20 Tips for Driving a Motorhome in New Zealand

So you wanna drive a motorhome around New Zealand? That’s a good choice. We had the same impression and it was truly the adventure of a lifetime.

That adventure did not come without concerns, though. And there were more than 20 of them. In this article we’re going to bring up some instances that you might want to prepare for ahead of time, because we did not know most of these things and it might have helped.

We rented our New Zealand RV through Star RV, who partners with the ubiquitous rental company Jucy Rentals. The motorhome was reserved 15 months in advance which saved us about $3000 USD. Be sure to rent as far in advance as possible because these puppies get booked up early.

The New Zealand summer months are December – February, which is the busiest time of year for motorhome rentals. Therefore, the further outside of this window you rent the less expensive the daily rental rate becomes.

We chose to travel in the shoulder season, March 1st through April 4th, for a total of 35 nights. This would be like hitting the road in early September if you lived in the USA. It saved us quite a few bucks choosing late-summer-early-fall over peak season prices.

Because all the kids were back in school (their kids, not ours), we found the RV Holiday Parks were mostly wide open.

That’s probably enough preamble so here’s the big question: What can you expect when you’re driving that big, awkward motorhome around the left lanes of New Zealand? Here are 20 things we think are worth keeping in mind. We hope you enjoy!

1. The Long and Winding Roads

It cannot be overstated how mountainous is the terrain of New Zealand. The vast majority of roadways wind between mountains and twisted earth so you’ll want to pay real close attention to the road and your speed. You simply cannot imagine how many turns you’ll be making at 100 k/m. Don’t fool yourself into thinking this isn’t going to be a challenge.

2. Two-Lane Highways are the Norm

As someone coming from the west coast of the USA, this was a significant departure from the norm. Far more often than not you will find yourself cruising a two-lane highway between destinations. In the rare moments you enjoy with the luxury of an extra lane it will primarily be used for passing, something you won’t be spending a tremendous amount of time doing while driving a motorhome in New Zealand.

3. Don’t Drive an RV in New Zealand at Night

There are two reasons for this. One, there aren’t a lot of lights on the roads, so it gets real dark real fast. Two, the roads twist like fusili pasta. As Johnny Dangerously famously stated, “We drove the roads of New Zealand in the dark once. … Once.” And we never let it happen again.

4. Driving on the Left is Easy

People freak out over this concept, but it took about 20 seconds to get comfortable. Because New Zealand recognizes this situation they have placed little blue, circular signs with an arrow pointing the direction you should go at intersections, which eliminates potential confusion for those paying attention.

Disclaimer: Perhaps there are folks whose brains struggle with the sudden inversion of rules of the road and that might be a problem for them. But seriously, we had zero hiccups transitioning to the left side.

5. The Lanes are Narrow

And motorhomes are pretty wide. You’re gonna feel a bit pinched. That’s all there is to it.

Related Article: 35 Incredible Things to Do in New Zealand

6. And Then the Lanes are Really Narrow

This happened a few too many times for us to laugh it off. Sometimes the two-lane highway becomes a one-lane highway if the road is forcibly narrowed by cliffs and mountains. And in these situations you’ll feel a bit sketchy “going for it” in your oversized house on wheels, especially around blind corners.

We have no advisement other than caution. In these situations you’ll have to make a decision and sometimes that decision will scare the hell out of you.

7. New Zealand RV’s Cause Significant Accidents

We were informed by locals — unsolicited — that we should do our best to drive safely because people like us — foreigners who rent motorhomes — cause too many vehicular homicides in New Zealand. We are a problem that has been identified, so please, try not to kill New Zealanders when behind the wheel. As you can imagine, it builds resentment toward travelers.

8. Semi-Trucks are Everywhere

They might not be as big as the 18-wheelers rolling up and down the US Interstate, but they are bigger than you and they move fast! So when you’re winding around a corner in the middle of nowhere, trying to focus on the road but really intrigued by the shape of that mountain, and here comes a semi-truck in what would normally be the wrong lane back home, and it’s headed right at you until the last possible second, that’s when you’ll regret the adult diapers you failed to buy. Oh, look. Here comes another one. Aaaaaaand… another one.

9. Be Ready for the Passing Lanes

When you drive a motorhome in New Zealand you’re gonna clog up the road. As a conscientious driver you will help people use the passing lanes to move around you, especially on those winding mountain roads where you cause headaches for the locals. Slow down to allow as many cars to pass as possible.

10. Prepare to Pull Over

Piggybacking off the last comment, every chance you have to pull over should be seized. Water is wet, the Pope wears a funny hat, and you will stack up cars behind you when driving a motorhome in New Zealand. The locals are used to this by now, but they also appreciate it when people like us take all opportunities to allow them to pass. This is a constant theme so prepare yourself.

If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!

11. New Zealand Drivers are Skilled

In 38 days I only had one legitimate scare on the road — and I thought I was going to die. But otherwise the drivers in New Zealand proved to be flawless in their execution. If someone is a problem on the road, it’s us, not them.

12. Fuel Prices are Consistent

There is no need to hunt the best deal at the pumps. All the gas and diesel prices are within pennies of each other.

13. There are Mileage Fees on Diesels

Now this is a sneaky little move they pull. You might think you’re scoring big in your diesel motorhome because diesel is cheaper than gas in New Zealand. However, when you return your motorhome you’ll learn they add an additional $.076 per KM to your rental cost. We drove a couple thousand miles and it cost us a few hundred bucks.

14. New Zealand RV Parks are Amazing and Expensive

This is a huge perk! The Holiday Parks of New Zealand are very nice with lots of amenities. We’re talking big, fancy bathrooms and communal kitchens with cookware, refrigerators, etc.

They charge you by the person. We were a family of four and the average nightly cost was between $50-60. Each person in addition to the driver ratchets up the price.

15. Black Water Cassettes are Standard

Your toilet empties into a black plastic box that is detached from outside the motorhome. It doesn’t hold much and it needs to be treated with tablets/packets that break it down and reduce smell. You can buy the tablets at RV parks (sometimes) or at hardware stores like Bunnings and Mitre 10.

Emptying the cassette sucks way worse than hooking up the black water hose in an American RV. It’s awkward and heavy but you’ll get used to it.

Related Article: Our 10 Favorite New Zealand Excursions

16. Never Stop Taking Photos of Damage

Anything that breaks is gonna cost you more than you’ll agree over and there isn’t anything you can do about it. Our side mirror got hit in the night when we were out and it caused a tiny bit of damage. This was rectified for the low, low price of $150 USD — and it was far too easy for them to add it to the contract.

The only way to avoid this is to photograph the entire vehicle up and down so you can prove the damage was already there. If you find something early in your trip — its easy to miss the indoor problems until they arise — shoot a video immediately.

17. The Inter-Island Ferry is Pricey for Motorhomes

It cost us over $400 for the 3.5 hour trip. Each traveler adds to the cost, so that didn’t help. Here’s the link: Interislander.

Now that said, it was a breathtaking boat ride! The view up top is marvelous, especially on the Picton side as you navigate the islands. The boat is large and comfortable. We definitely recommend this if you are on the fence about moving between the islands.

Besides, you’ll want to see both islands. Don’t be a snob and just do the South Island because its supposedly more beautiful. The North Island is ridiculously beautiful as well.

18. Wharariki Beach Involves a Treacherous Drive

We do not recommend this drive in a motorhome. We did it and it was awful. It takes two hours and the first hour is up-and-over a super-steep, winding mountain — easily one of the worst drives of my life.

Once over the mountain the drive is serene, until the end when it’s miles of dirt road. Trust us, you’ll just want the misery to end. If you do it, hopefully you’ll love Wharariki Beach truly madly deeply — but we can’t guarantee you will.

And FWIW, the campground near the beach is not good. It’ll work, but it’s far inferior to what you’ve grown accustomed to on your journey thus far. We left a day early and headed to the next place — Kaiteriteri! Definite

19. Get a Non-Signature Credit/Debit Card

DO THIS! If you don’t know what it means, some cards will not work at the unmanned petrol stations found all over the islands. It’s a bit of a problem and can limit your options, especially if you get yourself in a bind. Talk to your bank first about whether your card will work in New Zealand.

Monica had our credit card downloaded onto her phone, which often worked when the physical debit/credit cards would not work.

20. We Don’t Recommend STAR RV

Yeah, they’re a low rent operation. They dumped a beat up rig on us and the fridge didn’t work. We had to return it three days later. At that time they gave us a brand new one, so the question becomes, why didn’t we get the nice model the first time? Anyway, they aren’t the best of the best, the STAR RV, and their reviews show it. See what else is out there before you settle on these guys. Maui Jim was a popular model around the islands.

An Honest Conclusion New Zealand RV

Driving an RV in New Zealand is one of the great experiences of my life. I loved every minute of it and would absolutely do it again if my children weren’t involved.

The living quarters were pretty tight for the four of us, and we rented the biggest RV we could get. There are no pop-outs or slide-outs, so the flow pinches in the kitchen and people have to get skinny in transit. The toilet was rough as well. I used the park facilities far more than the can in the RV.

The bed was uncomfortable, which was probably the biggest downside of the trip. The other big downside was the kids. Why do I keep mentioning the kids? Probably because they’re teenagers and we were fools for bringing them.

It gets a bit scary on the road, but I was pretty comfortable from the get-go. If you drive too slow you’re a major road-clog. If you drive too fast you’re risking precious things. The winding hills are an endless challenge.

But I gotta tell you…

The view from out the windshield is unreal, and driving from place to place was a major highlight of the adventure. The landscapes are spectacular and curious and they never stop coming. You won’t soon forget the things you’ll see driving a motorhome around New Zealand. It is arguably the most beautiful thing you’ll ever experience in your life (other than the birth of children, blah blah blah).

So if you have the guts… and the money… and the time (gotta have the time)… I strongly recommend renting an RV in New Zealand for as long as you can. Trust us! You probably won’t regret it!

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!

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