Dunedin Airport car hire for a Lunar New Year southern summer road trip
Mid February at Dunedin Airport brings long summer light, a cool breeze rolling off the Otago hills, and families flying in just after Lunar New Year with a rental pickup already on their minds. From the terminal it's a short drive to the harbour, the albatross colony on the peninsula and the steep, pretty streets of the city. If you're lining up Dunedin Airport car rental for 8 to 18 February 2027, the 30 listings we checked start at $1,536 for the 10 nights, with a median of $2,015. Prices stretch from $1,536 to $3,423, so the car you pick really moves your bill.
GO Rentals is the quiet winner here, averaging $1,756 over 8 listings and holding the cheapest quotes in four categories (Intermediate, Fullsize, Premium and Special). Hertz has the lowest single price, $1,536 for a Suzuki Swift, but its range is the widest, so read the fine print before you click. Line up that cheap Hertz small car against the GO Rentals Outlander at $1,665 and the Ezi RAV4 Hybrid at $1,622, and you'll see the SUV costs only about $86 more than the cheapest car of all.
Most of the fleet is petrol with five seats, so check luggage space if you're bringing big suitcases or hoping for a seven-seater (only 3 listings). A hybrid like the RAV4 is kind on fuel for the run out to the Otago Peninsula or down to the Catlins, and February roads are mostly dry, though gravel tracks and winding coastal stretches still reward a slower pace. Book a morning pickup so you're out of the airport gate before the afternoon arrivals, and keep an eye on the Special category, where GO Rentals' Mystery Car at $1,595 is a gamble that still costs less than most named cars.