Chasing spring light from Dunedin Airport over Mid-Autumn
Late September in Otago smells of wet grass and cold salt, and the paddocks around Momona are full of new lambs. One minute the light is silver over the Taieri plains, the next it's gold, and the wind off the harbour can change its mind twice before you reach the car park. Travellers land for the Mid-Autumn Festival, for the albatross at Taiaroa Head, and for the long drive south to the Catlins. Booking your Dunedin Airport car rental before you fly is the best first move, because 14 nights gives you time for the peninsula, the coast and a day trip inland.
GO Rentals is the cheapest supplier here, averaging $1459.50 with a floor of $1043, and Europcar follows at $1775.60. Hertz covers the widest range, from $1522.32 up to $4272.73, so what you pay depends heavily on which car you pick. Compare the small cars across suppliers first, and only pay more if the trip really needs space or four-wheel drive.
Most of the fleet seats five, which suits two couples and their bags, but the seven and eight seaters are scarce, so lock those in early. Spring mornings can be frosty on the Dunedin hills and the Southern Scenic Route is windy, so a hybrid or a 4x4 like the $1967 Ford Wildtrak earns its place if you are heading inland. Leave extra time at the pickup desk, because the queue at the airport gate grows whenever a flight lands.