New Zealand @us | Transfercar Blog

Transfercar: the ideal travel buddy

Attention money-starved travellers! Have you heard of Transfercar yet, the successful Australasian car relocation company?! No?! Well, listen up because here are the deets. Transfercar has officially launched in the US this August to the delight of poor travellers from Texas to Cali. Transfercar provides an online service that facilitates contact between rental car companies that need to relocate their cars and YOU, the cash-strapped travellers eager to drive these free rental cars all over the place. The system is super simple: Rental operators list their relocation cars on the Transfercar website where registered drivers (that’s you, remember?!) view and request these cars. How can free rental cars be so easy?!

This innovative business model offers a real win-win scenario where lucky drivers get a free car to help them with travel expenses and rental car companies save on steep relocation costs. A lot of the free rental cars come with various perks depending on the car. Transfercar can set you up with free insurance, free ferry rides and free gas! It’s like Christmas! And the variety of cars you can choose from seems infinite. If you’re looking for a campervan for the entire family or a basic Sedan for just you and a mate, Transfercar has the ideal vehicle you’re looking for.

Regular rental cars can be really expensive, especially if you’re travelling at short notice. With Transfercar you save the money you’d normally spend on pricey rentals, leaving you more moolah for travel essentials like eating at diners and high rolling it at the Casino! Our campervans can save you considerable money on accommodation, too. It seems too good to be true, but there is absolutely no catch here. Registration is free. The rental car is free. But your undying appreciation for being able to travel for less money is rather priceless, don’t you think?

Transfercar is leading the way in this brave new world that’s embracing a sharing community. We share our free rental cars with you, and at the same time we’re helping rental car companies. It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn’t it? So, what are you waiting for? These free rental cars open you up to a world of possibilities: wherever you want to go, Transfercar can take you there. You’re welcome!

For more information contact www.transfercarus.com

Rocking Out in Rotorua

Hey…what’s that smell?! It’s the sweet smelling sulphur of Rotorua. If you’re travelling around the North Island of New Zealand, you’ve got to stop in what the locals refer to as ROTOVEGAS. Locals are silly! It’s not a casino town! This is a spa town, so get ready to get down and dirty in the mud.

Mud is your Bud

Rotorua’s geothermal water and mineral-enriched muds are absolute must-do’s. These rejuvenating therapies spring from Rotorua’s thermal activity and you won’t see anything like them elsewhere in the world. You can go for a simple soak or book out a private pool for you and the whole family. There are plenty of spas that also traditional Maori massage that uses indigenous herbs. Whatever your budget, there’s some mud here for you. People have been enjoying the muds here since 1874!

Let’s Get Physical

Before you start pampering yourself you should probably do something to deserve it. Make sure you bring your hiking boots because RotoVegas has 18 sparkling lakes and incredibly exotic forests to explore. Just five minutes from downtown Rotorua, the foxiest forest in the world awaits you. It’ll be easy to reach this beauty with your Transfer Car rental…The 5600 hectare Whakarewarewa Forest has more than 70 trails for walkers, hikers, and mountain bikers from amateurs to experts.

Wet ‘n’ Wild

If walking isn’t your thing, get yourself to the rafts at Kaitiaki Adventures. The Kaituna River in all her glory is on display here and she will wow you with the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall: the 7 METRE Tutea Falls. You don’t need to worry about bringing any gear as they supply everything for you. Just pack some bravery. And a touch of madness.

If you manage to survive…

Nom Nom Nom

…then you’ll want to get yourself to Te Puia and the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where you can stuff your face with an authentic Maori steam-cooked lunch as part of the guided tour to Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley. After upgrading all your mad weaving, greenstone and wood carving skills, you’ll get to select your lunch from a range of traditional options, like kumara and lamb, which are then taken to the valley and cooked above the steam vents in the ground. That’s just crazy! You mean crazy delicious! You’ll eat your snack packs overlooking the infamous Pohutu Geyser while wondering to yourself why you’ve never been here before.

You’ve saved money on transportation, thanks to us, so maybe you feel like splurging. Te Puia also offers a dining option, the magnificent Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience. It includes a traditional Maori concert, an authentic hangi within a lavish buffet, and a moonlight visit to the geothermal valley for hot chocolate. And you can roast marshmallows in a volcano. No, no you can’t. But you can take another relaxing soak in the springs! There’s just no other place in New Zed that can make you feel this good. You’re welcome.

Auckland Sky Tower – I believe I Can Fly!

Auckland cops a lot of flak in NZ because, well, it’s the best. No really, it is. Sure, it may not be a hipster capital (I’m looking at you, Wellington), but it’s a bustling big city that can compete with other world beauties like Vancouver or Seattle. If you’ve only a got a few days in NZ’s biggest city, then there is One Thing You Must Absolutely Do in Auckland.

But it’s a secret, sooo, this is awkward….

Ok, fine, I’ll tell you.

It’s the Sky Tower. You’ve got to do the Auckland Sky Tower.

At 328 metres, this Godzilla-esque tower is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand. The stunning views of sprawling, dazzling Auckland are simply breath taking. While the views are a main attraction, Auckland’s Sky Tower isn’t just a pretty face. There’s plenty to explore up here, so take a deep breath (and maybe a shot of whiskey for courage) and let’s go exploring.

So, maybe you’re an adrenaline junkie, or perhaps you’re just plain nuts. Either or, the SkyJump may just be your fix. Crazies the world over have jumped and lived to tell their tales, touting it as an absolute must-do. The SkyJump is more like base jumping rather than the ol’ bungee. It’s simple: you’re attached to a wire and then you fall fast, 85km fast, and you land alive and well in the Sky City plaza. You even get a certificate proclaiming your insanity-er-bravery.

If you’re averse to falling then the SkyWalk is your deal. You can walk the line around the pergola 192 meters up the sky Tower, taking in the 360 degree panoramic views of this beautiful city, its harbour and the surrounding islands. Did I mention there are no handrails?! Whoops! But you’re all roped up, so it’s no biggie. Plus you get to make faces at the elite eating at Peter Gordon’s Sugar Club, which is a bonus in itself.

Now that you’ve survived two adrenaline pumping adventures, you’re ready to make it rain. The SKYCITY Casino is conveniently open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you’re feeling lucky, try your hand at popular casino games and machines. Just be sure to keep it real and play at levels you can actually afford.

If you’ve managed to make it out of the Casino with some cash, you won’t be holding onto it much longer once you walk past the Sky Tower’s fabulous restaurants. Where’s the beef? It’s at The Grill by Sean Connolly, a restaurant that celebrates all things bovine and other delicious locally sourced animals. Al Brown, the King Kong of NZ food has made his name at Federal Delicatessen and Depot, serving up incredibly authentic NYC Jewish deli-style food and beautifully cooked NZ cuisine like freshly shucked oysters, whitebait and paua.

Sure, the Sky Tower may seem a bit touristy, but guess what? You’re a tourist. Your experience is what you make of it and the Sky Tower has the goods, so get amongst it.

Transfercar featured in Road Trip article

We love it when journalists discover the wonderful world of Transfercar and this week Richard Meadows

NZ free car rental with Transfercar — How to score a cheap road trip

from Fairfax New Zealand wrote about How to Score A Cheap Road Trip.

Back in August, surveyor Taryn Martin and a couple of mates took off in a hired van for a wee road trip around the West Coast.

They jumped out of planes in Queenstown, hiked up Fox Glacier, and toasted marshmallows at the Cardrona Pub.

“It was wicked,” says Martin.

How much did Jucy charge the band of adventurers to hire an eight-seater people mover? A grand total of $3.

Continue reading Transfercar featured in Road Trip article

Wwoofing around the world

The concept of working for your food and accommodation while travelling is not a new one and many a budget conscious traveller has walked this well-worn path.

Wwoofing however is a little more specialised. Originally an acronym for “Working Weekends on Organic Farms”, the definition changed over the years to “Willing Workers On Organic Farms” as the need for assistance over longer periods arose. Due to the word “work” however causing some problems, the name finally settled to being “World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms”.

Sue Coppard, in 1971 was the first to recognise the need for people like herself, who did not have the means or the opportunity, to access the countryside and support the organic movement. It was here in the suburbs of London that Wwoofing set its roots, now growing as a movement with more than 50 WWOOF groups worldwide. Continue reading Wwoofing around the world

What to do when visiting a Marae in New Zealand

When travelling around New Zealand, it is highly likely you will be taken to visit some of the local Marae. These are sacred meeting houses for Maori and are symbols of tribal identity. Considered by Māori as tūrangawaewae – (standing places or places of belonging), they facilitate public discussions and debates, funerals and celebrations and other local gatherings. They are often elaborately carved and designed community spaces equip with a dining hall and cooking area and the marae ātea (sacred space in front of the meeting house).

When visiting a Marae, it is important that you are prepared. Before the visit: Continue reading What to do when visiting a Marae in New Zealand