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Car rental in NZ winter


Wind30
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Turbocharged
(edited)

Guys,

 

I am trying to rent a car in August south island in winter.

 

I am not familiar in driving in iicy road so I am looking to rent a car that is the safest.

 

The choices I see now is

 

1) intermediate 4WD drive like toyota RAV4 ($980)

2) premium 4WD like toyota Prado ($1450)

3) AWD wagon like Ford territory ($1000)

 

which is is the safest in ice?

the RAV4 is a little bit small so may be an issue in packing everything in. (4 people + luggage)

 

I am looking at hertz and avis. Is there any very good local car rental companies in NZ which upkeep their cars (tires) very well?

 

Anyone here has used chains before? I don't really expect to drive in snow but maybe ice. Do I need to put chains? I should not need chains if all I am encountering is the occasional slippery ice in the shade, etc. Just need to be careful right?

 

 

thanks for any help.

Edited by Wind30
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Turbocharged

Has anyone been to NZ south island in August?

 

From the temperature it does not look so bad. I think it is a common misconception that NZ winters are very harsh. NZ winters are actually pretty mild. Daytime temp are usually above freezing so ice should not be an issue MOST of the time.

 

The only danger is dark ice in shaded areas, etc.

 

I am just curious which cars handle the best in CASE we hit some ice.

 

I have driven in places where overnights are below freezing, ie my windscreen get frozen up in the morning. I also have taken this route in South Island 6 years ago but that was in the summer Febuary.

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If you are not experienced on ice road, then it'll be risky if you encounter black ice where you'll be caught by surprise. If you are not familiar with the handling characteristics of the car, AWD technology will not help you.

It's quite sparsely populated in the south island and if anything happens, it'll be difficult to get help. You can get around using the coach/motel package where they'll bring you to all the highlights of the south island, the prices is around NZ 1K plus depending on the number of places that you want to go.

 

As usual, Hertz, Avis, Budget and Thrifty is quite ok in NZ for car rental. Sometimes you can get freak weathers, so be prepared. I got caught in the worst storm in 150 years when I was driving around Melbourne (Feb 2005) and the wind and rain was so strong and heavy that it was pushing my car sidewards and I keep getting aquaplaning.

 

 

If you really want to go ahead, it'll be better to get a AWD car with lower cg, for eg wagon. Good luck.

 

 

Guys,

 

I am trying to rent a car in August south island in winter.

 

I am not familiar in driving in iicy road so I am looking to rent a car that is the safest.

 

The choices I see now is

 

1) intermediate 4WD drive like toyota RAV4 ($980)

2) premium 4WD like toyota Prado ($1450)

3) AWD wagon like Ford territory ($1000)

 

which is is the safest in ice?

the RAV4 is a little bit small so may be an issue in packing everything in. (4 people + luggage)

 

I am looking at hertz and avis. Is there any very good local car rental companies in NZ which upkeep their cars (tires) very well?

 

Anyone here has used chains before? I don't really expect to drive in snow but maybe ice. Do I need to put chains? I should not need chains if all I am encountering is the occasional slippery ice in the shade, etc. Just need to be careful right?

 

 

thanks for any help.

 

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Turbocharged

thanks for the advice. I booked the AWD wagon.

 

Coach is probably much more expensive than car as we have four people. And we have a 2 year old infant so we need the flexibility.

 

Most the drives are pretty short and the longest is from Fox glacier to Wanaka which is around 5 hours.

 

You did not get the weather warning in Melbourne? Nowadays big storm are very predictable at least 24 hours ahead of time.

 

We will keep to the main roads so hopefully it is not that bad. I still remember the trip in summer few years back, we skidded on gravel road although we were going like really slow. And along that road, we saw TWO cars stuck at the side... probably skidded off. So skidding on gravel must happen really often. But

our driver that time was pretty experienced I think.

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Ice, Grit in the South Island. Experienced it all in a RWD Ford Falcon with minimal slippage, just have to be careful of the speed and when you start seeing ice on the side of the road, take it easy and slow down, leaving a safe gap between vehicles. Didn't need snow chains but I would rent them if I was told that I needed them, i.e. Milford sound or Cardona where they will tell you if you need them for the day.

 

With snow chains on a 4wd, you're gonna need two pairs. Renting them across a number of days would be potentially expensive. The cheapest way would be to get a FWD with one pair of snow chains. So you might be better off with say a 2.4L Camry and slightly under-inflated rear tires with the chains up in front.

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Hur ? Was there a storm in Feb 2005 / melbourne ? I did a 2 weeks self-drive during that particular period.

 

One big round........Mel --> Morington Pen --> GOR --> Portland --> Halls Gap --> Ballarat --> Mel.

 

Didnt recall driving in a storm lei.

 

Maybe bocs i rented the Ford Terrority. Damn good car. A 3.8ltr monster. [laugh]

 

If you are not experienced on ice road, then it'll be risky if you encounter black ice where you'll be caught by surprise. If you are not familiar with the handling characteristics of the car, AWD technology will not help you.

It's quite sparsely populated in the south island and if anything happens, it'll be difficult to get help. You can get around using the coach/motel package where they'll bring you to all the highlights of the south island, the prices is around NZ 1K plus depending on the number of places that you want to go.

 

As usual, Hertz, Avis, Budget and Thrifty is quite ok in NZ for car rental. Sometimes you can get freak weathers, so be prepared. I got caught in the worst storm in 150 years when I was driving around Melbourne (Feb 2005) and the wind and rain was so strong and heavy that it was pushing my car sidewards and I keep getting aquaplaning.

 

 

If you really want to go ahead, it'll be better to get a AWD car with lower cg, for eg wagon. Good luck.

 

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Neutral Newbie
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hi bro,

 

i was in new zealand (south islands) for a drive around trip a year back (around july)..

 

I also rented a Ford Territory for my drive around. The weather is pretty hectic. My advise to you is to stay peeled to the TV, Radios as there will be road closures due to snow, land slides and they will probably take 1 day to clear up the roads.

 

Otherwise, stick to the main highways and you will be fine. The scenic roads are very challenging and not advisable to travel in winter unless you have snow chains. Anyhow at the entrance of the scenic roads there will be warnings if snow is to be expected.

 

Enjoy your Ford Territory :) Oh and by the way, stick to the speed limit. And pump your petrol in major cities (Christchurch) before heading out. Petrol is cheaper.

 

And i rented mine from Hertz. Very well maintained.

Edited by Malie
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We hired a Vitara 4WD during our NZ trip yrs back. The 4WD was not very useful. Turned it off most of the time. Found the road holding not very good on slippery roads. Dunno why? Maybe was not familiar with 4WD driving...

 

Another thing to note is the cross wind. Find that high SUVs quite unstable. Reckon it'll be as good to get a powerful sedan with proper chains on icy roads.

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Turbocharged

hi bro,

 

i was in new zealand (south islands) for a drive around trip a year back (around july)..

 

I also rented a Ford Territory for my drive around. The weather is pretty hectic. My advise to you is to stay peeled to the TV, Radios as there will be road closures due to snow, land slides and they will probably take 1 day to clear up the roads.

 

Otherwise, stick to the main highways and you will be fine. The scenic roads are very challenging and not advisable to travel in winter unless you have snow chains. Anyhow at the entrance of the scenic roads there will be warnings if snow is to be expected.

 

Enjoy your Ford Territory :) Oh and by the way, stick to the speed limit. And pump your petrol in major cities (Christchurch) before heading out. Petrol is cheaper.

 

And i rented mine from Hertz. Very well maintained.

 

Thanks for the info. I also booked the AWD wagon from Hertz. There was a 10% off promo.

 

I know about the scenic roads :) We went up quite a few during our last trip in Summer. And we got booked for speeding on that trip.... but our friend (driver) did not pay the fine when he came back to singapore :)

 

was any of the highways closed for a day? I thought they usually gets it cleared within hours.

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Check this.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Melbourne_Thunderstorm

 

 

 

Hur ? Was there a storm in Feb 2005 / melbourne ? I did a 2 weeks self-drive during that particular period.

 

One big round........Mel --> Morington Pen --> GOR --> Portland --> Halls Gap --> Ballarat --> Mel.

 

Didnt recall driving in a storm lei.

 

Maybe bocs i rented the Ford Terrority. Damn good car. A 3.8ltr monster. [laugh]

 

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Freak weather can occur with very little warning from my past experiences while travelling abroad.

 

 

thanks for the advice. I booked the AWD wagon.

 

Coach is probably much more expensive than car as we have four people. And we have a 2 year old infant so we need the flexibility.

 

Most the drives are pretty short and the longest is from Fox glacier to Wanaka which is around 5 hours.

 

You did not get the weather warning in Melbourne? Nowadays big storm are very predictable at least 24 hours ahead of time.

 

We will keep to the main roads so hopefully it is not that bad. I still remember the trip in summer few years back, we skidded on gravel road although we were going like really slow. And along that road, we saw TWO cars stuck at the side... probably skidded off. So skidding on gravel must happen really often. But

our driver that time was pretty experienced I think.

 

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thanks for the advice. I booked the AWD wagon.

 

Coach is probably much more expensive than car as we have four people. And we have a 2 year old infant so we need the flexibility.

 

Most the drives are pretty short and the longest is from Fox glacier to Wanaka which is around 5 hours.

 

You did not get the weather warning in Melbourne? Nowadays big storm are very predictable at least 24 hours ahead of time.

 

We will keep to the main roads so hopefully it is not that bad. I still remember the trip in summer few years back, we skidded on gravel road although we were going like really slow. And along that road, we saw TWO cars stuck at the side... probably skidded off. So skidding on gravel must happen really often. But

our driver that time was pretty experienced I think.

 

Wind30, I just got back from a 9-day self-drive trip with my wife in South Island (actually just touched down 4 hours ago). You do not really need a 4WD if you are sticking to the main roads. We rented a Camry from Hertz (i usually rent from Avis but Hertz was running a promo at that time) and it handles the road just fine.

For your info, we drove from Christchurch -> Greymount -> Franz Josef -> Wanaka -> Te Anau -> Queenstown. It does get icy cold further south, especially from Te Anau onwards. You will inevitably get some grit/ice/gravels on the roads, but as long as you observe some common driving sense and observe the speed limits, you should be fine. Our camry has no problems going up and coming down winding mountain roads as long as you remember to engage into a lower gear when climbing and going down steep slopes.. Even 4WD cars need to slow down on icy/gritty roads.

 

Snowchains? - Well, unless you are travelling to snow-infested regions (for exmaple, going to skiiing, snow-boarding), you really do not need to put on snow chains if you are sticking to main roads. Anyway, they are available for purchase in petrol stations.

 

Foggy windows in the morning? - Learned a trick from the motel owner. Take a jug of warm/hot water (get it from the hot water tap) and pour the water down the windscreens and windows. Instant results! However, remember to do this quick and have a cloth ready to wipe off the water residue from the windscreen/windows, otherwise the ice will quickly form back again.

 

Offroads? - Not sure if you want to do this even if you are in a Prado. Rental policies strictly prohibited cars from using those beaten tracks. The first warning will probably come from the GPS. Anyway, you will need to possess some level of driving proficiency before one take on the roads.

 

Max Speed limit - 100km/hr. Strictly 50km/hr in town. Anyway, there is no lacking in speed limits warning signs along the way.

 

Tailgating - I will stay at least about 3 - 4 car length from the car in front when driving. First, to allow sufficient braking distance (since winter roads are less forgiving). Second, during this time, you tend to get flying gravels/grit from the fast-moving vehicle (especially big ones) in front. Not very healthy for your windscreen. Either stay clear or overtake.

 

Refuel - If in doubt, or just to play safe, do refuel when you hit half-tank. Trust me, you will not find many opportunities to refuel along the highway. Sometimes, you may even have to travel up to 200km before you see one. Anyway, just play safe.

 

Best time to drive? - Where time permits, drive after 9.30am. The morning sun will melt the ice on the roads, making them safer to drive.

 

Last but not least, enjoy your trip!

Btw, since you mentioned Wanaka.... Wanaka is an amazing looking town, gorgeous lake and mountain views. We stayed at Edgewater resort. Nothing fantastic about the room, but because it is located just beside the lake, the view is simply awesome!

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Turbocharged

Wind30, I just got back from a 9-day self-drive trip with my wife in South Island (actually just touched down 4 hours ago). You do not really need a 4WD if you are sticking to the main roads. We rented a Camry from Hertz (i usually rent from Avis but Hertz was running a promo at that time) and it handles the road just fine.

For your info, we drove from Christchurch -> Greymount -> Franz Josef -> Wanaka -> Te Anau -> Queenstown. It does get icy cold further south, especially from Te Anau onwards. You will inevitably get some grit/ice/gravels on the roads, but as long as you observe some common driving sense and observe the speed limits, you should be fine. Our camry has no problems going up and coming down winding mountain roads as long as you remember to engage into a lower gear when climbing and going down steep slopes.. Even 4WD cars need to slow down on icy/gritty roads.

 

Btw, since you mentioned Wanaka.... Wanaka is an amazing looking town, gorgeous lake and mountain views. We stayed at Edgewater resort. Nothing fantastic about the room, but because it is located just beside the lake, the view is simply awesome!

 

my route is exactly the same as yours. Is there steep mountain roads along the main highway? I don't remember any stretch that was very steep. The steep ones are usually the side roads we took on excursions.

 

Any must see places? I heard the deer park in Queenstown is closed. Wanted to visit there to view the remarkables. Did you drive to milford sound?

 

I am not sure if I want to take the helicopter ride in the glaciers but I heard it is very good. I am staying in wanaka homestead.

 

 

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You probably would be driving from Christchurch downsouth, make a round and back up or via the west coast and downsouth.

In any case, it's best not to speed as sometimes it could be very tempting to do so given the emptiness of the highway.

Drivers there are mostly very courteous and they do give way, so return in kind.

On some stretch of road leading to a narrow bridge, there could be only one way for traffic to pass, don't speed up just because you wanna cross first.

Don't bring the SG style of driving there like people overtaking and you speed up !! It's a different kind of ball game.

From Quenstown to Dunedin or vice versa, you would be driving at high elevation so both sides of the road could be covered in snow. They would put up signs of 50kph so stick to it.

Enjoy the scenic drive and the friendliness of the Kiwi people.

 

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