At less than 5 millions population, New Zealand is considered as under populated country. The best New Zealand has to offer are never ending ‘wow’ moments wherever you look at be it the mountains, lake, stars, beaches and even the farm scenery apart from the adrenaline rush activities. Most of the hidden gems of New Zealand are located far away from the main road. So these are the best ways to explore New Zealand:
Buy your own car.
If you plan to stay more than 60 days in NZ, buying a used car is one of your best option. An average used car can cost around NZD1500. I got myself a good used car, Mitsubishi Diamante 2.5Ve 1995 for NZD500. It turn out to be my best investment. Be warn, finding a reliable cheap used car is not as easy as it may sound.
Rent a car / campervan / motorhome.
If you are traveling New Zealand for less than 60 days, it is easier to just rent a vehicle depending on how many of you in the group. You can skip the hassle of buying and selling the car. Instead, pay, and hit the road as soon as possible.
Travel by bus.
My first time traveling in New Zealand, I used buses to hop between towns. It can be intimidating as you will have a fix schedule, axis around the bus time, and there is no bus going to the location of most non-commercial hidden gems around NZ.
Hitch-hiking.
Hitch-hiking can be a little bit scary to most of us. But fortunately, there is very low incidents happened to hitch hikers in New Zealand. In fact, the hitch-hiking culture in New Zealand is quite welcoming since there are lots of travelers roaming around. However, waiting for a ride can sometimes be too long.
*These are my top options and only an opinion. There might be other unexplored options.
