Driving in New Zealand
New Zealand is no big country, but it’s necessary to have a car if you want to travel around at your own pace and see everything in a comfortable way.
You might think it is dangerous because you have to drive on the left (false) side.
I thought this was the case as I am from Germany and I have been driving on the right side for almost two years. On my second weekend in Auckland some friends and I wanted to visit Rotorua and so we rented a car.
During the weekend I only was the co-driver but it was a great possibility to have a first look into the upside down world of driving on the left. Two days later I drove the first time by my own. So here are some tips, which helped me:
- Start slow, it’s not easy to estimate distances to your left side. You might could take another person, who drives there for longer and can give you some advises.
- Start with an automatic car, so you can give your full attention to the traffic.
- There are some specific things you have to keep in mind, that the traffic goes with the clock.
- The indicator and the windscreen wiper are just the other way around as well
- Concentrate and don’t drive to fast. The speed limit is 30km/hr in school zones, 50km/hr in towns and cities and 100km/hr on motorways and highways.
