You can hire a car for a modest fee and explore New Zealand. Dont forget, that you will be seeing only the Far North of New Zealand at the conference and fieldtrip. This area is a blend of tourist playground and rural heartland. The Far North has the highest rate of unemployement in New Zealand, and is a relatively poor area. The rich farmlands in the Waikato area to the south of Auckland and Southland in the far south of the South Island are contrasting areas, and well worth a visit. If you want to see city life, then visit Auckland or Wellington. If you want to go tramping in alpine areas, then the Southern Alps is the place to go.
If you need help with anything, then just ask for it. Most kiwis are quite approachable and have yet to see so many tourists they have become grumpy. However, in some areas of New Zealand tourists are known as Loopies, possibly because they come from other places on earth where they cannot easily appreciate clean air and crystal clear water, which we take for granted here.
If you need advice and help about anything at all, including rental cars, maps, guidance as to places to visit, the best wines to buy, how to hire a boat and go fishing, etc., then ask one of the organisers. So far the most interesting request has been organising a fly fishing trip for brown trout in the interior of the South Island (actually very easy to arrange).
The people to contact for any advice about anything are:
This page is Maintained by Foss.Leach@University-of-Ngakuta.ac.nz