New Zealand is a beautiful country full of stunning sights and nature. People love travelling there for those and numerous other reasons – this country is commonly found on people’s travelling bucket lists.
However, people make many mistakes when travelling to New Zealand because they don’t know enough about it or because they expected something different.
Here are some of those mistakes that you should avoid:
Clothing mistakes
When you go to New Zealand you might expect nice weather with a lot of sun and no rain. However, it might end up being different than you thought it was. For one, if you visit from December to February, you can expect a lot of hot sun – you’ll need lighter clothes for this. But, afterwards, you can expect the weather to be quite different – cold to almost freezing. This means that you’ll need jackets and a lot of layers.
Another thing to remember is that you shouldn’t overdress. People in New Zealand don’t dress too fancy and enjoy simple clothes like jeans and t-shirts with flat shoes. While it’s okay to bring something fancy for a rare occasion, it can be too much for every day.
Driving mistakes
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For one, the best way to travel through New Zealand is to drive. Most places you can’t reach with a plane, especially if you want to go off the beaten path and see more of the original, authentic New Zealand. A road trip provides you with a much better experience and an opportunity to see many beautiful things. Do as many road trips as you possibly can.
However, remember that you need to drive on the left side, not the right side. Remember this since you could cause many accidents with reckless driving.
Expenses
New Zealand can get quite expensive. Remember this before you go so that you can plan accordingly and try to save up as much money as you can. It’s best to be frugal – petrol and tours cost a lot, so you might want to tone these two down. You should also stay in hostels instead of resorts and hotels if you want to save up and cook your own food.
Using time properly
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not using your time in New Zealand properly. This is a big country – even though it obviously looks smaller on the map – and you wouldn’t be able to see everything in just a week. If you only have little time in this country, make sure that you pick a small area to visit and explore it properly. If you try to fit in many activities at once on your itinerary you’ll just be tired and you won’t get to see everything. Give yourself a lot of time to enjoy one specific area instead of spreading yourself too thin.
Not being friendly
Locals are really great and you will really enjoy spending time with them. So, don’t be stuck up and approach them, smile at them, wave when passing by and so on. Feel free to ask for directions, information and so on since you will find things so much easier this way. You should also ask them about beautiful places in their area since they probably know more off the beaten path locations that you will love too.
Not going off the beaten path
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While some of the popular tourist destinations are great to see, you should never be afraid to enjoy a little bit of off the beaten path travelling. This will give you a better overview of the islands and allow you to see much more of this wonderful place.
Not allowing yourself to rest
It’s only understandable that you want to see and experience as much as possible of this great country but you might want to allow yourself some time for relaxing and just enjoying. Especially right after your flight, when you are still jet-lagged and tired.
Not keeping the nature safe
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This country has some of the most beautiful flora and fauna in the world and over 20% of their GDP comes from tourism so this is why it’s so important to be kind to nature and protect the space. National parks need to be clean and you should check all quarantine rules before you go. Do not litter or feed the wildlife. If you want to hunt, make sure that you check the legislation first.
New Zealand is a great country where you can find many interesting sights and meet many great people. However, make sure to avoid these mistakes if you want to have the best time with no troubles in New Zealand.
Author’s bio: Freddie Tubbs is a travel blogger at Essay Roo. He regularly attends travelling and blogging events and contributes posts to online magazines and blogs to meet new audiences.
