Things to Consider for Your New Zealand 4WD Adventure

New Zealand is touted as one of the world’s ultimate adventure destinations – and with good reason. From hiking in Tongariro National Park, to bungy jumping in Queenstown, to bodysurfing down sand dunes at Ninety Mile Beach – the experiences are like none other.

And experiencing all we have to offer doesn’t get much better than travelling via 4WD to get there! 

Here at New Zealand 4WD we want all of our customers to get the most out of every adventure journeying around our beautiful countryside. So, we’ve pieced together a few hints and tips to ensure your trip stays on track.

Stay GPS Smart 

Although our onboard GPS systems serve an important purpose and can save time reading paper maps and asking directions – vehicle navigation doesn’t always serve the best route. Like many countries in the world, our New Zealand GPS systems do come with a few drawbacks. For example, you may tap the ‘shortest route’ into the system, which could potentially take you on a scenic route – taking you longer than anticipated. If you don’t want to get caught short of time – or patience – remember to pay close attention to all GPS directives and if in doubt, pull over, catch a whiff of that fresh Kiwi air and map out an additional route before venturing off again.

It pays to remember 

No matter which roads you plan to travel – Auckland to Wellington, Wellington to Christchurch, and beyond – it’s wise to stay in tune with your 4WD vehicle the whole trip, so your journey is one to remember – not one to forget.

• Our 4WD vehicles serve general road usage – not off-road terrain.
• Given the size and power of our 4WDs their fuel consumption will be higher than your average 2WD vehicle – so budget for fuel and time to refuel.
• Although our 4WDs are designed to handle slippery roads in rough weather, or when heading up to the snow, they may need snows chains fitted if the conditions are really dire. If you don’t have much experience fitting chains to your tyres, our team will happily give you a tutorial before you head out of our depot.

Stay on the lookout

Whilst we’re big on exploration, we’re also big on keeping our drivers and passengers safe. There is some fantastic terrain to navigate via 4WD here in New Zealand – but not every road is made to travel and speeding will get you into trouble. Stay up with your signs!

• Ensure that you may close attention to the speed limit – and stick to it. In some parts of the country, for example a stretch of highway from Auckland to Tauranga, the speed limit has dropped from 100 kilometres/per hour to 90 kilometres/ per hour.
• Driving your 4WD on certain beaches, through riverbeds and across creeks, is also prohibited across much of New Zealand – such as 90 Mile Beach in Northland and Skippers Road in Queenstown. So, it pays to read up on the local laws and restrictions. For example, in the Whangarei district, three beaches have 30 kilometre/per hour driving restrictions in place: Ohawini Bay, Oakura, Bream Bay, between the port and Waipū Cove and Langs Beach.