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New Zealand Driving Distance and Time Calculator

Choose a starting destination and final destination. Add in any extra destinations such as a town, city or an actual location. These will be added in-between the starting and final destination.

Also select a mode of travel (driving, biking or even walking). Click the 'Get Directions' button and the driving distance and time calculator will then calculate the route and display the overall distance and time. The map will display the route and it will be itemised. Print out if required.

The route displayed on the map can also be altered by dragging the highlighted route to a new destination, therefore creating a new route.

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Show directions in: Miles Kilometres

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• New Zealand Travel Time & Distance Calculator

When planning a New Zealand self-drive holiday or road trip, use our NZ Driving Time and Travel Distance Calculator Below to work out the best route between two towns or cities.  This calculator will give you average driving time taking into consideration obstacles like mountain passes, winding roads, single lanes etc.  It does not allow time for stops, heavy traffic or the impact of various weather conditions. We recommend you allow extra time to enjoy your journey with safety.  When travelling between the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island (Halfmoon Bay/Oban), you'll need to catch a ferry or flight.

Download a New Zealand map:  Download and print our New Zealand Touring Map to see information on each of the regions in New Zealand and 16 themed highways.

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Driving times

New Zealand may look small on a map, but it might take longer than you expect to get from one destination to the next. The resources on this page will help you plan your journey to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable time in New Zealand. 

Automobile Association travel time and distance calculator

The  AA travel time and distance calculator  is a useful tool to help you plan your journey and work out how long it will take you to drive from one destination to the next. It can also be used to locate petrol stations and parking spaces, and provide information on road closures and incidents.

Interactive New Zealand map 

Take a look at some of New Zealand’s highlights with this interactive map of New Zealand . You can also download and print Tourism New Zealand’s New Zealand Touring Map to see information on each of the regions in New Zealand and 16 themed highways. 

How-to guides

My Journeys is a customisable traffic alert service that provides information before you travel about road and driving conditions, incidents and road works taking place on New Zealand’s state highways.

Set up an account

Log in with an existing account, create a new route, create a regional alert, send us your feedback.

You'll need to sign up to save route and regional alerts.

• Go to journeys.nzta.govt.nz.
• Select the ‘My Journeys’ tab.
• Select the ‘Sign up now’ button.
• Enter your first name, surname, email address and password.
• Read and agree to the terms and conditions.
• Select the ‘Sign up’ button.
• An email will be sent to your inbox. Click the link in the email to confirm your account.

Sign up to My Journeys

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Log in to your account to add or edit route and regional alerts, or update your contact details.

• Go to journeys.nzta.govt.nz
• Enter your email and password.
• Select the ‘Sign in’ button.
• In your account, you will see any saved routes and regions. You can also update your details.
• Don’t forget to sign out once you are finished.

Receive notifications of traffic events occurring along a specific route.

• Select the ‘Create new route’ button.
• Enter your journey – the location you are travelling from and the location you are travelling to.
• Available routes will be listed next to the journey map. Select the route you want to take, and select the ‘Save route’ link.
• Customise the route details - the alert will be given a default name, which you can update if preferred.
• Customise the route alerts - ‘Active’ must be selected to receive email alerts.
• Customise the alert preferences - select which days you would like to receive email alerts. - select which time period you would like to receive email alerts. - select a date range if you would like to receive email alerts over a particular date range.
• Select the ‘Update’ button.

Receive notifications of traffic events occuring throughout a region.

• Once logged in to your account, select 'Regions' from the main menu.
• Select the Region you wish to receive alerts for, then select the 'Save region alerts' button.

Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions about My Journeys.

Submit your feedback (external link)

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How to drive carefully in New Zealand

The road to Paradise, Glenorchy, Queenstown

By Miles Holden

Here's some tips on how you can drive safely around Aotearoa, New Zealand

New Zealand has some of the most incredibly scenic drives and open roads in the world. Whether you've b een driving in New Zealand for a year or fifty, it's always a good idea to brush up on road safety.

Help keep New Zealanders safe on the road with these simple actions while driving around our beautiful country.

Be aware of the road conditions

Mount Hutt ski road, New Zealand

By Mount Hutt

Before leaving home, check the   NZTA journey planner (opens in new window)   to avoid roadworks and congestion. Summer holidays mean more traffic on the road, and more people driving in unfamiliar environments, so make sure to drive with increased caution and care.

Check the weather forecast and be aware of conditions – you may experience four seasons in one day if travelling a long distance, and weather-related hazards can occur on the road at any time.

Our diverse terrain means roads are often narrow, hilly and windy with plenty of sharp corners. Outside of the main cities, there are very few motorways. Most of our roads are single lanes without barriers in between, and gravel roads are more common in remote areas.

It’s important to allow plenty of time, go slow, and pull over in a safe place if traffic wants to pass from behind you.

Winter driving tips

Take regular breaks

Driving in New Zealand, Queenstown

By Chris Sisarich

It is critical to stay alert while you are driving. Take advantage of rest area signs where you can stop. Don't drive when you are tired and take regular breaks. It doesn't matter where in New Zealand you're going; it is extremely dangerous to drive when you are tired.

In summer, hot days and long-distance driving can make you especially tired, as well as early starts and late nights, or because you had a long day driving the day before. So make sure to stop for regular breaks when required.

Make the journey part of the holiday

Road Trip near Punakaiki, West Coast

By Matt Crawford

It’s easy to underestimate drive times when looking at a map.

Maps don’t show how narrow and windy roads can be. What might look like a short trip can take a long time. For example, Hokitika to the town of Haast, a popular drive for visitors stopping to see New Zealand’s glaciers, is 278 kilometres on the map and may look like a short three-hour drive. However, drivers should allow for up to four hours of driving time because of the windy road. This is common all over New Zealand.

Take your time, allow for more time than you think you’ll need, and make the journey a part of your holiday.

Check out our   time and distance calculator   to estimate your driving time. 

Keep your cool

Motorhoming in New Zealand, New Zealand

By Wilderness Motorhomes

Holiday driving can be frustrating, with busy roads, stifling heat, and everyone out enjoying Doing Something New – so make sure you are being courteous and patient to others.

Trucks and towing vehicles have lower speed limits, so make sure you are passing safely in a passing lane or when you can see enough clear road ahead to overtake carefully.

Watch out for cyclists, and horses on backcountry roads.

Don’t drink and drive

Driving in the Catlins, Dunedin

By Graeme Murray

Drink driving is dangerous and there are strict penalties for driving when under the influence. In New Zealand, the legal drink-drive limits for drivers 20 years and over are a breath alcohol limit of 250 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath and a blood alcohol limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.  If you’re under 20 there is a zero alcohol limit.

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New Zealand travel guide Travelling & tourist information

New Zealand travel guide

Travelling & tourist information, new zealand travel distances and driving times.

The following maps show the distances between the main New Zealand centres in kilometres and the approximate driving time including short breaks. It will give you a rough idea about the size of New Zealand.

Delays are possible due to heavy traffic at rush hour times, because of accidents, road construction or flooding in bad weather. Detours from the main highways can take much longer due to curvy, hilly or unsealed roads.

Driving distances New Zealand North Island

Driving distances New Zealand South Island

Call Us: NZ + 64 21 62 94 98

Our big Australian neighbour calculates distances in the thousand kilometers (or miles). In New Zealand its more in the hundreds. But the key difference is that New Zealand has a) lots of hills and mountain ranges and b) very few highways.  So its very important to factor in travel times and distances in New Zealand to make an itinerary work!

In fact our max. speed limit is 100 km/h (approx. 60 miles/h)  – and that’s everywhere (note: this is currently being reviewed to 110 km/h for some parts of the road network).

Smart ways to navigate New Zealand travel time and distances

Based on incorrect assumptions, international travellers often plan their New Zealand holiday with insufficient time. Travel time and distances in New Zealand are grossly underestimated – view a NZ map . It often turns out visitors spend more time on the road than they initially bargained for. Local New Zealanders frequently use domestic flights to cover those long distances, especially between the North & South Island. This saves not only time, but also money. If you book airfares in advance, they become quite affordable.  And if you compare it with other modes of travel like ferry crossings plus the price of petrol, airfares compare very well.

New Zealand travel times and distances calculators

There are a number of online calculators available online – sample AA NZ . They are good and give a first impression on these subjects. The key issue is time (not the distance). Generally speaking, when travelling with a rental car, calculate on 80 km/h on average. And with a motorhome, calculate on 60 km/h. There is always a hill, windy road or a truck you have to pass. You really don’t want to do more then 250-300 kilometres (165 – 200 miles) on the road per day. Believe me, this will get very tiring and dangerous. Also, you want to have plenty of time to ‘stop and go’ at view points, scenic walks and guided tours. Rushing through New Zealand is not a good idea!

Key recommendations for time-short travellers

Very few travellers to New Zealand have more then 2-3 weeks to cover all of New Zealand. Within this time frame we recommend this:

> use 1/3 of your time in the North Island and 2/3 in the South Island – view sample itineraries > use a one-way rental – say between Auckland and Rotorua > then take a domestic flight to one of the key airport in the South Island > pick-up another rental car at the airport and continue your journey

By international standards, New Zealand airports are much smaller and that makes check-in and luggage procedure much shorter and really easy. Air New Zealand is a well regarded local carrier.

Happy travelling through New Zealand!

4 responses to “New Zealand travel times and distances”

Great article. Biggest mistake we see our guests make is judgement of driving times, not allowing enough time to take in the sights along the way and then arriving late and having to take off early in the morning to get to their next destination. Holiday is supposed to be that. Hope more people take note of your very very good advice.

Yes, its still a familiar story Jan – think New Zealand’s geographical layout often surprises our visitors. And you are absolutely right – holidays are supposed to be relaxing.

Great post! I loved exploring the North and South islands in NZ, but definitely came across the same realisation – there is so much space and open land, one of the reasons why its such a beautiful country but it also makes travelling more long-winded!

Thanks for your great comments Pilot Mark. We think its a great idea for international travellers to do a bit of research before visiting New Zealand. This country is so geographically diverse and the scenery changes so quickly.

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Driving Distance Calculator

Driving distances between two cities.

Travelmath helps you find driving distances based on actual directions for your road trip. You can get the distance between cities, airports, states, countries, or zip codes to figure out the best route to travel to your destination. Combine this information with the fuel cost tool to find out how much it will cost you to drive the distance, or compare the results to the straight line distance to determine whether it's better to drive or fly. You can print out pages with a travel map.

Maybe you want to see the driving time instead? Or if you're driving a long distance, you might want to check the midpoint of your trip to find a hotel.

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