Before you fly
Apps and websites worth having on your phone in New Zealand
A short, honest list: the official tools you must use, plus the road, weather and fuel services locals actually check.
4 min read · updated 2026-09
You do not need twenty apps. You need the official arrival declaration, a road service, a weather service, and offline maps. Everything else is optional.
Before you land
- The New Zealand Traveller Declaration — every arriving passenger completes one, online or in the official app, shortly before flying. There is also a paper form on board if you would rather.
- Offline maps of both islands, downloaded while you still have good wi-fi.
- Your airline's own app, for gate and baggage updates on the domestic legs.
On the road
- The national transport agency's traffic and travel service — the authoritative source for road closures, slips and alpine pass conditions. Check it before any long drive.
- The national forecaster's weather service, plus its UV index. Our sun is genuinely stronger than most visitors expect.
- A fuel price app, worth a look before filling up in a bigger town.
- A camping app if you have a campervan, for holiday parks and legal freedom-camping sites.
- The Department of Conservation's site for walking tracks, hut bookings and closures.
Coverage disappears in the mountains and on remote coastlines. Screenshot your bookings and download map areas — an app you cannot load is no help at the roadside.
If checking road conditions and rearranging a day around the weather sounds like work, that is exactly what a driver does for you. We watch the passes and the forecast and reshape the route so the day still works.
Common questions
- Is the traveller declaration compulsory?
- Yes, every arriving passenger must complete one. Do it in the official app or online shortly before your flight, or on the paper form on board.
- Which maps work offline?
- The main mapping apps all allow you to download regions in advance. Do both islands before you leave a wi-fi connection.
- Do I need a road atlas as well?
- Not essential, but a paper map is a comforting backup in the areas where mobile coverage drops out.
Land, meet your driver, go
We run private airport transfers and intercity trips across both islands with a fixed price quoted before you book — no meters, no surge, and your driver tracks the flight.
Get a transfer price