Two weeks of Otago summer light and the Dunedin Airport keys in your hand
Mid February in Dunedin brings long golden evenings that run past nine, a sea breeze drifting in off the Taieri plain, and the occasional cold southerly that has everyone digging for a jacket. The Spring Festival fortnight from 7 to 21 February sends families and groups straight from the plane at Momona, already eyeing the Otago Peninsula, Tunnel Beach and the Catlins. A Dunedin Airport car rental turns that wish list into an actual itinerary, because the peninsula albatross colony, the Moeraki boulders and the Central Otago vineyards all sit well off any bus route. Across 30 listings for these 14 nights, expect to pay somewhere between $2,062 and $4,829.
Start with GO Rentals. All 8 of its listings average $2,380, and the cheapest deals sit in its Economy, Intermediate and Premium rows. Europcar has the lowest single price at $2,062 for a Suzuki Swift Hybrid, though its range runs up to $4,253, and Hertz averages $3,716 on 10 listings. The median across everything is $2,992. Compare the same size class across suppliers and book the cheapest one early, because the gap from bottom to top is 2.34 times.
Most of the fleet seats five, with 20 petrol cars, 7 hybrids and 3 diesels, so a couple or a family of four will have plenty to pick from. Hybrids suit the winding road out to the Otago Peninsula and the long drive down to the Catlins, and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD at $2,180 copes with the gravel to Tunnel Beach and the Catlins waterfalls far better than a small hatchback. If you are six or more, only a handful of seven, eight and twelve seat vehicles turn up, so lock one in early. Momona is about 30 minutes south of the city, so plan your pickup before the airport car park fills with afternoon arrivals.