Holiday in New Zealand

[minnie]

Later this year we'll be going to visit our daughter in NZ.  We now have French Driving Licences.  When there we'll want to hire a car.  Does anyone know if there'll be a problem doing this as it's quite likely that the hire company rep may not understand French?

[cooperlola]

From an NZ car rental site!:

Can I use my overseas drivers licence?

Yes. However, if your drivers licence is not printed in English you will need to arrange for an International Drivers Licence. You must be over 21 years of age to hire a rental car in New Zealand.

[AnOther]

Lucky beggars..........................[:(]

I wonder if you'll be trying THIS I can thoroughly recommend it [:D]

 

[bigears]

hi

I've spend 15 weeks in nz over the lasy year and a half.  If you want any ideas about where to go, pm me.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

If you want mountains, don't go to the north island. There is only one there. I found this out too late. But a beautiful country nonetheless even though the inhabitants mispronounce words with 'i' in[;-)]

[yetagain]

We found it strangely unsettling.  Yes it is lovely but 85% has been de afforested (sp). Farms are diliniated(sp) by post and wire. The whole place has a certain tempory feel. Auckland is full of Japanese language students who favour the loligoth look. We wouldn't go again.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I agree that it has a temporary feel, but then so does Australia. I put that down to the countries being so young. We had a heritage listed house in Australia, it was made of wood and only 100 years old (and much of it was rotted when we bought it)! Yeah, Aukland does have a lot of Japanese, but France has a lot of English, it's part of globalisation. Both NZ and Australia are within easy distance and with the yen to AUD exchange rate, going to these countries is like spending pocket money to them. But try going to the Gold Coast in Oz, you'll find most of the sign posts in both Japanese and English!

Did you notice how they built fences over there on their farmland? That cracked me up. In most countries, fence posts are always vertical regardless of the terrain (hilly etc). In NZ, the fence posts are always 90 degrees to the ground. It looks so weird.

[bigears]

hi

There are a number of beautiful mountains,some of them active volcanoes, to walk up in the north island NZ.  Unfortunately we only did two of the volcanoes and we didn't have time for mount egmount.  We did 'mt Doom' from lord of the rings when we did the tongariro crossing.  We also went to the crater of mt Ruapehu around 2600 m, it was still grumbling, it erupted last september.  The north island is fantastic as well ?(as the south) just different and a tad warmer.  We loved the wanganui river area, go to the bridge to nowhere and soak up the history.  I'm sorry if you didn't like nz, don't go to oz, we thought both are fantastic.  Just spent a month on Tasmania, I find it difficult to find words to describe the natural world there.  We rode the 'fat man on the pie man' unfortunately the ferryman had run out of stickers. 

[minnie]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies.  We have visited NZ before but with UK licences!  The trip will take in some travelling, but is mainly intended for visiting daughter and partner who now have  Residents visas.  Had we not settled so well in France to get her to sponsor us to live in NZ was our other option.  We love it there.