How To Reach New Zealand

The island nation of New Zealand is one of the most sort-after destinations in the south Pacific region. Located about 1500 km from the continent of Australia, New Zealand is popular across the globe. While it is considered as one of the last places inhabited by humans, New Zealand today is quite easily accessible from anywhere in the world. With world-renowned cities like Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand is one of the most developed countries in the world today. Given that tourism is a major part of the economy, getting to the island country is reasonable and easy.

With flights departing and arriving in New Zealand every day from all parts of the world, travel to New Zealand has become extremely comfortable and affordable. The best way to reach the country from India is to take a flight from any of the major cities here.

There are regular flights to New Zealand from almost all major cities in India like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, etc. While there are no direct flights from India, there are loads of flights all through-out the day to various cities in New Zealand with stop-overs at places like Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sydney. There are plenty of options to choose from given that a range of airlines like the Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airlines, Cathay Airlines, Thai Airlines, Air New Zealand and Air Asia serve this route.

New Zealand has 5 major International airports spread across the length of the country. While Auckland is the most famous international airport with majority of the air traffic, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin are also quite popular. One can choose which airport to go to depending on which part of the island one wants to reach. While Auckland is located at the northern tip of the North Island, Wellington is located on the southern tip of the North Island. Queenstown, Christchurch and Dunedin are all located in the Southern Island. While prices depend on the type of service and time of booking, they are generally affordable and easy to get. It is advised to book well in advance to get offers and discounts.

While there are no direct ships or cruises from India to New Zealand, visitors keen on travelling to New Zealand via sea can either travel to destinations that have cruises to the island country like Australia or journey aboard the freighters that travel from the country. Several cargo ships journey from Mumbai to New Zealand on a regular basis. While mostly carrying luggage, these ships on occasion also allow passengers to travel. While a medical certificate certifying that the passenger is fit to travel is a must, the entry on board is very circumstantial. The journey aboard one of the ships can last for weeks given that these container ships stop at a number of destinations to load and unload cargo. While some ports allow passengers to leave and explore, most ports don’t.

Travelling aboard these ships can be the most adventurous way to get to New Zealand, but also risky. While the charges can vary from ship to ship, it is mostly based on the number of days. If travel is extended due to unpredictable reasons, prices will increase.

Since India does not feature in New Zealand’s visa waiver agreement with countries of the world, Indian citizens must apply for a visa to travel to New Zealand. The duration of stay allowed as per the travel visa to New Zealand is 6 months and the visa can be easily obtained online. Visitors must make sure that their passport is valid for at least 3 months after the period of departure from New Zealand and that the details on the visa application are the same as in the passport. It is good to check on the various conditions to obtain a visa to New Zealand and to make sure that all criterions are met as per the standards of the New Zealand government.

On arriving in the island nation, passengers will be given a ‘Passenger Arrival Card’ before getting off the flight or ship. Passengers are to enter the required details and declare what they are carrying along with them for easy customs scrutiny. The ‘Passenger Arrival Card’ also comes in Tamil and Hindi.