TOP TRAVEL MISTAKES in New Zealand!

[@Andy_M986]

Teh Are Know,proper pronunciation, but you're doing okay, carry on.😊

[@donovankelly12]

Ah thank you! I figured I’d be a little of on that one.

[@pixelgraphica]

Thanks for the honest input! Very useful!

[@donovankelly12]

Glad I could help 😃

[@nickm6578]

I'm stoked you spent some time in my hometown of Māpua 🙂 Hope you enjoyed your time there (especially at the wharf)! Great video by the way. Both Google reviews and maps are spot on... I've learned both those things as a local. Here we very much just assume cars won't stop, look for a gap and run across. Had cars stop for us in Canada which was kinda nice, but it did feel a little unsafe them just stopping randomly in the middle of the road haha. I did love it though! Keep up the good work!!

[@donovankelly12]

Yeah we’ve had a few great evening out there, love the live music at Golden Bear Brewing! I’ll definitely feature Māpua in another video, it’s just so darn beautiful. Glad to hear your thoughts!! I could see your angle to it for sure, I just find it’s hard driving forward when people are waiting to cross the road haha maybe there’s more crosswalks in Canada? I don’t know. Thank you very much!! 😃🍻

[@PS-Straya_M8]

For a small country New Zealand is a land of extreme contrasts, from the subtropical north to glaciers in the south literally something for everyone!

[@donovankelly12]

Very true!!

[@baileyscoolgamingvideos6039]

Great video its interesting to see what people say like travel tips kept up the great work

[@donovankelly12]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@carrier411]

NZ is pretty old school - early closing times, very few 24 hour shops - maybe in Auckland and McDonalds in some places. Local knowledge is the best knowledge. I enjoy your videos.

[@brittanymorgan09]

This turned out so great, some awesome tips in here! Im actually going to miss that vehicles have the right of way. Too many times I've almost hit someone in Canada because pedestrians don't even look, they just walk out into the street lol. It's safer as a pedestrian walking around too, you've always got to be well aware of your surroundings before you cross. Along with butchers, I wish we were buying produce from farmers markets right away too - so much cheaper!

[@carrier411]

skip Palmerston North lol. it's a charmless dump. crap weather. And I live in Napier, Hawke's Bay. the art deco architecture here has to be seen. don't forget our Art Deco festival every February - where it feels like the whole city dresses up in 1930s clothing and has a good time!!!

[@blockhouseboy]

Omg i know that scary road going to Russell. It waa soooo scary so we turned back doing a dangerous u turn and thought we were going to fall off the cliff as the road was just gravel and it felt like we were driving away from Russell. The next day we drove on the car ferry which was easier.....

[@donovankelly12]

Haha much easier AND faster too 😂

[@carrier411]

are you in Mapua filming this? i love that place. spent 2 weeks housesitting there in January. loved it.

[@CreedBrattonTheOffice]

It's what the law is. Only Zebra crossings do pedestrians have right of way. Obviously except for any controlled crossings like traffic lights. Watch out for those "courtesy crossings" which are usually raised like speed humps and by things like roundabouts. You don't have right of way as pedestrian BUT the car can choose to give way to you. They're incredibly stupid and dangerous. I've seen way more near misses since those things came about than beforehand because some pedestrians just walk on out thinking the car will stop. A lot will, but many won't.

[@donovankelly12]

Yeah thanks for this comment, I totally agree. I’ve found it’s pretty important to make eye contact with the driver before crossing, and making sure you know which seat the driver is in lol I kept looking at the passengers in Auckland and wondered why they were starting off into the distance…

[@CreedBrattonTheOffice]

🤣🤣@@donovankelly12

[@Mcfreddo]

Oh I absolutely agree with you. I hate them. And if you're driving and give way to another, but they are legally obliged to do the give-away and there's an accident, you'll be at fault.

[@CreedBrattonTheOffice]

@@Mcfreddo Yeah they are so much worse than before. I got rear ended about 6 months ago because of this. I waited to go in the roundabout but the people in it came to a stop because one of them exiting stopped to let the pedestrian across so they backed up. I saw it in time and stopped but the lady behind me didn't. One new bumper later I now have front AND rear dash cam lol (just had front before).

[@dmwallacenz]

Actually, this is wrong. If the car came from around the corner, the pedestrian has the right of way. The New Zealand Road Code says that traffic coming around a corner must give way to pedestrians if they're crossing legally. Unfortunately, many New Zealand drivers either don't know this, or deliberately break this particular law.

[@andrewmason4040]

Welcome to Mapua 🙂 you walked right past my house. The bakery is really good as you say, it's just changed hands so glad it was still good for you. Glad you are enjoying NZ and Nelson - definitely the best place to live weather wise. i reckon you are making an excellent job of living here, i made all the same mistakes when i arrived 10 years ago. Safe and enjoyable travels - great videos, refelction in your glasses made me giggle 🙂

[@donovankelly12]

Thank you! Yeah bakery there was great. Haha that’s good to hear, it feels like there’s a good amount of mistakes to make before it all starts coming together but it’s pretty great when it does! Thank you so much for the support, maybe we will see you at Golden Bear Brewing one evening 🍻

[@jamesbarker3620]

I have championed the bakery pie over the petrol station for ever, ps pies are an abomination.

[@runforrestrun1965]

Fair comments mate. Hope you’re both enjoying your stay, great to have you both here. Never buy from Briscoes until there’s a sale on for what you want. Much better value then, and frankly they have good discounts virtually every two weeks. Mistake most make is allowing 2-3 months in oz or more, yet just 2-3 weeks in NZ! I met a lovely couple of Canadians travelling in the USA who told me they wished they stayed in NZ longer and less in oz, which surprised me, but said they just looked on the globe and maps and figured as oz was so big it would be better to allow more time. They said the tourist spots were good but on the highways it took ages to get from a-b with little in between and I guess because since it’s more populated they felt more of a US influence there. Felt that NZ was easier to pack in more and travel around.

[@donovankelly12]

Thanks a lot! Really enjoying our stay 👍 Yeah honestly Australia looks like an absolute beast to tackle haha there’s a good amount to see over a really big space so we figured if we spent a year or more in NZ we might actually see the majority of the country. We haven’t quite seen everything, missed a lot on the North Island. But that’s alright, can always come back. Thanks a lot for the comment! 🍻

[@PaulSmith-bb7lv]

Lol. Welcome to Auckland. City of no manners.

[@donovankelly12]

Kinda felt like that haha

[@cheetaih]

Kmart has a better quality than Briscoes...

[@danielanderson9118]

Twizel are has some of the largest wild salmon and trout in the world.

[@donovankelly12]

Yeah lots of people fishing there last time we were down, gonna have to try some on our next trip!

[@GenjiPrime]

@mistake 13, the reason why we don't stop on those "pedestrian walkways" is that it's because in the road code, car only supposed to give way to pedestrian when they're crossing on the zebra crossing and at the traffic light.

[@donovankelly12]

Yeah for sure, makes sense! Just takes a bit of getting used to lol

[@greggiles7309]

North Island is better in February and March, the top Summer months when the Spawn are back at school. Raglan Beach for Surfing experience, Hot water Beach is near by, and Waitomo caves

[@MarkMcLT]

Except years when we're having a drought.

[@greggiles7309]

@@MarkMcLT i regret not learning to surf at Raglan beach, where i got made,. Are the Elvis movies chick flicks?

[@slamtilt01]

Also, most drivers treat the speed limit as the minimum speed you should be traveling at instead of the maximum speed. You can walk cross any road except for motorways. But you have to wait for a break in the traffic, don't expect drivers to stop, so you can walk across. There's an old video game called frogger which is about this. I think 🤔 the designers might of the game might have been inspired after a New Zealand holiday.

[@donovankelly12]

Haha frogger, wow. That might be the best visual explanation I’ve heard so far!!

[@phillipegen8471]

I cant remember if u guys came over to the coromandel peninsula. It's pretty nice. The roads are not the best but it's a great place we call home. Worth the trip

[@donovankelly12]

We did! Interesting drive over to Cathedral Cove, unfortunately the trail was closed but we kayaked out and got to see it from a far. Wish we spent more time there, super beautiful 🍻

[@Feltiohane90]

Lol that’s right, when I was in Canada, crossing the road was so much easier as they (cars) stopped for you to cross even without the zebra crossing. Here in Aotearoa, cars first and pedestrians 2nd on an open road.

[@donovankelly12]

Yep! Haha and I assumed it would be similar here. No big deal, just wish I knew earlier!

[@carlystevenson950]

My theory is one of survival in Canada - pedestrians deserve the right of way over vehicles because in some places you might actually freeze up if you had to wait for traffic to pass. Then slip on ice as you tried to dart across before the next car showed. So it’s a matter of survival and safety really! Otherwise - and with better weather - I think Canada would be just the same as NZ.

[@donovankelly12]

@@carlystevenson950 that’s my theory too! You can’t keep driving when people are walking outside in -30, they need the right of way!

[@GeoffBurns-zu3xz]

Can you please tell our government to hurry up & legalize recreational cannabis

[@donovankelly12]

I’ve sent them a formal email.

[@runforrestrun1965]

Do not trust the map apps! Esp google and apples. In my area they both tell you to go into a river. We have to tell people to ignore them and simply follow road signage. I even had one tell me a road continued but it ended at some guys house down a long gravel drive lol.

[@Grizzleburrr]

no one is the history of planet earth has ever said the south island roads are crap compared to the north island. that is literal blasphemy

[@donovankelly12]

Haha yeah there were a good 5 - 10 different people who have told us that

[@johanmeischke9189]

Hint when using maori placenames exentuate the vowels eg mar poo a = mapua

[@donovankelly12]

Thanks!

[@ginganutjob]

You haven't had a summer here yet, the ozone thing is true. The Antarctic hole is thinnest and at its greatest extent over summer and autumn. This combined with Earth being closest to the sun then and the angle of the earth in summer with our latitude means the sun is incredibly harsh here.

[@macdac9861]

It’s got nothing to do with the ozone layer, it mostly repaired itself years ago

[@ginganutjob]

@@macdac9861 it's starting to repair, it's nowhere near that yet. Currently projected to be repaired by 2045

[@carlystevenson950]

They haven’t had a summer here yet? If true then yeah they’ll be surprised. Slip slap slop guys!! All I have to say

[@snoopy13946]

Nope you’re dead wrong. The ozone hole does not extend north enough to affect NZ. This is a myth that keeps getting perpetuated even by educated folk. The cause of the higher UV is mostly due to the clear atmosphere in the southern hemisphere and lack of pollutants and aerosols relative to the the same latitudes in the northern hemisphere.

[@Andy_M986]

A lot of Gas stations pies are damn good though,i think you just had a bad choice that time.

[@donovankelly12]

Yeah I’ve met one or two that swear by them haha I think Z and BP had some above average ones here and there. I know Brittany got a pretty bad one in Greymouth at a gas station that was in the same building as bakery so that was pretty funny 🍻😃

[@jimjim2822]

Great video - thanks. Your last comment is spot on… cross ONLY at the designated crosswalks AND look both ways before you cross. We Canadians are used to left hand drive and also pedestrians have the right of way… NOPE… it ain’t so !! Thanks again.

[@donovankelly12]

Thanks a lot! Haha it’s so true. Definitely a change from Canada. Thanks for watching! 🍻

[@mattieclan8957]

Try FirstTable for eateries and restaurants

[@donovankelly12]

Thank you!!🙏

[@mattieclan8957]

@@donovankelly12 50% discount for food but min 2 diners, max 4 diners. The FAQ will explain how it all works. Each restaurants has its own special conditions.

[@Mcfreddo]

We've all been trapped by all of those map things. Google had me leave the western expressway leaving Auckland to then go through the old road through south Auckland. I got back on the motorway but it wasn't easy to turn around on busy suburban roads. It really shitted me.

[@donovankelly12]

Ahhh yeah that’s a good example. I feel like we’ve had a few just like that where you’re saying “What the F*#$” google maps????”

[@renatamortazavi2450]

Ha, ha, ha...such a fun video and you are so funny and you are sooo good Donovan reporting. Great information. 👍👏 We are saving this video for our future trip to NZ.🌼

[@donovankelly12]

So glad you enjoyed!! 😃 make sure to take everything with a grain of salt 🍻

[@carlystevenson950]

Yeah my kiwi partner said Dunedin wasn’t worth the trip but I really enjoyed it, maybe these guys just need a Canadian perspective eh

[@donovankelly12]

Haha just need a Canadian perspective eh. Nice. Yeah I feel like a lot of people in Auckland were so confused that we booked flights to go there for a weekend lol

[@The_Absolute_Dog]

Cars will only slow down and let you cross if there's a marked pedestrian crossing. If you don't see the white stripes. then wait for a gap

[@donovankelly12]

Yeah that’s definitely the simplest and most effective way of putting it haha well done 👍 🍻

[@michaelheliotis5279]

The South Island has the best of what NZ has to offer, the North Island has the bulk of what NZ has to offer. People definitely make the mistake of thinking, often on the advice of others, that because the South Island is the most breath-taking place on Earth, you need to spend the most time there, when in reality you can see much of what it has to offer in a relatively short space of time-assuming you're lucky enough for Milford Sound to actually be open when you visit. 😂

[@donovankelly12]

Really great way to put it! Nicely done 🍻

[@Puddlejumper]

Taranaki is beautiful and one of my favourite places on the planet.

[@donovankelly12]

Can’t wait to see it!!

[@trudimclaren4301]

Oh nooow I understand why Alex kept terrifying me by pulling me out into traffic in Canada. I had no idea that pedestrians could just cross the road and expect traffic to stop! 😂 Thanks for the great video (and the 'aha!' moment!)

[@donovankelly12]

Haha yeah I didn’t think we walk out into traffic lol but people are so much more inclined to stop if someone is waiting on the side of the road. I feel SO WEIRD driving through a school zone and having all of these kids lined up to cross and I have to keep going. I am still not used to it lol

[@nuntius1933]

@@donovankelly12- pedestrians walking with scarcely a glance into moving traffic is definitely an ingrained habit in Britain but I would have expected Canada to be more like the USA and for that matter, NZ.

[@alexcuthbert820]

😂😂😂. Handy hint #73. If you going to mention a place name in NZ or make a video of it, ask a local how to pronounce it, we’re only to happy to help you pronounce it correctly. You made some good attempts, but man did a couple make me laugh 😊

[@donovankelly12]

Guess I should take my own advice then, ask the locals! Thanks for watching 😃🍻

[@MarkMcLT]

Nah, mispronoucing is a great way to trigger uptight locals. Endless fun.

[@aecnz]

@@MarkMcLT. I don’t know why a few get uptight, I reckon it’s just great that they attempt it to start with 😂

[@TheShadsWolf]

I'm alive again. How's the November heat waves 😂

[@donovankelly12]

Welcome back! Haha it's getting hot!!

[@johanmeischke9189]

Well im biased since i was born there but ive often thought that the most convenient place to use as a hub for the nth island is hamilton which is basically an hr away from most tourist attractions

[@donovankelly12]

That’s a good point! We quite liked Hamilton actually, no complaints from us! Great gardens there too

[@jeannibarber1799]

I live in the Coromandel and if I visit a city for whatever reason Id far rather Hamilton than Auckland

[@jasminechristina_]

Great video per usual, Donna! Miss you guys!

[@donovankelly12]

Thank you so much, Jas!! Miss you too 😃 we’ll have to chat soon 🍻

[@johanmeischke9189]

Re jumper leads I suggest using the big red barn aka The Warehouse😊

[@donovankelly12]

Haha yeah that or Super Cheap

[@AlexWithington]

Don't get the basic ones tho go for the heavier ones. Have learnt this lesson a few times but if you can pick up some truck ones as the thicker cable offer less electrical resistance

[@ClassyCharity]

Very helpful! Thanks y'all!!

[@donovankelly12]

Glad it was helpful!!

[@Jameziamz]

Well done mate, another great video. 🍻

[@donovankelly12]

Thanks 👍

[@newtrimene8927]

Te Anau - Te Are know

[@donovankelly12]

Thanks!

[@MrAdamred]

Dunedin is the best

[@parkiwi4787]

Make your own opinions based on experiences. There's never nothing to do anywhere in New Zealand.

[@donovankelly12]

Extremely well said!! 👍