Car Rental In Queenstown?

Old Jun 16th, 2006, 07:17 PM
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Car Rental In Queenstown?

Hi everyone,

I'll be in Queenstown with two cousins in July for only five days. I know it's not a lot of time in New Zealand at all, but it's all we've got and we're going to make the best of it.

We've decided to base ourselves in Queenstown for the entire stay and i'm debating whether or not it would be worth to rent a car (or actually, considering the winter wearther, a SUV). The problem is that it's quite costly for the five days (upwards of $650NZD) and I'm unsure whether we should bother?

We're budget-conscious, but willing to accept the expense if that it would be beneficial for the three of us. While we don't have our entire stay planned, we would like to explore the town, go skydiving, snowboarding and we'd have to take a cab to and from the ZQN airport. I like the idea of visiting Glenrochy and/or Franz Josef/Fox Glacier, but don't feel we have the time to do such trips.

Could anyone help provide me with some insight on this subject? I'd really appreciate it, thanks!

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Old Jun 17th, 2006, 12:04 AM
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Many hotels/motels are centrally located in Queenstown and within walking distance to the center of town. So, it's an easy place to get around by foot if you choose a nearby hotel/motel.

To go further afield, there are buses. You might find the following link helpful:

http://www.magicbus.co.nz/

Glenorchy is about a 40 minute drive from QT, so it's easy to get to via car. There's also a bus service that runs backpackers from QT to the walking tracks in the area, and they make stops in Glenorchy.

Franz Josef/Fox Glacier are about six hours drive from QT, but you can also get there via bus.

If you go skydiving, or on another organized activity, chances are the operator will offer the option of hotel pick up and drop off for an extra charge.

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Old Jun 21st, 2006, 09:41 PM
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I suspect the reasons your rental is so expensive are

1: You are hiring in Queenstown

2: You are hiring a 4-wd.

As an alternative, why not hire a car in CHC and drive to ZQN - about 6hrs but it'll take longer because you'll be out of the car a lot of times to take photos. The centre of the island is just plain stunning, especially now when it is completely covered with snow.

You'll then be able to get around and do the things you want to do when you want instead of having to rely on free transport from operators, bus schedules etc.

You could then go back to CHC by way of Fox or FJ and overnight there.

A 4wd is all very nice if you have deep pockets but it's not absolutely essential. Most of the time (right now is an exception with many roads closed after a deep weather bomb just hit) a conventional vehicle will be just fine.

Here are some rental operators to try:

Omega, Ace, Apex, A2B, About NZ. Use Google to find them.

I run a rental car business - so I'm recommending these guys from a position of inside knowledge.

A2B, for instance, advertise a small car for $NZ29 a day based on 4 to 6 days. The others are much the same.

For a lot of useful info on the area have a look at

http://New-Zealand-Travel-Guide.com/queenstown.htm
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Old Jun 29th, 2006, 06:25 PM
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Thanks everyone for your advice, it is very much appreciated. I wasn't well aware of the other car rental companies in NZ and looked at Avis because it what was familiar. I'll definetly take a look at them.
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Old Jun 29th, 2006, 06:44 PM
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Actually, McFly you mentioned snow chains and I had forgotten to mention this before.

I've had years of winter driving in light to heavy snowfalls, so I know how to control my vehicle with speed, steering, &etc. However I've never had to use snow chains on my tires because it's has never been necessary on the roads (i'm not in a mountain region) -- that and they're illegal to use in my area.

Would it be absolutely silly for me to do winter mountain driving without any experience in putting on and using snow chains? Please advise.
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Old Jun 29th, 2006, 07:00 PM
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My son just rented a car from Ezy. Very inexpensive! Chains were cheap, too.
Worth looking at as they have a location in Queenstoen.
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