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|country = of New Zealand
|map= <map lat="-41.045886836287" lng="174.13183593748" zoom="5" view="0" float="right" />
|language Official Language = English and Te Reo (Maorilanguage)
|capital = [[Wellington]]
|pop = 4,403,000
[[File:Elsa amylin kiwi experience.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Elsa and [[User:Amylin|Amylin]] hitching the Kiwi experience]]
'''New Zealand''' is a reasonably okay an extremely easy country for hitchhiking. There are a lot of friendly people, and hitching is legal and comparatively safe. By hitching you'll be involved a lot in the local life. You'll have invitations to parties, homes. Cars drive on the left side, so be careful if you're not experienced with that.
At least in high and shoulder season, hitchhiking is very popular among backpackers travelling around New Zealand, especially in the South Island. Leave early before hostel checkout times (usually 10pm) and you have better chances to avoid competition situations among hitchhikers.
== In General ==
Another awesome place to travel, [[WWOOF]] and hitch. Not as many long distance rides as in the Australian [[Outback]], because towns are quite close from each other, but on the other hand not as "dangerous" to hitchhike ;). Because towns are pretty small seen the amount of people in New Zealand some roads are really not busy. You might wait a nice little while.
=== North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui ===
A bit smaller than the South Island, although much more populated: 3,5 million out of New Zealand's 4,5 million inhabitants. This island is a bit less touristic, but cities are bigger.Hitching is easy.
=== South Island or Te Waipounamu ===
The South Island is bigger but less populated, only 1 million, and is the most touristic so you will often be picked up by travelers, especially along the West Coast where there isn't a lot of local traffic. Hitching is extremely easy.
The 3-4 hour ferry costs around NZ$50 - Interislander and Bluebridge have almost identical pricing. Since car bookings also incur a fee per person about the same as per foot passenger, cars won't be able to take you on, and grouping together wouldn't help either. You may get lucky and find a special discount on their Facebook page (or subscribe to their newsletters for a promo code), and there's always the usual 10% BBH/YHA/Student/...
Planes are more expensive with booking fees and luggage. But some very cheap prices come up on grabaseat as little as $30 frim Auckland to Christchurch! You literally can't hitch there for that.
[[Hitchhiking a boat]] would not be a simple task, the passage is not an easy one.
