Golden Week at Dunedin Airport: spring roads, albatross and open Otago
Early October at Momona is crisp and bright, with a cold edge to the morning air and green paddocks full of lambs on the drive in. It's also National Day Golden Week, so the arrivals hall is busier than usual and the rental desks have a queue by mid-morning. Most people land here for the Otago Peninsula, the Catlins and the long road inland to Central Otago, and every one of those trips needs wheels. Book a Dunedin Airport car rental ahead for 1 to 8 October and you can chase the sunshine wherever it turns up.
Europcar is the one to beat, with six listings averaging $545.48 and a low of $483.91. GO Rentals has the widest spread of choice (eight listings from $539 to $1043), and Hertz is where you'll find both a $602.82 bargain and a $2365.11 splurge. Three of the 27 listings came back with no usable price, so refresh before you commit, then pick the cheapest car that still fits your luggage.
Twenty-four of the 27 cars seat five, which suits most couples and small families. The 7 hybrids are handy on the winding Peninsula roads, where fuel stops are few. Spring mornings can be frosty and snow sometimes lingers on the high passes inland, so a 4x4 like the Wildtrak earns its price if you're heading over the Crown Range. Collect your car before the afternoon rush and you'll be on the highway while the light is still long.