Travel Tips | Transfercar Blog

Driving in New Zealand

I’ve had many questions from our Transfercar drivers about what licence they need to drive our vehicles. Here is a road great article about New Zealand driving regulations that will answer many of your queries.

International Driving Licences and Permits

You can legally drive in New Zealand for up to 12 months if you have either a current driver’s licence from your home country or an International Driving Permit (IDP). After 12 months you are required to convert to a New Zealand licence. This applies to each visit to New Zealand.

In New Zealand all drivers, including visitors from other countries, must carry their licence or permit at all times when driving. You will only be able to drive the same types of vehicles you are licensed to drive in your home country. The common legal age to rent a car in New Zealand is 21 years.

Annoying animals across the globe

This is an interesting article from Stuff.co.nz and one I would love to hear more about from Transfercar’s readers and drivers. Post your comments here or on Facebook and tell us what your craziest/scariest or just weirdest animal experience was while travelling!

cute squirrels “Aw, isn’t it cute?”

That, right there, is the officially accepted response to any animal contact the world over. Animals are cute. They’re there to be photographed, adored, and occasionally fed.

But you know what? Not all animals are cute, or adorable, or even nice. Some of them are a rank pain in the butt.

When you travel, you come into contact with all sorts of animals you never even dreamed existed. Some of them are amazing creatures that you’ll be telling friends about for the rest of your life.

Some of them just annoy the hell out of you.

Read the full article here……..

Interesting facts about Australia: The Lucky Country

Just something of interest about one of the nations Transfercar operates out of…..

The Lucky Country
Australia has long been known as the lucky country. This is not surprising when you learn it is the world’s largest iron ore exporter and largest producer of bauxite and alumina. Australia also has the world’s largest deposits of silver, zinc, zircon and easily extracted uranium (over 40% of world resources). It also has about 10 percent of the world’s gold resources.

How Big is Australia?
Australia is the word’s smallest continent and the world’s sixth largest country. Australia covers an area of 7,686,900 square kilometres. That’s slightly smaller than the United States mainland which is 7,827,848 square kilometres (does not include Hawaii and Alaska).

Natural Hazards
Australia’s main natural hazards are cyclones (hurricanes), drought and forest fires. The biggest killer of all has been heatwaves.

World’s Biggest Crocodiles

The tropical north of Australia is home to the world’s largest species of crocodile, the salt water crocodile. These creatures are protected in Australia. Males can occasionally grow to lengths of over 6 metres (20 feet). Each year one or two people are eaten by crocodiles in Australia. aligator

Temperatures

Australia’s highest temperature, 51 degrees C (123 degrees F), was recorded at Oodnadatta, South Australia in 1960. The lowest temperature was minus 23 degrees C (minus 9 degrees F) measured high in the mountains at Charlotte Pass, New South Wales.

Biggest State

Western Australia is the biggest Australian state and covers one third of the continent. Its total area is over 2.5 million square kilometers. That makes it 3.6 times bigger than Texas, 4.6 times bigger than France and 11 times bigger than the UK. It’s an interesting fact that, despite its large size, Western Australia is home to only around two million people.

Information retrieved from australiafacts.org

Tourism NZ tells Aussies “what’s ours is yours”

aereoinsilouette “What’s ours is yours” is the latest advertising campaign currently running across the ditch in a bid to entice Australian holiday makers.

It is a joint campaign between Tourism New Zealand and Pacific Blue will see Australians offered discounted airfares and travel packages through television and print advertising.

Read the full story: TV3 News

Your guide to travelling on a budget

Even on a limited budget, you can still have a great holiday with your friends or family. You just need to put a little extra thought into every dollar you plan to spend.

Here’s some tips that can guide you while planning a vacation without breaking the bank.

Go on a local holiday

Why not check out some of the local attractions. Sometimes some of the most beautiful places are right in your back yard. You don’t always need to go and book expensive plane tickets. Instead have a ‘staycation’. Go hiking, have a movie night or a barbeque with family and friends. Another great idea is to have night-time picnics: something that’s great on hot summer nights.

Take a road trip

Another example of an inexpensive family vacation is taking a campervan or car and going on a road trip. Here is where relocation vehicles such as Transfercar’s free rental car listings come in handy. They are free and often come with a tank of gas, insurance and ferry crossing if relevant.

Avoid peak seasons

If you’re set on going overseas you can still make vacationing on a budget possible by avoiding peak seasons. Most airlines usually have very high rates during particular months of the year, so you should refrain from booking flights during those times.

Book Early

You’re more likely to save money by booking flights and accommodation early.

Book Online

Often discounts and the best deals will be offered for booking online.

Subscribe

Subscribe to travel related newsletters or websites so that you know about sales before they happen. Often, you can sign up for promotional emails as well. If you sign up for these, the companies will email you with discounts and deals.

Package deals

Book your flights and hotels together. Package deals will save you money.

Fees

Make sure you keep an eye on extra fees when making bookings. More times than not, cheap deals will be compensated with extra fees.

Buy food at the supermarket

Avoid spending large amounts of money on takeaway food and use the best weight loss pills which help as natural appetite suppressants to avoid cravings and save money on food. Buying at the supermarket will not only save you money but will be much better for your health.

Happy and safe travelling!

TomTom bring its live traffic information service to New Zealand

tomtom-one-3rd-edition-portable-gps-system TomTom is introducing TomTom LIVE Services in New Zealand, available on the new TomTom GO LIVE GPS range and delivers dynamic navigation and route guidance that continuously adapts to changing road conditions.

TomTom LIVE services enables drivers to constantly keep in touch with what is happening on the road and stay informed about conditions ahead. A cornerstone of LIVE Services, TomTom’s HD Traffic enables drivers to outsmart traffic with the most accurate and detailed live traffic information available. HD Traffic constantly adapts to changing road conditions, ensuring drivers are always on the fastest route.

Read the full article courtesy of geekzone.co.nz