and hospitals are listed at the front of the white pages of local telephone directories. Should visitors need drugs or pharmaceutical supplies outside normal shopping hours, they should refer to ‘Urgent Pharmacies’ in the local telephone directory for the location of the nearest pharmacy or check with their hotel. Many hotels have doctors on call. Long-staying visitors with a valid permit to stay for 2 or more years are entitled to health care services on the same basis as New Zealand citizens. There is a reciprocal health agreement with the UK, which entitles short-term British visitors to publicly funded health treatment. They will receive free treatment as a hospital inpatient, but must pay some charges for any services provided by outpatients and private doctors. Medical insurance is advised to cover any additional charges.

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Climate

Subtropical in the North and temperate in the South. The North has no extremes of heat or cold but winter can be quite cool in the South, with snow in the mountains. The eastern areas often experience drought conditions in summer; the West, particularly in the South Island, has more rain.

Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are worn in the North Island most of the year and in summer in the South Island. Mediumweights are worn during winter in the South Island. Rainwear is advisable throughout the year, and essential if visiting the South Island’s rainforest areas.

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Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No/1 Yes
Australian Yes No/4 No
Canadian Yes No/3 Yes
USA Yes No/3 Yes
OtherEU Yes No/2 Yes
Japanese Yes No/3 Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 3 months beyond the intended period of stay required by all. Some governments are not recognised by New Zealand and citizens in doubt should check with the New Zealand Immigration Service (see Contact Addresses section).

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) countries referred to in the chart above, including US nationals from American Samoa, Swains Island and nationals of New Zealand Associated Territories (Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau) for stays of up to 3 months, although transit visas are required for nationals of the following only holding one-way tickets: Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tokelau, Tonga and Vanuatu;
(b) 1. nationals of the UK and other British passport holders who have evidence of the right to live permanently in the UK for visits of up to 6 months may be granted a visitors permit on arrival;
(c) 2. nationals of EU countries (except nationals of the UK) for visits of up to 3 months (Portuguese nationals must have right of residence in Portugal), except nationals of Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovak Republic and Poland, who do require a visa;
(d) 3. nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong (SAR or British Nationals Overseas passports), Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea (Rep), Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Oman, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA (including nationals from American Samoa and Swains Island) and Vatican City for stays of up to 3 months;
(e) 4. nationals of Australia who hold a current Australian resident return visa or nationals of New Zealand with a residence permit;
(f) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft within 24 hours, providing they hold onward or return documentation and are not leaving the airport (some nationals passing through New Zealand always require a transit visa, even when not leaving the transit lounge of the airport; enquire at the New Zealand Immigration Service for details);
(g) nationals travelling on a UN laissez-passer for visits of up to 3 months.

Note: All nationals listed above must have sufficient funds to cover the duration of stay. This may be NZ$1000 for each person for every month or NZ$400 if the accommodation is already paid for. If travelling on a visa as a student, it is sometimes necessary to submit evidence of NZ$10,000 per year or NZ$1,000 per month if staying for less than 36 weeks, as well as submitting an additional form. If national is unable to submit proof of sufficient funds, it is possible to submit guarantee of accommodation and maintenance from a New Zealand citizen/resident who is a friend/relative and is serving as the national’s sponsor.

Types of visa and cost: Visitor: £50. Transit: £65. Work: £80. Student: £80. For details of special visitor categories, including group, conference and business visitor visas, contact the New Zealand Immigration Service (see Contact Addresses section).

Validity: The maximum period of time most visitors can remain in New Zealand is 9 months within an 18-month period. Single-entry visas are usually valid for stays of up to 6 months. If national has stayed for 9 months or more in the last 18 months, it is necessary to leave New Zealand for the same amount of time before returning as a visitor. It is possible to qualify for a 3-month extension if national can prove they have financially supported themselves during their stay, or have already lodged an application for residence that is still under consideration at the time of review, or if the national cannot leave New Zealand due to mitigating circumstances that are deemed outside of their control, or the national can prove to be a genuine tourist seeking only 3 months' additional stay in order to complete an itinerary. If a national has stayed in New Zealand for 12 months out of the last 24 months, they must leave New Zealand for 12 months before being allowed to return as a visitor. Visitors not requiring visas are initially allowed a stay for up to 6 months with a British passport.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or Immigration Service at High Commission); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: Visitor: (a) Completed application form. (b) One recent passport-size photo of each person named in the application. (c) Passport valid for 3 months beyond the date of departure. (d) Sufficient funds for duration of stay. (e) Onward or return ticket. (f) Fee (payable in cash or by bank/building society cheque, credit card, money order or bank draft). (g) For business trips, a company/sponsor letter. (h) Valid ticket for country the national has right of entry to. Work: (a)-(h) and, (i) Valid offer of employment in writing from a New Zealand employer with a full job description and, in many cases, confirmation that the position cannot be filled by a New Zealander. Student: (a)-(h) and, (i) Confirmation of placement at an approved educational institution.

Note: Those applying for a visa may also be asked to undergo an interview and/or a medical examination prior to travel, or by the Immigration Officer at port of entry.

Working days required: This may vary depending on type of visa required and nationality of the applicant.

Temporary residence: Enquire at the nearest New Zealand High Commission or Immigration Service for details.

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