Ring in the New Year on the road: Dunedin Airport summer wheels
Late December at Dunedin Airport smells of cut grass and sea air, and the light lingers well past nine at night. The Otago Peninsula is green, the beaches south of the city are there for a swim if you are brave, and half the country seems to be heading somewhere for the long holiday week. You land on 31 December, the arrivals hall fills with bags and hellos, and the rental desks get busy fast. A Dunedin Airport car rental turns the week from 31 December to 7 January into a proper road trip, whether you are chasing the Catlins, Central Otago or just the harbour loop.
Across 28 listings the median sits at $1,570, but prices run from $1,127 to $2,342, nearly double. GO Rentals owns the bargain end with eight listings averaging $1,399, so cheap rental cars at Dunedin Airport do exist if you look at them first. Ezi's RAV4 hybrid at $1,151 is the sharpest deal if you want room and all-wheel drive, so compare before you click book.
Most of the fleet runs on petrol, but seven hybrids will stretch a tank nicely on the long Southern Scenic Route days. Nearly everything seats five, which suits two couples with luggage, though a group of seven or more should lock in one of the three larger vehicles early. Summer roads around Dunedin are mostly dry, but the Catlins have gravel stretches and Central Otago corners are tighter than they look, so all-wheel drive is a comfort rather than a must. Holiday week is busy, so pick up soon after landing and walk around the car in daylight before you leave the car park.