Travel New Zealand for Under $3k

As a couple (not including airfare) my wife and I spent six weeks exploring New Zealand’s North and South Island for less then $3000 cdn.

This was quite a few years ago and it was our very first trip overseas.  Since taking this trip we’ve learned a ton of money saving tips and tricks for adventurous travelers while exploring five of the world’s seven continents. Despite the fact that things were a quite a bit cheaper a decade ago we are confident that using our current knowledge we could stay very close to our old budget while seeing and doing more. In this article we will focus on a single person staying in hostels.

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Fast Facts:

• All of our prices are in New Zealand Dollars for ease of conversion
• Costs were last determined in February of 2018
• Our budget does not include flights which varies by season, country of origin and tastes
• Our budget does not include Health and Cancellation Insurance which varies by country of origin and desired coverage
• Our budget does not include gear, accessories, clothing or travel books

Accommodations:

• The average cost for camping $15/per site
• The average hostel price is $25/pp
• The average cost for a hotel is $128/per room

Tips:

• Camping will save you $395 compared to hostels but requires equipment and a carrying around a huge backpack
• Hostels are cheap but you will need to bring a thin sleeping bag and a decent lock
• Hotels are another option but it’s mean giving up a really cool activity for people on a tight budget

Transportation:

• You should buy a 60 Hour Intercity Bus Pass which is a very basic Hop On Hop Off bus route that gives you 60 hours of travel for only $459/pp. 
• You should take advantage of city transportation which is cheap and easy to navigate (Although big backpacks will be a nuisance)

Tips:

• When on the Intercity Bus be sure to have a small ‘carry on’ with everything you might want or need while driving for a few hours on a bus
• Car rentals are an option but gas/petrol will seem very expensive to most folks and, like the hotels, it will mean giving up a really cool activity for people on a tight budget

Food:

Eating Out:

• $10/pp Breakfast
• $15/pp Lunch
• $20/pp Supper
• $4 Coffee/Tea
• $8-11 Pint/Shot/Glass of Wine

Groceries:

• $2.50 Loaf of Bread
• $2 Peanut Butter
• $3 1kg Bag of Rice
• $1.50 for pasta
• $3 Pasta Sauce
• $5 1L Fresh Juice
• $10-15 1kg of Beef
• $13 1kg Lamb
• $8 for Chicken legs

Tips:

• You can save $340 by buying your food from the grocery stores instead of a restaurant
• As you can see from the prices listed above NZ groceries are slightly higher than Canadian prices and will seem higher yet for folks visiting from America
• Remember not to buy perishable foods unless you plan on eating them right away, fridge space is not guaranteed at hostels and may not be available at campgrounds

Weather:

Please keep in mind that most of New Zealand is a rainforest and it’s an island in the Pacific ocean, so be ready for and always expect rain with little notice. It’s also a temperate country that never gets too hot or too cold.

Tips:

• It will definately rain heavily at least once (but probably a few times) changing your well laid plans so be sure to have an idea of what you will do when that happens
• Weather can change quickly in most seasons so layer up with both wools and light fabrics that resist water and will still keep you warm if its wet
• Buy some nice ankle high hiking boots that won’t let water in when you step in a puddle (which you will) 
• Carry some extra grocery bags to store wet things and keep other things dry

Gear:

The gear you need will largely depend on what accommodations you are planning on using. Campers will be committing to large (50lb+) bags but hostel and hotel users will likely need about half of that. 

Tips:

• Passport and Driver’s License
• Insurance Information (put in wallet)
• Bring a drink container, Nalgene containers are super durable, never leak and are availiable at most camping stores
• Bring camping soap, CampSuds can be used as shampoo, soap, dish soap and laundry soap
• 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 long sleeved shirt, bathing suit, 1 wool or warm sweater, one light waterproof jacket, a toque (Beanie), 5 pairs of underwear and a good pair of ankle high waterproof hiking shoes (worn in a month before the trip)
• Notepad and journal (Trust me, you’ll be glad you brought it)
• Half dozen or more plastic grocery bags
• Campers Only
  • Tent (Smallest possible)
  • Sleeping Bag (Rated for at least 5 degrees celsius)
  • Sleeping Mat
  • Camping Stove (Small and compatible with NZ camping fuels)
  • Cooking Gear (Bring only what you need)
  • Flashlight (Small LED is great)
  • Camping Knife (Don’t put it on your carry on)

The Adventure

For the most part, when you fly into New Zealand you are likely flying into Auckland. It’s a great place to start since it’s near the north of the North Island and you can go South from there (although if you have more money and time, North of Auckland will have some amazing adventures awaiting you as well.

So, here’s our breakdown of the great adventure across New Zealand with only $3000nzd in your pocket (or in your bank):

Auckland 1 night ($255)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• Auckland Domain (Free)
• Auckland Museum $40
• Auckland Sky Tower/ Sky Walk and Dine $140
• Auckland to Rotorua Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Tips:

• Look for online sales and multi passes for the museum and skywalk, they are both frequently featured in promotions by Tourism New Zealand
• Auckland is the most expensive of New Zealand’s cities so don’t buy your souvenirs here. You also want to wait until the end of your trip for souvenirs or else you will be luggin them around.

Rotorua 1 nights ($240)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals/Drinks $50
• Tamaki Hangi Maori Cultural Experience $100
• Zorbing $65 (Three rides)
• Rotorua to Waitomo Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Tips:

• If you have tattoos and get along with strangers you’ll make lots of new Maori friends
• Where a bathing suit to Zorbing

Waitomo 1 Night ($175)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• Waitomo Caves $100
• Waitomo to Wellington

Tips:

• This is a great spot for Maori Souvenirs for both for price and for quality
• You might be cold when you leave the caves so have a coat or sweater ready
• If you are claustrophobic or scared of the dark you may want to avoid the caves

Wellington  2 Nights ($320)

• Two Nights Hostel $50
• Two days Meals $100 Meals/Drinks
• Wellington Lord of the Rings Day Tour $170
• Wellington to Picton Intercity Bus/Ferry included with Bus

Tips:

• If you’re a hard core LoTR fan you may want to hit the Embassy Theatre which hosted two world premieres: Return of the King and The Hobbit an Unexpected Journey
• Like Auckland this city’s tourism puts together frequent package deals for city attractions

Picton (Queen Charlotte Track) 3 nights ($645)

• Lodging $300
• Meals $225
• Queen Charlotte Track Pass $20
• Water Taxi (Beachcomber Cruises Picton Great Track & Pack Pass) $100
• Picton to Christchurch Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Tips:

• If you have extra time, Picton is a beautiful place to recharge and enjoy some cheaper prices
• The water taxi will transfer your bags to the next lodge for free, use this service

Christchurch 1 Nights ($150)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• Ultimate Combo Pass by Christchurch Tramway $75
• Christchurch to Queenstown Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Tips:

• If you’re hoping to see the cathedral don’t hold your breath. They are talking about rebuilding but it’s a huge project that costs far more than anyone would like to pay
• Like Auckland this city’s tourism puts together frequent package deals for city attractions

Queenstown 1 Night ($275)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• Full Day Milford Sound Cruise $200
• Queenstown to Franz Joseph Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Tips:

• Book Milford Sound cruise well ahead of time, it is very popular

Franz Joseph 1 Nights ($155)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• ½ Day Glacier Walk $80
• Glacier Hot Pools (Free with Glacier Walk)
• Franz Josef to Nelson Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Tips:

• The glacier can be quite cold, remember to pack a toque (beanie)

Nelson 2 Nights ($310)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• Art Gallery Tours $25
• Boat Cruise and Tour Bus Exploration of Abel Tasman National Park $210
• Nelson to Hastings Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

Hastings 1 Night ($150)

• One Night Hostel $25
• One Day Meals $50 Meals/Drinks
• Te Mata Hiking Excursion $0
• Cab Fees Return (To Te Mata) $75
• Hastings to Auckland Intercity Bus (Prepaid)

So if you followed this itinerary you’ve now explored an entire country, had 12 jealousy inducing experiences, hiked through mountains, sailed fjords, experienced Maori Culture, relaxed in geothermal hot springs, got your adrenaline fix more than once and you did it all for $2665 NZD at this time of writing! If you bought your groceries instead of eating out you only paid $2315 NZD. If you camped you only paid $2260 NZD. If you did both you did it all for $1920 NZD. Yup that’s £1008 GBP, $1398 USD or $1746 CDN.

What are you planning on your New Zealand trip? Comment in the section below!