Essential Tips on New Zealand Travel

Most travellers would love to hop aboard one of the flights to New Zealand. Being mindful of a few points can make the trip very smooth. Read on for information on aspects like visa, passport, quarantine policies, health, and flight tips.

New Zealand, one of the stalwart names in the world of tourism, continues to attract visitors in hordes year after year. Being a popular year round destination, there is a mad scramble for cheap flights to New Zealand across the year. Before visiting the country, travellers should familiarise themselves with some of the rules and regulations in New Zealand.

• Visa and Passport Requirements
• British passport holders are allowed to enter New Zealand as visitors for a maximum period of six months on arrival. They do not need a visa subject to an Immigration Officer’s approval that they are meeting the rules. Visitors also need to have an onward ticket.
• New Zealand’s immigration rules are strict, especially in matters pertaining to employment. Visitors who want to take up employment in the country need to hold a visa that allows employment.
• Further information on immigration is available with the New Zealand High Commission in London.

• Drugs and Homosexuality
• Travellers booking flights to New Zealand should be well aware of the fact that anyone importing illegal drugs to the country can end up in prison for 8 to 12 years.
• New Zealand is quite tolerant towards homosexuals. However, stray incidents of violence do take place against homosexuals. Gay and lesbian travellers, especially in rural areas, should be careful not to offend local sensitivities.

• Quarantine Policy
• Being a tourism hub, New Zealand has implemented rigid Bio-security regulations. Importing most foodstuffs is illegal and defaulters attract strict penalties. Foodstuffs include dairy produce, fruit, honey, and meat and meat products. Other articles like golf clubs, shoes, and wood products may also require special attention due to the attached dirt and soil. The same goes for Wellington boots and leather products like crocodile skin bags. Full details are available in the immigration arrivals card. Passengers, who are not sure whether they are violating any rules, should either throw away any questionable belongings in one of the airport dustbins or declare the same to a Ministry of Agriculture official. Anyone violating these regulations may have to pay a hefty fine. Passengers should be prepared for delays on arrival due to these quarantine procedures.
• Before booking their tickets to New Zealand, travellers should make sure that they have taken all the required vaccinations.
• More information on vaccination requirements, as well as health outbreaks and endemic diseases for New Zealand is available with the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and NHS Scotland’s Fit For Travel.

• Health
• New Zealand’s government medical facilities are of a high standard. In fact, the thrust upon preventative medicine is higher than in the UK. Similarly, medical, dental, and hospital standards of both countries are comparable. There is a reciprocal agreement between the UK and New Zealand that allows citizens of both countries to avail the National Health Services benefits of either country. However, such individuals should be either permanent or temporary residents and satisfy certain other conditions as well.
• New Zealand lies in southerly position due to which the ozone layer over the country is much thinner than in other places. The same reason results in shorter sunburn time in comparison to the UK. Visitors taking outdoor trips during summers should wear hats and apply strong sun blocks.
• Travellers suffering from respiratory diseases should get in touch with their physicians before trying to book cheap flights to New Zealand as there are higher chances of an asthma attack in the country.
• According to the estimate of the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group, about 1,400 people over the age of 15 in New Zealand were AIDS patients. The prevalence rate was estimated at approximately 0.1% of the adult population, which compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK at about 0.2%. Normal precautions should be taken against HIV/AIDS.
• Adventure sports such as white water rafting, water boarding, and bungee jumping are big draws in New Zealand. Before booking airline tickets, visitors should make sure that they have medical and travel insurance, which covers such activities. Exclusions should be carefully checked.

• Flight Tips
• Travellers looking for flights to New Zealand should explore airlines offering cheap tickets to the destination on connecting or hopping flights through their hubs across the world.
• Booking flights that depart from Heathrow to Auckland or Christchurch can go a long way in finding cheap flights to New Zealand. These itineraries are good for cheap tickets to the country.
• The chances of finding cheap flights to New Zealand are higher during May and June as business tends to be slow due to the ongoing winters in the country. Besides flight tickets, one can also expect discounted hotel tariffs.
• A few of the popular airlines operating flights to New Zealand are Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, and Malaysian Airlines.