The North Island of New Zealand offers a diverse vacation experience for any traveler. Most people fly into the country via Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, but with so much to explore you won’t want to spend much time there before heading further south. You may have a couple of days planned in Auckland, or you may need to start as soon as the plane lands.
If you don’t want to waste time, you can book rental cars at Auckland Airport and be available as soon as you collect your luggage. Perfect for getting to your hotel or getting out of Auckland to get to that out of town event or occasion as soon as possible.
Auckland International Airport is 21 kilometers southwest of the city center and although some hotels have a free shuttle that you can use to take you directly to your accommodation. If you have a lot to do, arrange transportation right after you land. it can save you a lot of trouble later on.
To get to the city from the airport, turn left onto George Bolt Memorial Drive. The ramp onto Coronation Road will take you to join the South-western Highway, which will take you just south of town. If you head north on Dominion Road you will come to Queen Street, where you will find yourself in the heart of Auckland. It shouldn’t take you more than half an hour to get to Auckland Central from the airport.
If you are driving south to Tauranga, Hamilton, Taupo or any other North Island city, head west from the airport to Puhinui Road and then south when you reach the southern expressway. You will soon find yourself traveling through Manukau until it joins the Auckland-Hamilton Highway.
There are a few different routes you can take, but if you continue south you will come to Hamilton. From there, State Highway 1 will take you through Cambridge and Tokoroa to Taupo and, if you turn off at State Highway 29, it will take you east to Tauranga. Heading along State Highway 3 will take you up the West Coast to New Plymouth. You could even detour onto State Highway 2, just south of Manukau, to save a little time if you’re not interested in going through Hamilton, but it’s a beautiful city to visit and enjoy a stopover.
If you don’t have to travel too far, renting a car can give you a freedom that really helps when traveling around New Zealand. Consider canceling that flight from Auckland to your next destination and driving instead.