Discovering the Beauty of New Zealand: A Love Story Who Gets It?

Let’s dive into the overall expenses for two people, offering both budget and luxury options for your reference. It’s important to note that we prioritize comfort and safety over a strict budget. I highly recommend self-driving, and it took me about 2-3 days to fully adapt to right-hand driving.

✈️ **Flights**
Round-trip connecting flights cost around 7.5k, and the domestic flight from the North Island to the South Island was 500, all in economy class.
Total for two people: 16k

🏠 **Accommodation**
For 15 days, the total accommodation cost was about 18k, averaging around 1200 per day. I mostly booked 2-bedroom Airbnb places to ensure both of us could rest well without disturbing each other. Queenstown was the priciest, while other locations were more affordable.

🚗 **Car Rental**
For added safety, we rented SUVs with full insurance on both the North and South Islands. The 15-day car rental cost was approximately 8k.

📒 **Visa**
We applied for New Zealand and Australia visas in advance, costing 2k per person.

🎫 **Tickets**
– Hobbiton Village
– Steamship in Queenstown
– Skyline and go-karting in Queenstown
– Deer Park Heights in Queenstown
– Tram in Christchurch
– Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland

There might be a few activities I can’t recall, but the total was around 700 NZD, which is about 3k.

🍚 **Food and Other**
Meals, coffee, groceries, fruits, and drinks from supermarkets
Total: about 12k

🅿️ **Parking and Fuel**
Approximately 1000-1100 NZD, which is about 5k

⚡️ **Other**
Since I later went to Sydney for three or four days, there were additional costs for the flight from Queenstown to Sydney, accommodation, and other expenses. The total cost of this trip was over 70k.

To be honest, we didn’t really splurge. We skipped expensive activities like glacier helicopter tours. The breathtaking scenery along the way was more than worth every penny. It was a truly soul-cleansing experience. I wish everyone traveling to New Zealand a wonderful time and good vibes.