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Recent research reveals the perfect summer road trip involves detouring to small towns, visiting iconic Kiwi landmarks and the voices of Hillary Barry and Taika Waititi.
It also found that almost eight in 10 (78 per cent) Kiwis who are planning a road trip this year will go for less than a week.
Two studies were commissioned by Avis New Zealand, and conducted by YouGov Research, to identify the key components of an ideal road trip – from preferred passengers to must-visit destinations.
Among the most popular scenic destinations were rivers and lakes (48 per cent), white sand beaches (45 per cent), small towns (41 per cent), and vineyards (23 per cent).
In terms of locations, almost half (48 per cent) want to visit iconic Kiwi landmarks, such as Moeraki Boulders, Cathedral Cove and Huka Falls, while nearly three in 10 (28 per cent) would like to see quirky tourist attractions like the giant carrot in Ohakune.
When asked about the travel trends they are most interested in, Kiwis identified connecting with the natural beauty of New Zealand (47 per cent) followed by supporting local travel businesses (31 per cent).
More than one in four (27 per cent) also indicated they are most likely to undertake personally fulfilling trips focusing on wellness and personal growth this year.
Hilary Barry (29 per cent) took out top spot for the preferred Kiwi celebrity to take on a road trip narrowly edging out Taika Waititi (25 per cent), Chloe Swarbrick (13 per cent), Rose Matafeo (12 per cent), Bene (9 per cent), Josh Emett (8 per cent) with Sam Cane and Israel Adesanya both receiving 10 per cent of votes.
Often the most beautiful spots and hidden gems in New Zealand are found by taking a short diversion off the main road.
“With nearly half of Kiwis looking for a road trip that takes in views of our magnificent waterways, a great option is to hire a car in Queenstown and drive to Milford along the Piopiotahi Highway. It’s one of the most breathtaking scenic drives in the country,” says Avis New Zealand general manager Bryn McGoldrick.
It also emerged that more than half a million Kiwis (618,000) are looking for personalised itineraries from car rental companies to help prioritise attractions, activities, and places to stay according to preferences.
“We know our customers want relevant offers and personalised information, so we’re constantly looking at ways to make their experience better, more seamless and more rewarding,” Bryn says. “Our website contains so much information on places to go and things to do all over Aotearoa and is always being updated.”
