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Good sign: No surcharge on public...

by Kakapo2

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Good sign: No surcharge on public...
by Kakapo2
Agrodome
by Jim_Eliason
Agrodome
by Jim_Eliason
Tourist Traps
by Kakapo2
Agrodome
by Jim_Eliason

Most Viewed Tourist Traps in New Zealand

Willowbank Wildlife Park Christchurch

2 Reviews ...almost good enough to be under 'attractions'...but to me, not quite.. Address: www.willowbank.co.nz/ 60 Hussey Road, Christchurch We wanted to see at least 1 wildlife Park during our 9 day stay in...

See All 12 Tourist Traps in Christchurch

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

New Zealands biggest rip offs: inland south island

by intrepidtravelleraus

My friend and i recently travelled to new zealand to do a road trip of the south island. Being from Australia we assumed there would be a lot of similarities in the types and price points of food and other daily neccesities available and our research tended suggest this would be the case. We arrived in christchurch on the first day of our trip to pick up our hire car and got touched for the first time by the hire car company. Although they were friendly we quickly realised that our "all inclusive comprehensive quote" was not all inclusive. It turned out they had a policy at the company - called apex car hire in christchurch, to fill up their cars with "a tank" of which they said would benefit us because petrol is about $2.14 a litre in newzealand and they were selling it to us at a 20% off rate. By the end we ended up paying about another $130.00. We were disapointed they had not choosen...

Buying cars and having cars repaired

by ChristinaHegele

Lots and lots of independent travellers, backpackers or working holiday makers buy cars and campers in New Zealand every year. Before you head out, make sure you know what's important when buying a car. Get a feel for what you can get for your money beforehand by checking out TradeMe (New Zealand's eBay), shop around for a while, do your research! Especially when you buy from a dealer. That goes for any country, really, but those New Zealand car dealers know you need a car to explore the country, and that cars cost comparatively less in NZ than in say, European countries, so they think they can bank on your ignorance of the local market. Same goes for repair places. Before you roll up to a place, call before and ask what it costs to have a certain thing fixed. Again, shop around. We met a car mechanic who seriously wanted to charge us 400 NZD for a wheel alignment, and he justified his...

NZ the worlds most expensibe destination

by StuartHearn

from NZ Herald news todayRip off New Zealand?Guys, just 14 months out from the 2011 Rugby World Cup, you are sleep-walking into acquiring such an unwanted reputation worldwide.The price of ordinary, everyday articles and living costs horrify me in this country. I've been here, admired the place, loved the people since 1975. I wasn't even put off by my first ever weekend in New Zealand - 17cm of rain in 24 hours and sitting shin-deep in water at Eden Park as the All Blacks aqua-planed past Scotland in that infamous 1975 test.But what I see today is of far, far greater concern. This place is becoming one of the most expensive I visit, one giant rip-off. And most of you seem unaware of it.It's not as if I live a hermit's life in some sweet little English village where nothing has changed since the war. I spend much time in France; have been to Rome, Venice, Paris, Dublin, London, New York,...

Tongariro Crossing - Bus Tickets

by axelebert

The bus companies try to sell the rather expensive bus tickets to the starting point of the track (40 NZD) the day before departure. However the weather is unpredictable. The day after I bought my ticket I could not see the mountains, they were hidden in the clouds. I asked the bus driver what to do with my ticket now. She encouraged to go pointing to her local knowledge, it would not be so bad and there was no need to return a ticket. For the profit of the bus company this statement was correct. However for us trekkers it was not! We had 5-10m visibility, icy rain and very cold wind. Me and hundreds of others trekkers just suffered all the way not seeing anything. Buy the tickets only on the day of the track. Buy only if you can see the mountain range and forecast looks good. If you want to go by car to the track remember the end of the track is quite far from the starting point, so...

Pricing in General

by Kakapo2

The pricing for tourist attractions and food in places without competition is becoming an increasing problem in NZ. For example, the Whale Watch company in Kaikoura would still make a lot of money if they did not charge 125 but only 60 NZ$ per person. Not to talk about all the scenic flights which cost hundreds of dollars. They know exactly what they are doing, otherwise they would mention the prices on their websites or not hide them somewhere, so you have to click around ten times until you find the information. But sure, as long as the tourists pay there is no need to change the price frame.Whereas the locals do not have to visit the attractions (or at least not more than once) they also have to pay the high food prices in restaurants although the average income in NZ is much lower than in most countries the visitors come from. The simplest breakfasts for 10$ plus the drinks is just...

WorldPhone Calling Card is a big Rip-off

by Kakapo2

As it would cost you several dollars to go online in an internet café, and free WiFi is not available everywhere, a calling card is normally the cheapest way to make phone calls to other countries.I always give good advice to thoroughly check out calling cards you want to use during your New Zealand visit:1. Make sure they do not charge a connection fee.2. Make sure you choose a card which offers most talktime to the country you intend to call most frequently.BUT - now I have learnt to pay even more attention after purchasing the WorldCard in a hurry. I did not want to get another GoTalk card because they had ripped me off the last time by making the card unvalid one week before the expiry date, and I lost several dollars. (Normally I use Skype at home, but I needed a card to send a Fax to Polynesia - and as I saw in a list in the dairy where I bought the card that WorldCard offered most...

Agrodome

by Jim_Eliason

Some may disagree but I found this place cheesy and not much different than a petting zoo. However I grew up in the American Midwest so I am very familar with farming. That's why I don't see it as a tourist attraction.

Hokitika

by Sandracula

I confess, I cannot really be objective as far as this tip is concerned because all of the circumstances were against this little town. It was on a rainy, foggy and windy sunday afternoon that I arrived here. Hungry and looking for a nice place to have a rest on this chilly winterday, I had hoped to find it here. It turned out to be some kind of ghost town. No tourists, no local people, shops closed and nothing, but really absolutely nothing to see or do. (as you can see on the picture)I wonder why it is so often mentioned in the travel guides.

Surcharge in Restaurants on Public Holidays

by Kakapo2

I do not know if this is a Kiwi invention but I think it is rather weird: Restaurants take a surcharge of normally 20% on public holidays. They explain it with the extra money they have to pay their staff on public holidays - as if they did not earn any money during the year and would go broke if they did not apply the surcharge. Of course, this is not only a tourist trap but a bad practice towards all customers who also complain about it.In other countries they have to pay staff up to 100% surcharge on public holidays and no surcharges apply for customers. Boycott surcharging restaurants on public holidays, cook your own meal or have a cold or microwave-dinner from the supermarket, get your drinks from the supermarket or liquor store. As most supermarkets and dairies are open on public holidays except Good Friday and Christmas Day this should not be a problem.

Skytower- an expensive view

by easterntrekker

Costs $20.00 to go to the top for a panoramic view of Auckland. Victoria and Federal St.Auckland One way to get more value is to go for dessert...you have to pay a miniumum of $25.00 but at least you get dessert and coffee with your view! I like the view just as well from Rangitoto and also from One Tree Hill.

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Q: Hi, Are there good beaches where you can go for snorkeling on the South island ? Eddy

A: You betcha Eddy! :-) Snorkelling off New Zealand's South Island coastline offers snorkellers the chance to snorkel alongside fur seals or the world's smallest...

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