Virtual New Zealand
Situated to the south-east of Australia, New Zealand is a jewel set in the glittering South Pacific Ocean. With an extremely diverse geography and climate the country is a wonderland for visitors, be they international tourists, or locals visiting different parts of this great island nation.
The best way to see and enjoy this diverse landscape is by road, either by motor vehicle, or increasingly, by bicycle. Thus this website is devoted to bringing you a glimpse of some of the roads, both major and minor, that make up the transport network of the New Zealand. Additionally, for those travellers who are making use of these roads for the first time, we also include some information about good places to stop, and things you can see and do while you're on your journey.
Our road trip videos are designed to let you experience driving some of the roads of New Zealand from the comfort of your arm chair. These clips highlight the scenery you'll see, and the types of roads and conditions you'll experience while travelling these routes.
If you're new to driving or cycling on New Zealand roads, there are a few important things you should remember:
Keep Left: In New Zealand we drive on the left hand side of the road, so please ensure you're confident about driving and cycling on the left before you start your journey.
Road Conditions: As you will see in the road trip videos on this site, most New Zealand main roads are simple two-way roads, and may be considerably narrower than many international visitors are used to. This, along with the fact that many areas of the country are relatively hilly mean that driving in this country can be very different from driving in other countries. In some rural areas you may also come across stock or other animals on the road as illustrated in the video at right. Please be prepared. If you do come across stock on the road, make sure you slow right down to a walking pace, and be respectful of both the animals and the farmers with them. |
Speed Limits: The open road speed limit is 100 km/h, while in urban areas it is usually 50 km/h. If you are caught speeding (travelling faster than the local limit) you are likely to be heavily fined as enforcement of these limits and other road rules (such as always wearing a seatbelt and not drinking and driving) is quite stringent.
Climate: The NZ climate can vary between blistering hot summers, and freezing winters. In some cases you may encounter snow and ice on roads, or you may travel in areas that are susceptible to very strong winds. Again, please learn about the conditions you are likely to meet, and be prepared.
Whether you're looking at our road trip videos to get a sense of the roads and conditions that you will experience on your journey around New Zealand, or whether your taking another look at this fabulous country after you've completed your journey, we hope you do enjoy these glimpses of this fantastic country -- The Virtual New Zealand team
Tip
Use the 'North Island Routes' or 'South Island Routes' links above to check out which roads we've filmed for you.