New Zealand Backpacking Trips

New Zealand Backpacking Trips - Do you have Tried Backpacking in New Zealand?Have you tried backpacking just before? It is really an experience. This is a must-try while we are still young. The best part is that you get to meet interesting people from across the world in your dormitory room!

Okay, I haven’t been to as many backpacking trips. But New Zealand is certainly backpackers-friendly. I am comparing this with Singapore. Guess I can’t imagine lugging a heavy backpack in Singapore subway trains.

Five explanations why New Zealand is backpacker-friendly:

1) The temperature is generally cooling. Carrying huge backpack and walking around the hot and humid tropic can be tiring, and dehydrating.

2) Trains and buses are not jam-packed. There is definitely room for a huge back pack.

3) It is simple to manoeuvre around with a bulky carrier. The walkways are wide enough and doors are big enough. Believe me, some of the walkways in Singapore can be very narrow.

4) There are heaps of affordable backpacker accommodation conveniently found in the heart of town (about NZD $24 for a 4-bed female dorm).

5) You don’t spend enough time waiting in queues (standing using your heavy bag). Anywhere with more than 5 people ahead of you in line is quite rare.

Almost everywhere in New Zealand is backpack-able. However , many of the places could be a tad bit more challenging than others. Mainly, it is the going to and fro airport, bus/railway station.

Three locations that can be just a little tricky for backpackers:

1) Auckland International Airport to and from Auckland Domestic Airport. I remember needing to carry my luggage off and on the bus, and walking from one terminal to another location. Heaps of thanks to the friendly Kiwis who helped me!

2) Travelling from Wellington bus station to and from downtown accommodation. There isn’t any other option other than walking. Anyway, Wellington is undulating. Going against gravity with heavy backpack isn’t funny.

3) Transiting between bus, train and cruise. It is logical that these places are some distance apart by foot. The most memorable one was moving from Picton train station to port, and then from Wellington port to bus terminal, also include back and forth accommodation.

Getting around New Zealand by Bus – From One Island to Another

If you need to cross between the North and the South Island, the cheapest way to go is by plane. Also, there are ferries linking the islands. It’s virtually impossible to get between the two islands by bus.

Getting around New Zealand by Bus – Within the Same Island

Buses are a cheap way to get from one city to another on the same island. If you book online, you might even get some bargains.
The companies offering coach services in New Zealand are:

• InterCity Coachlines – the national coach company, connecting more than 600 destinations nationwide. They also operate vessels so if you need to travel between the two islands, it’s possible to book the ferry ride as well, along with the bus ride. It’s a good idea to pre-book the ticket online in order to get the discounted rates.
• Naked Bus – is a low-cost company which offers city to city links. It is definitely the cheapest option for those who plan ahead.
• GreatSights New Zealand – is the daily sightseeing operator in New Zealand and offers 30 days sightseeing tours in the country.
• Flying Kiwi Adventures – is the original adventure bus tour company. Trips range from 3 to 27 days and cover both islands.
• Atomic Shuttles – is a low-cost company operating shuttle services in parts of the South Island
• Backpacker buses – offer trips around New Zealand. You can hop on and off at your will.

Getting around New Zealand by Bus – Within a City

Bus travel is very popular in Auckland . If you don’t mind to walk to the bus station, you can easily do without a car in this city. However, at peak hours the buses aren’t that reliable and delays of up to 15 minutes are common on all routes. The bus system in the city is not integrated, so there are different bus companies serving different parts of the city. The largest operator is Stagecoach.

In Hamilton, the bus service is also a good option to get around the city. The operator is Environment Waikato and covers the entire city. One way tickets are good for 2 hours (and cost $2.60NZ).

Wellington also has an extensive network of buses, including a number of routes served by electric trolleybuses. Free maps are available in locations around the town. For the travelers, the best option is to get an all-day central bus pass.
Rotorua, on the other hand, has a bus service for is limited. Although Christchurch’s bus system has been improved over the last years, it’s still a good idea to plan to use a rental bike while you are here. And in Queenstown the bus service is also limited, with only three routes available.

Backpacker New Zealand Campervans

Backpacker New Zealand Campervans - Spaceships New Zealand Camper Van Review

After arriving in New Zealand we stayed in Auckland for a couple of days whilst we checked out the sights and also started looking for places where we could hire a campervan or RV for a few weeks. We found a couple of local places but the standard of the cars wasn’t that great and we didn’t want to break down somewhere along the way and ruin our trip!

After a tiring morning looking round at several places we saw a flyer in the hostel for Spaceships Rentals and we ended up booking online at the hostel almost straight away. It was quite suprising how cheap it can work out per day. I was really excited to hear we would also get a DVD player, fridge, lockable storage and cooker for a reasonable $36 NZD per day.

The next morning we walked from the train station in Penrose down to the Spaceships Auckland office to sort out all of the paperwork. We couldn’t wait to get on the road and start our adventure but first the guy from spaceship rentals showed us how to operate everything and gave us a little survival kit and information package.

First stop was the supermarket where we could buy a good stock of food as now we had somewhere to store it which is always a problem when moving from hostel to hostel. We also bought a large map of New Zealand too before hitting the road around 11am. It was a nice feeling of independance with 15 days of travel ahead of us and we could go wherever we wanted to! I had also printed off a map of the Stray backpacker bus route so that we could see which places are of interest and where we might find other backpackers heading to. To see the map click here.

First stop was Raglan, followed by Taupo and National Park before we reached Wellington, then it was onto the Interislander ferry to Picton. The south island was a lot quieter on the roads and we could cover fairly big distances as we made our way to Franz Joseph to do a glacier hike before getting to Queenstown a day earlier than we planned.

The camper van was pretty modern ans spacious and we really did have everything we needed in there. Driving was comfortable and easy apart from Lukes navigational skills of course and when we got to our night stop the bed was really simple to make up. We hired a couple of DVD’s from the video store and watched them on the van’s DVD player and made soup on the cooker. To be honest you would really think it was a camper van with the window shades closed and the bed made up it was suprisingly comfortable and cosy. You can also extend the bed out of the rear of the campervan and have a tent style covering over the back and give you more room inside.

Queenstown was a great place with lots of things to do for fun. We took the gondola up to the top of the mountain and had a great time on the luge before finishing the night off with a Fergburger. A must do on the backpacking route!

Finally with a few small stops on the way it was time to head up to Christchurch and drop off our camper van. It had been well worth it, a brilliant 2 weeks, as we had experienced New Zealand with a freedom and independance that you can’t really achieve when travelling by bus or train. We would definatly recommend getting a Spaceship for the following reasons.

Backpacker in Papua

Backpacker in Papua - Papua, backpacker budget, is it possible?

Hi Folks,


Flying out of Philippines, I will most likely be headed to Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia).


I do not think I it will be possible to get a Indonesian visa so most likely I will be getting a 30 day visa at a border crossing.


I am looking at Papua, and am wondering what the real costs are. I see accommodation is affordable. But movement is not. As in due to its infrastructure it's near impossible to see anything independently. Meaning tours are one of the only option. How true is this? And I am guessing this is out of most backpacker style low end budgets?


I am at the planning stages, and looking to see some off the beaten path places, that are within my budget. And trying to avoid tourist beach spots as best as possible while in Indonesia.


One last thing, am I right in saying a tourist visa cannot be extended? And, if so, once you leave, how long do you have to be out of the country before being allowed another on arrival visa?


Thanks


Dave

BACKPACKER Magazine 2012

BACKPACKER Magazine 2012 - The issues that BACKPACKER Magazine published in the 70s have that awesome layout that I would look for in a magazine today.

Did you know that you can browse all the BACKPACKER issues (1973- now) over at Google Books? Love that!

TETON Sports Scout3400 Internal Frame Backpack (Mecca Orange)

TETON Sports Scout3400 Internal Frame Backpack (Mecca Orange) -

Product Description

The Wilderness55/Scout3400 is perfectly sized for youth and the light backpacker. Complete with adjustable height shoulder straps, a rainfly compartment and rainfly, the Wilderness55/Scout3400 also features a padded water bladder pocket. Two side zippered pockets, side and front mesh pockets, and a top zippered pocket provide plenty of room for smaller accessories. A top-loading main compartment and a sleeping bag compartment complete the pack. Includes bright yellow attached rain fly and is hydration system ready.

Product Details

* Brand: Teton Sports
* Model: 161

Features

* 3,400 cubic inches / 55 liters; 4.5 lbs.
* Dual aluminum stays adjust to the contour of your back
* Shoulder straps, lumbar and waist belt padding
* Adjustable shoulder straps for a more comfortable fit
* Separate sleeping bag compartment
From: Teton Sports
Price: $57.42& eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery.



Availability:Usually ships in 24 hours

Backpack Rent in Amsterdam

Backpack Rent in Amsterdam - where from can I rent a Backpack in Amsterdam?

I will go camping in Belgium in 2 weeks and I need a backpack. I heard you can rent them from somewhere. Anyone knows a shop like that somewhere in Amsterdam?

You could consider buying one second hand as this could work out cheaper than buying new or bringing one with you

This is a good site for buying second hand items http://www.marktplaats.nl/ and with the help of google translate I think you could probably manage to get around

To find a backpack fro around Amsterdam then do the following:
- type ‘rugzak’ in the first field
- tick the box underneath ‘Zoek in titel en beschrijving’ (look in header & body)
Then in the postcode field pick a postcode in central A’dam (e.g. 1012AB) and choose within what distance you want to search (I picked 5km and got 73 results)

Then you get offers from people selling and you can normally click the Email button and Email them for question and place bids.

Hopefully someone else can help with places that rent them. I did quickly google it in Dutch but couldn’t find anywhere in Amsterdam doing this.

Backpacking Amsterdam

Backpacking Amsterdam : Amsterdam – My favorite city in Europe, I’ve been to Amsterdam countless times and even lived there briefly in 2006. I won’t lie – the first time around, I came for the parties, the fun, and the “coffee shops,” but I stayed because of the canals, beautiful buildings, great scenery, and friendly locals. There’s a lot more to Amsterdam than “coffee shops,” red lights, and Van Gogh. Get to know the city and its beauty will overwhelm you.

Backpacking Amsterdam Maps And Route


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