Frequently Asked Questions
There are many questions that you will have while preparing for your vacation to New Zealand, and we are here all along the way to help answer them. Here are some useful ones which will hopefully answer some of your initial queries :
01
How easy is it to get to New Zealand ?
Many people believe that New Zealand is located way down in the middle of no-where. Although geographically remote, it is a little known fact that New Zealand sits on the same time zone as Hawaii in the summer months, and also is a relatively short 11 hour flight from Los Angeles, 9 hours from Singapore and only 2 hours from Sydney, Australia.
Airlines offer excellent flight times. LA for example, has an evening departure which has you arrive in New Zealand the following morning. So, relax with a movie and a meal, a handful of hours sleep, and you'll be here before you know it. We regularly have clients arrive in New Zealand, and they are so refreshed from the journey that they wish to get out on the golf course or river for a fish straight away !
02
When is the best time of year to visit ?
The better weather months for golf are from December through to May. For fishing, all year is excellent, but the main season is October to end of June. We have a sub-tropical climate in the North and more of a temperate climate in the South. Maximum summer temperatures reach the high 20's celsius and low winter temperatures between 10 and 15 celsius. We tend to recommend against coming for golf in the Spring months of September to November as many of the golf courses undertake greens maintenance at this time.
03
Is it easy to travel around ?
There are a number of options to get around New Zealand including our fully escorted / guided service if required (using the latest Mercedes vehicles including ML Series, Viano and Sprinter models).
However, a large number of clients prefer to self drive, which is also very easy in New Zealand. The main challenge is that we drive on the left side of the road in NZ, and since there are only 4.5 million people living in a country the size of California, the roads are relatively quiet and well constructed between the main centres. Flying domestically is also extremely easy. Check-in times are 30-45 minutes prior to departure as most regional airports are relatively small.
04
How much time do we need in New Zealand ?
New Zealand has two main Island's, North and South. We strongly recommend at least 1 week per Island as a bare minimum. And the recommendation really is to see both Islands if you can. If you can stretch to 3 weeks for your total trip, that is an ideal duration. If you only have a week to 10 days, we suggest your first experience of New Zealand should take in the North Island for its incredible golf and/or fishing and then you'll love it so much you'll be planning to come back to experience the South Island !
05
How much is my holiday in New Zealand going to cost ?
There is a huge range of accommodation options available. Bed & Breakfast hosted farmhouses cost from $100 per night, and you can stretch out to the uber luxury lodges at $1000+ per night. The lodges are usually fully inclusive of dinner / breakfast and you have use of all the exceptional lodge facilities. Whatever your budget and expectation, we can match an itinerary to your individual requirements.
Rounds of golf come in at $50+ for a local members course (we have some cracker off the beaten track courses we send clients too if they wish) and up to $500+ at one of the Top 100 golf courses, including Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers.
For fishing guides, a guide costs between $700 and $800 a day which includes all hire of fishing gear, lunch and access to his private spots !
06
Where is the best fishing in New Zealand ?
There is such a huge range of fishing in New Zealand. Brown Trout are more prominant in the South Island rivers and the steely Rainbows are prevelant in the North Island rivers and lakes. However some rivers in the North Island such as the Whirinaki, hold some of the strongest pound-for-pound brown trout that you will come across. For some incredible excitement, we tend to place the dry-fly enthusiasts in the North Island back country rivers where the trout feed on terrestrial bugs that grow the size of mice (and include mice!)
We encourage a full catch-and-release program. Trout up to the size of 15lb are possible with our clients catching in the average 4-7lb range.
For sea fishing we have some fantastic Marlin fishing off the coast of the North Island, along with Tuna / Mahi-mahi and Bluefin in the South Island.
07
What benefits us if we use Greenfernz to organise our experience of New Zealand ?
Hopefully you now have enough information to assure you that we can add a tremendous amount of knowledge and value to your holiday in New Zealand. As a 10 year veteran of preparing golf and fishing expeditions, we have extensive knowledge in preparing itineraries for single travellers, up to groups of 30 guests. We also rely heavily on having a fantastic network of guides around New Zealand which offer intrinsic value that money can't buy.
We are of course more than happy to put any future clients in contact with any past clients to reach out for testimonial and re-assurance of our ability and effectiveness. Our personal guarantee is that you will leave New Zealand having had one of the most incredible holidays you will ever have in your life ! We have never failed in delivering in this pledge yet !
We look forward to welcoming you !