New Zealand Discounts

In planning a 1989 visit to New Zealand, consider several discount possibilities for air and land transportation.

Air New Zealand has introduced a Freedom Pass offering a combination of flights on its carriers and Mt. Cook Lines, as well as bus travel on the latter company.

Based on the current rate of exchange, a four-coupon booklet costs about $245 U.S., while six coupons are $341.

Each coupon is good for one flight or bus ride. You have to fly to New Zealand on Air New Zealand and buy the pass in the United States.

Flights for a Month

Mt. Cook Lines also offers a Kiwi Air Pass for $489 that provides unlimited flights for a month. If you fly United to New Zealand on any revenue fare, you can get the Kiwi Air Pass for about $409 until Sept. 30, 1989.

Ansett New Zealand has a New Zealand Airpass for about $300. It offers four flights within 60 days. You have to fly to New Zealand on a round-trip excursion fare, but on any airline.

The New Zealand Travel Pass allows unlimited rail, coach and ferry rides on the InterCity network, plus some other lines where InterCity doesn’t operate. An eight-day pass costs $160, 15 days is $205 and 22 days goes for $255.

The Kiwi Coach Pass, offered by Mt. Cook, provides unlimited bus travel for 7 days for $159, 10 days $195, 15 days $259 and 25 days $375.

A Down Under Coach Pass, under the auspices of Mt. Cook (it can also be applied to Australia), permits unlimited coach travel for 9, 12, 18, 24, 32 or 45 days, with prices from $165 for nine days to $529 for 45 days.

Special transportation passes are also available in two of the country’s major cities, Auckland and the capital of Wellington.

In Auckland the Explorer All Day bus pass, for $5 N.Z., lets you visit the city’s major attractions: Victoria Park Market, Microworld of Inner Space, Mission Bay Beach, Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World, the Auckland Museum and Parnell Village.

You can stop when you wish, and then pick up the next double-decker bus. Another possibility is a Busabout one-day pass for $5.50 N.Z., which allows you to get around to other places. Since Auckland is fairly spread out, the Explorer Pass is best if you have only a limited amount of time.

Wellington has a trio of discount tickets. The Downtowner offers five rides for $2.20, the Daytripper allows unlimited travel on buses as well as a cable car to Kelburn Summit for $5.50, and a Day Rover for $12 provides unlimited travel on buses, cable cars and suburban trains and buses.

If shopping is your major interest, try the Downtowner. To see more of the city, use the Daytripper.

For more information, contact your travel agent or Air New Zealand toll-free at (800) 262-1234; Mt. Cook Lines, (800) 468-2665; Ansett New Zealand, (800) 366-1300, or the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Office, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1530, Los Angeles 90024; (213) 477-8241.