A Hitchhiker's guide to New Zealand

Happy Hitcher

Adriana and I have now spent a month hitch hiking all around the South island of New Zealand and learned a lot in our time spent doing it.  First and foremost as I have mentioned before is that the world is full of good people with genuine care in their hearts that show compassion through their actions.  Second, is that it is important not to forget this first lesson or to let the few inevitable bad examples become an expectation.  Third, is how to hitch effectively and that is what I am going to chat about now.

In the beginning we were given the advice to have a sign with a destination written on it. It does not matter if it is  hours or minutes away only that you use the few seconds you have to communicate with someone driving past you as efficiently as possible.  In this moment you want them to know something about you and the destination is the most important part.  We have caught several rides from people who claimed that the only reason they really stopped is because they knew we had a common destination.

What a crew.

This next part may seem obvious but stand their with a smile on your face.  Don't be discouraged when people pass you by.  Give them a wave and they will nearly always respond with a smile and a wave back.  Who knows?... The car behind them might be trying to decide whether or not to pick you up and friendly wave with a good attitude aimed at the person in front could be the deciding factor.  Either way it helps keep you in good spirits after standing on the roadside for an hour.

Speaking of roadsides... don't forget what country you are in.  Over here you need to be on the left side of the road.  Walking across the street can be pretty dangerous when you look first left then right but the cars actually come right then left.

Once in the car you must be personable and willing to chat.  To many times to count did we end up with a place to stay and a meal because we would hold a good conversation and the time would pass quickly for both us and the driver.

A name supplied by us after staying for 3 nights.

Don't fall asleep in the car.  This is not so much for safety reasons as for simple polite behavior.  Often when someone picks you up they either want to hear about you and your story or would really like to tell you about their own and remaining attentive can make them go that extra mile for you instead of just dumping you at the first chance they get.

It makes a big difference where you get dropped off.  Some spots are good and some are bad.  You want an area where the cars have not yet gained too much speed but still somewhere along the main road with a pull over lane to make it easy for the driver.  The idea is to make it as easy a choice for them as possible.  Your are essentially selling yourself and your image to the driver and as a realtor might say, "Location, Location, Location!"

A bit too much to carry.

Something I think is important is to get information about the place you are in from the people driving you about.  We have been given many tips and ideas on what to do from the rides we got.  These are often people who live in the area or may only be passing through but if they are able to tell you a good restaurant or possibly a cheap way to get admission here or their why not go for it.  I always make it a point to ask more questions than I am answering.  People like to chat about their interests and if you get them talking about a subject that they are keen on then you might just find yourself getting one of those aforementioned bonuses which in my experience does include cookies.

When a destination wont do.