Spring on the Canterbury Plains: Christchurch Airport wheels for the Mid-Autumn break
Step out of Christchurch Airport in late September and the air smells of wet grass and cold snowmelt, with fresh white along the Southern Alps on the western horizon. The spring light is sharp, the lambs are out in the paddocks, and the Mid-Autumn Festival brings families in for ten nights on the road. The queue at the rental desk moves faster if you've booked ahead, and a Christchurch Airport hire car is the easiest way to reach Akaroa, Hanmer Springs or the road over to Arthur's Pass. We found 42 listings for 26 September to 6 October, though 11 of them showed no price, so assume those are sold out.
Sixt leads on price at $939.55 for a Corolla Hybrid, with Europcar's mystery car at $991.07 and GO Rentals' Yaris Hybrid at $990 sitting right beside it. Hertz at $3255.75 and Ezi at $2861.75 ask far more for a single car, and the median across all quotes is $1630. Compare the cheapest car in the size you really need, then book early, because the low prices vanish first over a holiday stretch.
Most of the fleet seats five, which suits a couple or a small family with a few suitcases, and hybrids are the easy pick for long highway days. If you plan to chase snow near Arthur's Pass or head up gravel roads, a four-wheel drive like the Pajero Sport ($1710) or the Prado ($2861.75) earns its extra cost. Collect your car in daylight if you can. Early spring mornings can be frosty on the plains, and that first stretch out of the airport is easier when you can see the road.