Spent $28,000 on New Zealand Trip Before Even Leaving 🇳🇿💸
Who? That’s right, it’s me 😭 The accommodations and activities in the picture are basically the total cost for three people over 13 days. Below, I’ll break down the per capita expenses.
1. Pre-trip preparations:
– Visa translation: 400 RMB (I was lazy and had an agency do the translation and stamping; there were too many people at the household registration office, which was a hassle)
– Visa: 1867 RMB (441 NZD, applied after the price increase, not much to say 🥲)
– SIM card: 118 RMB (for 12 days, bought on Taobao before departure, so I could use the internet as soon as the plane landed, avoiding the need to queue up and activate it upon arrival)
– Insurance: 234 RMB (not necessary, but New Zealand doesn’t require it, but I bought it to avoid accidents like car crashes or theft, just for peace of mind)
2. Transportation costs:
– Airfare: 8833 RMB (round trip from Hangzhou to Auckland, with a layover in Guangzhou, booked last July, still expensive 🙃)
– Airfare: 1230 RMB (round trip from Auckland to Christchurch)
– Car rental: 1507 RMB (9 days, picked up and returned in Christchurch, drove a loop, averaging 167 RMB per day, booked with Zuzuche last October)
3. Accommodation costs:
– Accommodation: 7247 RMB (11 nights, mostly homestays, averaging 659 RMB per night. Accommodation is the biggest expense, mainly due to the high costs in Mount Cook and Queenstown, the former for stargazing and the latter for the lake view. I think controlling the per capita cost to this level during the peak season in New Zealand is acceptable)
4. Activity costs:
– Activities: 6696 RMB (including a helicopter glacier hike at Mount Cook for 3229 RMB, skydiving in Queenstown for 2099 RMB, horseback riding in Glenorchy for 1128 RMB, and penguin watching in Dunedin for 240 RMB. No wonder it’s a paradise for outdoor activities, you want to do everything in the summer 😂)
In summary, the per capita cost for the 13-day trip is 28,000 RMB. You can see that the major expenses are airfare, accommodation, and activities. If you go during the off-season, you can save on airfare and accommodation. As for activities, if you don’t participate in expensive ones like glacier hiking and skydiving, you can save 5,000 RMB, but with the mindset of “since we’re here”~
Finally, including the remaining fuel, meals, vehicle insurance, souvenirs, some attraction tickets, and locally bookable activities, the final cost will definitely exceed 30,000 RMB. This does not include the supplies prepared for the trip, such as trekking poles and hiking shoes. New Zealand is really expensive during the peak season 😑
