New Zealand’s serene shores rank second in the Global Peace Index’s list of the world’s safest countries, just behind Iceland. We think it’s no coincidence we’re both stunning countries whose sheep population significantly outnumbers the human population…
We might be a long plane ride from… well anywhere, but you won’t find too many other destinations as safe, or awesome, as New Zealand. With this crazy world we’re living in, you might still be wondering how safe it is to travel New Zealand. We’ve got a few tips and ideas to make sure New Zealand becomes your travel happy-place, read on and rest assured. Travel alone, jump on our bus, jump off planes and bridges with your new buddies, then lap up some of the lushest nature around. Just don’t forget to pack your common sense.
SOLO TRAVEL
Set foot on the Kiwi Experience bus and you’ll realise you’re not the only one who thinks travelling to the other corner of the globe by themselves is a good idea. You may arrive alone but once on the big green bus, you will soon find a bunch of like-minded individuals, meaning you’re never short of someone to head out exploring with. Aside from an instant travel-crew, Kiwi Experience also means you’re in the safe hands of the choicest locals around, aka our Driver Guides. Our country is both their office and playground, and there are few people that know it better than they do. In between making sure you see all the best spots, they’ll dish out top tips on what to do with the rest of your days (and nights).
THE CULTURE
A peaceful, multicultural society, Kiwi’s a diverse and tolerant bunch. Whether you’re travelling solo or with others, you shouldn’t face any hassles. We want you to love our country as much as we do, so ask away if you need any tips or advice. Also if you’re wondering about traveller scams and the security situation in New Zealand - Credit card fraud is a rarity and gun ownership laws are very strict so incidents are few and far between. What about going out at night? We’d go as far as saying your nights out are generally a whole lot safer in New Zealand, given that you’re often going to be in towns of population 2000-3000. Standard safety precautions still apply - leaving your phone, wallet, passport (and anything else that might be difficult to live without) unattended is never a good idea. If you’re wondering how a night out shapes up on the overnight Kiwi Experience stops, a lot of the time it will probably involve you and the rest of the bus taking over the local pub or hostel bar. Best of all these will probably be some of your most memorable nights - as anyone who’s experienced our legendary “Poo Pub” party in Lake Mahinapua can confirm.
ADVENTURE CAPITAL
If the people and places are ticking all your safety boxes, but the thought of free-falling and jumping from big heights leaves you shaky, New Zealand’s solid safety record will calm those jitters. Safety regulations for all adventure activities are strict. The activity operators we work with are the best of the best. Behind all the banter and ridiculous jokes you’ll encounter, you can be 100% sure that they know what they’re doing - getting you all the thrills without any spills.
NATURE AND ANIMALS
If you shuddered at the 100,000 creatures that could possibly attack you in Australia, you’ll be happy to know that just across the Tasman Sea we’ve got a total of three poisonous land-dwellers. All three are spiders, two of which originally come from Australia. Chance of crossing paths with these arachnids is slim to none. All the snake-phobes can stroll in peace too, there are zero snakes in New Zealand. In general, if you see an animal in its natural environment it is probably more scared of you than you are of it, in fact, our famous Kiwis birds are some of the shyest creatures out there.
SHAKY GROUND
New Zealand is built on a fault line, making Earthquakes a very real threat. There have been a few shaky moments in the past with the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes in 2011 and 2016. Christchurch’s quake damage is still visible in the centre of the city and has since evolved into one of the city’s key attractions. They’ve also done some cool and quirky things to replace work around the damaged building - check out their container mall and urban art around the city. Kaikoura is one of the most unique coastal, mountain-fringed, whale watching towns around.
