Travel Like an OzBargainer in New Zealand (NZ)

sween64 on 02/08/2018 - 20:54

I'm heading to New Zealand on Monday for just under three weeks. I'm wondering if there are any more ways to save money that I haven't already come across. Maybe some fuel or grocery hacks. Or freebie app sign ups for fast food.

We'll be on the South Island in Queenstown, Wanaka, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. We'll be skiing for some of the time and adventuring for the rest. We've already booked car hire & accommodation.

I'm aware of:

I've got a 28 Degrees CC, a CitiBank account and a discounted 2 Degrees SIM.

I've read a little bit about Pakn'Save. Is it like NQR (cheap, discontinued, out of date items) or more like Costco (save when you buy in bulk, also get an engagement ring and a gazebo while you are there) or something else entirely?

Thanks.

Travel

Comments

  • Savas on 02/08/2018 - 21:05
    +5

    just enjoy your holiday, don't worry about fast food.

    • Commander Shepard on 03/08/2018 - 00:32
      +3

      Agreed. Nothing better then traveling to a foreign town/city and walking around and choosing a nice place to eat. Especially dinner! Spend the money!

    • GG57 on 03/08/2018 - 09:21
      +3

      I agree that good food is a mandatory part of travel for me, but I also really like indulging in 'fast food' in different places.
      Street stalls sell some really tasty food around the world.

      In NZ, I always find a local place with fresh fritters (mussel or whitebait), and the fish and chips is usually pretty good. Plenty of fresh mussels and oysters etc., in 'fast food' places. Just assess if it looks to be fresh etc.

      • Love a bargain on 03/08/2018 - 19:55
        +1

        All the fast food places I have been to in NZ (due to lack of other options or time constrain) have been bad.

        • astrotrain on 06/08/2018 - 13:08
          +1

          Fish and Chips though! Gotta do fish and chips. gets some oily garlic butter and paua (abalone) fritters yumm!

  • PR0r on 02/08/2018 - 21:07
    +4

    pacnsave is more like a normal grocery store just a bit bigger, kinda like Bunnings. Nothing is out of date, just a typical supermarket with plenty of specials and of course lots of items that aren't.

    • sween64 on 02/08/2018 - 22:47
      +1

      Considering we are picking up our car at the airport and the Pak n Save is near there is it worth swinging by?

      • PR0r on 03/08/2018 - 07:15
        +1

        I'm not sure about the south island but the north had pac n save shops everywhere. They're basically like Coles, main towns have one.

      • backpaqer on 03/08/2018 - 09:17

        A lot of supermarkets also run petrol stations which, unlike Australia, actually only charge normal supermarket prices in the servo.

      • Solarlux on 03/08/2018 - 09:48
        +1

        I found that as there isn't a'du-opoly'in the grocery trade in NZ that most supermarkets were very competitive and had a good range of brands. You weren't restricted to the top priced brand or a choice of two imported home brands like the big two here are heading to. Don't miss out on the Fijian bananas, I understand why the Aussie banana growers don't want their competition, they were delicious!!!

      • astrotrain on 06/08/2018 - 13:06

        If you consider dropping into Woolies or Aldi a must then yeah sure.

      • sween64 on 06/08/2018 - 19:37
        +1

        Ended up going to Fresh Choice in town. Close by and easy parking.

  • pao2x on 02/08/2018 - 21:11
    +2

    Get an AA card and discounts off fuel. They are free in countdown

    • Taako on 02/08/2018 - 21:42
      +2

      Good tip. Be aware after you get the free card from countdown you need to create an account and register your AA card to be able to redeem your points for fuel (at either caltex or BP). There are instructions how to do it on the card. It's worth the hassle though, we shopped at countdown twice and then filled up with fuel and saved 18c per litre which was about $9.

      As a side note, brace yourself for brutal petrol prices. We are in NZ at the moment and prices everywhere are around $2.20-$2.28 per litre.

      • pao2x on 02/08/2018 - 21:54

        Yup and you also get the occassional countdown one card only deals with it. Simple enought to register. Fuel in NZ is very expenisve indeed

    • sween64 on 02/08/2018 - 22:48
      +1

      Ouch spend $100 on a week to get 3c/L off, not sure if we'll meet that target but thanks for the tip. Link.

      • tomleonhart on 03/08/2018 - 03:53
        +1

        or just ask for a mobil card at mobil. 6c off and the card is free

        • sween64 on 03/08/2018 - 08:26
          +2

          Mobil Smiles which is seperate to the Mobil Card used to pubfor fleet fuel. Link. Thanks.

        • jonnochen on 03/08/2018 - 19:49
          +1

          @sween64: need to register it online to get maximal benefit. For a short stay this is your best bet. AA Smartfuel can be good longer term however. Paknsave is cheapest for supies. However, produce is often cheaper from fruit and veg stores, of better quality.

        • sween64 on 03/08/2018 - 20:44
          +1

          @jonnochen: Sorry, is "supies" short for supplies?

        • jonnochen on 07/08/2018 - 20:04
          +1

          @sween64: Sorry, supermarkets.

  • Ughhh on 02/08/2018 - 21:21
    +1

    Broccoli is like $4 each in Queenstown…so avoid broccoli.

  • coxjon on 02/08/2018 - 21:32
    +1

    Try only ONE Fergburger in Queenstown instead of every meal :)

    • sween64 on 02/08/2018 - 22:49

      Can you stop at one?

      • coxjon on 03/08/2018 - 08:14
        +1

        My wife and I could not

    • shortblack9 on 03/08/2018 - 15:44

      Honestly wasn't impressed. I had better in other parts of the South Island.

      • sween64 on 03/08/2018 - 17:05
        +1

        Where?!?

        • Taako on 06/08/2018 - 11:04
          +1

          I upvoted your comment because I also wanted to know, as I am currently in the South Island and hunting for good burgs. But I may have found a contender.

          We went to Bacon Bros in Christchurch last night and I would say they were at least on par with Fergburger, if not better. I got the Shane (Pure Angus Beef, Bacon, Hash Brown, Cheese, Egg, Sausage, Chorizo). It was a protein overload but it was so good and there were heaps of options on the menu (https://baconbrothers.co.nz/menu/).

          Just thought I'd share in case anyone else was looking for good burgers in NZ.

  • Taako on 02/08/2018 - 21:44
    +4

    If you go to Cookie Time in Queenstown, you can get buy one get one free cookies between 6pm-7pm (normally $4 each).

    • ady211 on 06/08/2018 - 11:08

      And $1 coffee before 8.30 AM.

  • mangoss on 02/08/2018 - 22:23

    Is there a NZ version of the Entertainment Book? Might help out a bit.

    • Limitless on 03/08/2018 - 00:12
      +2

      Yes and you can even get a travel version for $30 for a month

  • sween64 on 02/08/2018 - 22:49
    +1

    Thanks for all the tips so far!!

    • doweyy on 02/08/2018 - 22:49
      +1

      This is so helpful for me, I'm doing the same in September, thanks for posting Sween :)

      • sween64 on 03/08/2018 - 08:27
        +1

        Are you also going skiing?

        • doweyy on 03/08/2018 - 09:27
          +1

          Yep :) Probably at Cardrona, seems a bit expensive but definitely worthwhile I reckon!

        • sween64 on 03/08/2018 - 17:06
          +2

          @doweyy: Cardrona is a great beginner/intermediate mountain. Also has a fun park. It's got more money.

          Treble cone is more intermediate/advance and focused on skiers. It's got less money and less facilities.

          *Went to both mountains three years ago.
          **Treble Cone is accessible from Wanaka.

  • Commander Shepard on 03/08/2018 - 00:41
    +3

    Amazing food in NZ. (Best Parmi I have ever had at Mackenzies in Tekapo). If you can afford it, go out for dinner most nights. And maybe cheap out on lunch. Ozbargain for hotels, flights, car hire. Then spend the savings on food/activities/experiences.

  • tomleonhart on 03/08/2018 - 03:53

    OP make sure you try out Ferg burger in Queenstown.

    • Austin 316 on 03/08/2018 - 09:22

      Yeah. Very popular. You might need to queue for an hour.

      • Taako on 03/08/2018 - 17:53
        +1

        Yep there is always a queue, but you can also phone ahead and place your order. We would call when we got in the car after skiing and asked for it to be ready in about 45 minutes and we didn't have to wait when we got there.

  • bobbified on 03/08/2018 - 08:57

    https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/177972/ind…

    A few of these will save you plenty.

  • Austin 316 on 03/08/2018 - 09:21
    +2

    Buy a digital holiday version entertainment book for $30. Will come in very handy. Also, PacnSave are very rare in South Island (I have just made the trip in last November) so make sure you stock up whenever you see one.

    It's cheap for milk and bread as well. Most of the grocery items are very very costly compared to here in Oz. Fuel in South Island is also almost twice the price we pay here. North Island is a bit more like us in terms of all fuel and groceries.

  • GG57 on 03/08/2018 - 09:27

    Not sure of the savings, but there will be some, in taking your empty beer bottles and refilling them. Pretty common all across NZ.

  • tims on 03/08/2018 - 09:27
    +2

    For fuel, go to Mckeown's which run a network of 24/7 CardFuel sites NZ wide. Diesel is heavily discounted at around 30 cents cheaper per litre than service stations, petrol not so much.
    www.mckeown.co.nz/locations.aspx

    www.bookme.co.nz offer discounts on activity and dining deals on set dates so pays to book ahead to get the best ones.

    www.grabone.co.nz also good for dining,activity etc deals NZ wide

    • sween64 on 03/08/2018 - 17:14

      The only McKeown I'll come across is in Wanaka but I'll check it out. Thanks.

  • sal78 on 03/08/2018 - 14:50
    +2

    www.bookme.co.nz and try booking from websites as a lot of place have special online deals. Get the Arrivals app or pick up a copy of mag at airport. Lots of discount vouchers.

    For 3 weeks, if you book apartment/house you could cook some evenings and eat out other evenings to save costs.

  • Geoff897 on 03/08/2018 - 17:45
    +1

    Rent/air bnb your place out while you are away :) that should be the ozbargain way.

  • tunzafun001 on 07/08/2018 - 19:24
    +1

    Use petrol spy for potentially 30c per litre discounts at the unmanned petrol stations.
    Hire/ relocate a car or rv from Jucy and ski at Treble Cone for free. No brainer. follow choice cheapies website..should look very familiar!

  • jonnochen on 07/08/2018 - 20:04

    Oh yeah forgot, use the app "Gaspy" for uptodate cheap petrol prices.

  • exc3113nce on 06/09/2018 - 11:56

    Is it worth getting a 2 degrees card if you are with ING? Considering that they waive all international fees and you get VISA rates.

    • sween64 on 06/09/2018 - 15:14

      Credit card vs debit card. Why not both?

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