Getting Here & Around

Getting Here & Around

Air New Zealand (0800/737-000 www.airnewzealand.co.nz) runs regular flights from Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown into Napier, Gisborne, and Rotorua. The flights from Napier to Auckland or Wellington take about an hour; the trip to Christchurch lasts roughly two hours.

Start in Rotorua and then head down to Taupo and the National Park region. You'll have to backtrack to Hawke's Bay, but it's all interesting countryside. If fishing is your game, stop over at Turangi. It's a fair trek to Napier and Hastings, but Hawke's Bay is an area not to be missed. Be prepared for a lengthy stretch to Gisborne and the East Cape and if you have the time to take the rugged side road, Lake Waikaremoana is a little piece of heaven.

North Island's East Coast and volcanic zone include some of the country's most popular attractions, so there are plenty of excellent tours and bus routes that hit most highlights. But having your own vehicle gives you the flexibility to seek out an untrammeled scenic spot or that lesser-known but outstanding winery.

Inter-City (09/913-6100 in Auckland, 04/472-5111 in Wellington www.intercitycoach.co.nz), along with their subsidiary company Newmans (www.newmanscoach.co.nz), runs regular bus services to cover this entire region. Comfortable, reasonably priced, and efficient, they are particularly useful to backpackers and people who are in no particular hurry.

The Napier-to-Auckland trip takes 8 hours, Napier-Rotorua is 3½ hours, Napier-Taupo is 2¼ hours, and Napier-Wellington is 6 hours. Frequent local services go between Napier and Hastings. There's one bus service a day to Gisborne with Newmans and InterCity from either Auckland, via Rotorua, or from Wellington, via Napier. These trips take a solid day.

The best way to travel in this region is by car. Rotorua is about three hours from Auckland. Take Highway 1 south past Hamilton and Cambridge to Tirau, where Highway 5 breaks off to Rotorua. Roads in this region are generally in good condition. Avis New Zealand has a branch at ther Terminal Building in the Rotorua Airport.

The main route between Napier and the north is Highway 5. Driving time from Taupo is two hours, five hours if you're coming straight from Auckland. Highway 2 is the main route heading south; it connects Hastings and Napier. Driving time to Wellington is five hours.

Highway 50, the Napier-Hastings road, can help you steer clear of traffic by avoiding central Hastings; it then joins Highway 2 before Napier. Several wineries are on or near the 50.

The most direct route from the north to Gisborne is to follow State Highway 2 around the Bay of Plenty to Opotiki, Eastland's northern gateway, then continue to Gisborne through the Waioeka Gorge Scenic Reserve. The drive from Auckland to Gisborne takes seven hours. South from Gisborne, continuing on Highway 2, you pass through Wairoa, about 90 minutes away, before passing Napier, Hawke's Bay, and Wairarapa on the way to Wellington, about 7½ hours by car.

Roads can be narrow and winding in places. Remember that driving is on the left and to always keep the tank full, as gas stations can be hard to come by.