Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
See Click here for info on NZ's Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC; www.acc.co.nz ) insurance scheme
(fault-free personal injury insurance).
Purchase
Buying a car then selling it at the end of your travels can be one of the cheapest and best ways to see NZ. Auckland is
the easiest place to buy a car. Turners Auctions ( www.turners.co.nz ) is NZ's biggest car-auction operator, with 11 loca-
tions.
LEGALITIES
Make sure your prospective vehicle has a Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and registration valid for a reasonable period: see
the Land Transport New Zealand ( www.landtransport.govt.nz ) website for details.
Buyers should also take out third-party insurance, covering the cost of repairs to another vehicle in an accident that is
your fault: try the Automobile Association (AA; 0800 500 444; www.aa.co.nz/travel ). NZ's no-fault Accident
Compensation Corporation scheme covers personal injury, but make sure you have travel insurance, too.
If you're considering buying a car and want someone to check it out for you, various car-inspection companies in-
spect cars for around $150; find them at car auctions, or they will come to you. Try Vehicle Inspection New Zealand
(VINZ; 0800 468 469, 09-573 3230; www.vinz.co.nz ) or the AA.
Before you buy it's wise to confirm ownership of the vehicle, and find out if there's anything dodgy about the car (eg
stolen, or outstanding debts). The AA's LemonCheck (
0800 536 662, 09-420 3090; www.lemoncheck.co.nz ) offers
this service ('Pry before you buy'…).
BUY-BACK DEALS
You can avoid the hassle of buying/selling a vehicle privately by entering into a buy-back arrangement with a dealer.
Predictably, dealers often find sneaky ways of knocking down the return-sale price, which may be 50% less than what
you paid, so hiring or buying and selling a vehicle yourself (if you have the time) is usually a better bet.
Road Hazards
Kiwi traffic is usually pretty light, but it's easy to get stuck behind a slow-moving truck or campervan − pack plenty of
patience. There are also lots of slow wiggly roads, one-way bridges and plenty of gravel roads, all of which require a
more cautious driving approach. And watch out for sheep!
To check road conditions call
0800 444 449 or see www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/current-conditions .
Road Rules
» Kiwis drive on the left-hand side of the road; cars are right-hand drive. Give way to the right at intersections.
» At single-lane bridges (of which there are a surprisingly large number), a smaller red arrow pointing in your direction
of travel means that you give way.
» Speed limits on the open road are generally 100km/h; in built-up areas the limit is usually 50km/h. Speed cameras and
radars are used extensively.
» All vehicle occupants must wear a seatbelt or risk a fine. Small children must be belted into approved safety seats.
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