Two spring weeks out of Auckland: the National Day road trip
Late September and early October is spring at Auckland International Airport: long soft light, showers that blow through in minutes, and lambs in the paddocks once you clear the motorway. The terminal is busy, school holidays are on, and visitors arrive for the National Day break with a fortnight of open road ahead. If you want your Auckland International Airport car rental sorted before you land, plan early for this 26 September to 10 October window. The quotes we pulled run from $588 to $4,383.66, with a median of $1,694.43.
Europcar has the lowest average at $1,515.95 across 18 listings, and GO Rentals has the cheapest single car at $588, with 17 listings between $588 and $3,178. Alamo swings the widest, from $989.92 to $4,383.66, so the car you pick matters as much as the company. Compare the same category across all seven suppliers, because cheapest to dearest is a 7.46 times spread.
Most of the fleet is a five seater, which suits two couples or a small family with a couple of suitcases, but check the boot if you are carrying golf bags or a pram. Spring roads can be wet and winding on the Coromandel and in the central North Island, so a hybrid or compact SUV makes a comfortable fortnight. Book a morning pickup to leave Auckland before the afternoon traffic builds, and you will hit the Southern Motorway in good light.