5. Exploit
Domestic Flights

Budget domestic
airfares are a bargain.  

• Given how long it takes to drive anywhere here, plus petrol
  costing around three times US gas prices, it’s almost always
  worth flying at least some of the longer junkets. For example, flying
  from Nelson to Wellington costs just about the same as the bus+ferry
  but takes about 4 hours less time.
• Outside of peak season, you can often find availability on
  short
  notice since most routes have at least some competition with Air New
  Zealand. Still, try to plan ahead a little.

6. Investigate
Your Bus Passes

The easy-on-easy-off bus tickets cater to very specific audiences.

• The Flexipass
  and Travelpass
  packages for standard coach lines are very different from the many
  self-guided tour bus company tickets such as Magic Bus or KiwiExperience. 
   
• Research very carefully to avoid spending your vacation in
  a
  rolling frat party when you were just expecting an easy way to get to
  all of the remote wilderness areas. Get first hand reviews to ensure
  you get what you want.

7. Respect the
Weather

NZ is over a thousand miles top to bottom, but it’s narrow
enough
that you are almost always in fast-changing maritime conditions.

• Parts of the north island are variously famous for wind or
  rain
  or sun, or combinations thereof. Make sure you have contingency plans
  for any excursion.
• The south island is closer to Antarctica than to the
  equator and
  thus cooler than the postcard-perfect beaches appear. The summer
  weather is fine for active outdoor adventures, just don’t
  plan on
  lots of sunbathing.

8. Adapt to the
Wildlife

It’s a bird-lover’s paradise.

• Most native wildlife is winged, so those who assume all
  jungles
  and forests should team with monkeys and snakes and bears and frogs can
  end up slightly disappointed.
• Beyond kiwi birds and penguins, some fun native birds you
  will likely see include:

9. Reconsider
the Environment

Green is in the eye of the beholder.

• NZ tourism with its “100% Pure” slogan
  has exploited
  an eco-conscious reputation, not always wholly truthfully. Expect to
  see clear-cutting along the roadways, minimal public transportation,
  un-insulated lodging, gleeful destruction of non-native plants and
  animals, and some very eco-suspect wilderness tourism.
• Kiwis do try to save electricity, though, so
  don’t be too
  surprised to find the stove switched off at the wall or indoor
  temperatures on a cool day suitable for an ice rink.

10. Practice
Proper Etiquette

Take your shoes off and chat awhile.

• This might be considered a western nation, but Kiwis
  don’t
  wear shoes in the house. If you see shoes by the door, plan to remove
  yours or at least ask if it’s okay to keep them on.
• There’s just enough Pacific Islands to the
  culture that
  allowing some time for social chatting in a business transaction can
  open amazing opportunities. By contrast, rushing and being blunt might
  even be punished.