Car Relocation Information
Great Walk car relocation made easy – all you have to do is walk the track.
We’ll take care of your car
Preparing for your car relocation is quick and easy. Check out the information below so you know how it all works.
Renting a car? Check our list of recommended rental car agencies.
RENTAL AGENCIES
Some companies outside of Queenstown aren’t so familiar with Easyhike and our relocation service, but this isn’t a cause for concern. We take care of the insurance details directly with them closer to your walk.
We’ve relocated hundreds of vehicles over the years and have great relationships with many of the rental agencies in New Zealand. Before you book your vehicle we suggest checking the list below of what to expect from them in terms of fees and conditions associated with our car relocation.
Rental Agency Checklist
NO FEES (last time we checked)
Avis, About, Anzed, A2B, Abuzzy, Alpha, Apex, Ascot, Bay of Islands Campervans, Britz, Budget, Backpacker, Budget Campers, Campa South, Christchurch Car Hire, Escape, Ezi Car, Freedom Campers, Hertz, Jucy, Kea, Kiwi Campers, Maui, McDonalds, NZ Rent A Car, New Zealand Car Rentals, Pegasus, Pod, Quality Car Rentals, Rent a Dent, Rental Car Village, Road Abode, Sleepervans, Snap, Spaceships, Tui, United, Usave, Walkabout, Thrifty, Scotties (Thrifty & Scotties do usually have a fee, however, waive it for Easyhike clients).
FLAT FEE (per additional driver)
Ace & Lucky
DAILY FEE (per additional driver)
Discount Rentals, Mighty Campers (in some cases)
UNABLE TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL DRIVER
Apollo Motorhomes, StarRV, Cheapa Campa, Hippie, Wilderness, Europcar
NO UNSEALED ROAD TRAVEL
Ace, Alamo, Enterprise, Escape, Campa South, Discount, Hugo, Hitch, Lucky, Mad, National, Omega, Sixt, Real Value, Travellers Autobarn, Usave, Wicked.
If your agency isn’t on this list, give us a call and we can help work through it with you.
Lockbox
Collection
& Drop Off
Before
Your Hike
to Do List
Parking
& Finding
Your Car
Lockbox
Instructions
& Tips
Test Run
Your
Lockbox
Lockbox Collection & Drop off Locations
QUEENSTOWN AGENT
Mobil petrol station
1 McBride Street, Frankton, Queenstown, 9300
Opens 6 am to midnight every day
Te Anau AGENT
RD Petroleum petrol station
7 Town Centre, Te Anau 9600
Opens 7 am to 8pm weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends
Things to do Before you start your hike
- Please check out our 5 steps process for our car relocations.
- In order to relocate your vehicle, we need to know what is looks like. Please get in touch by phone (+64 21 445 341) or by email (info@easyhike.co.nz) and let us know, as soon as you know, the Make, Model, Colour, and Licence plate.
- If you are renting a vehicle, we need to add our driver to your rental agreement. Please let us know, as soon as you have organised your rental, the name of the rental company AND the booking reference associated with your booking. Get in touch by phone (+64 21 445 341) or by email (info@easyhike.co.nz).
- Check the weather and be prepared – Download the app Plan My Walk
- Check into DOC to get the latest weather update and any report on the track conditions
- Read the instructions below regarding our lockboxes or check out our video.
Where do I park my car and where will I find my car at the end of the track?
-
MilfordTe Anau Downs
-
MilfordDeepwater Basin
-
Kepler StartTe Anau Terrace
-
RouteburnRouteburn Shelter
-
RouteburnDivide
Milford – Te Anau Downs
Drive to Te Anau Downs (it is roughly a 25 minute drive from Te Anau). There is nothing there but a jetty and places to park. Park the car where you can find a parking space (tarmac has limited availability. You can use the little path leading to a paddock or the paddock itself). There will be a few cars parked there already, it can be quite busy at times, just park where you can.
Get Directions To Te Anau Downs
We will relocate your car to the free car park at Deepwater basin. It is 500m from where Fiordland Outdoors water taxis will drop you off. If that car park is full, we will park your car closer to the water taxi, by Roscoe’s kayaks. If there is no available space, we might park it on a side street. If that was to happen, we will communicate with the water taxi skipper and the skipper will let you know of the exact arrangement.
Get Directions To Deepwater Basin
Kepler – Start, TeAnau Terrace
Please park your vehicle by the Lakefront on Te Anau Terrace. Facing the lake, coming down from Town Centre, take a right at the roundabout (where you can see the Kepler water taxi jetty) and park anywhere without time restrictions.
Get Directions To Kepler Start at Te Anau Terrace
Drive to the Routeburn Shelter. There are two carparks when you arrive, one directly on your left, over a little hump, the other further down then to your left. If both are full, and it can happen in the height of summer (this is why we recommend you start no later than 10.30am), please do not park on the side street. There is the old Routeburn Shelter further down the road with more parking spaces.
Get Directions To Routeburn Shelter
Divide – Drive to the Divide on State Highway 94 (Te Anau Milford Highway). Tip: When there is water on your right, you know you are getting close, just an extra couple of kilometres and you’ll be there.
Park anywhere you can find a space.
HAVE A TEST RUN BEFORE YOU GO
The Routeburn Shelter still doesn’t have mobile coverage or WIFI reception so please be prepared and test everything works before you leave town.
Tips for success
- Pick up your lockbox the day before your walk if you can.
- Test the lockbox with your key and ensure the door closes easily. DO NOT JAM YOUR KEY! Remove it from the keyring if necessary. If you jam your key in, we might not be able to open the lockbox and won’t be able to relocate your car. If we can’t open the lockbox, you won’t be able to afterwards either, please be VERY MINDFUL of that.
- Test the lockbox on your car, check the combination entry and removal ease. Does every door stay locked? Including the boot?
- You can visit this page anytime via the address: www.easyhike.co.nz/car
Lockbox instructions & tips
Ensure your car doors are locked, and stay locked when your key is secured
Do your car doors unlock when the keys are nearby? Do you have a keyless entry keyfob? If so, we need to ensure your car doors stay locked when your key is in the lockbox. Solution: We provide you with little pockets lined with RFID blocking fabric. The RDFI blocking fabric is effective at blocking electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiation.
Attachment and Lockbox Instructions
We have 2 methods for attaching our lockboxes to your car and we also have 2 kinds of lockboxes. You can find detailed information on the variations below.
Attachment methods:
-
Top LoopLike a padlock
-
Window BracketTo sit over the window glass
Use the loop to secure the lockbox to your car:
- On a tow hitch
- On the tow bar
- Another metal loop or option under the car
Somewhere else that works (Note: we do not advise attaching to the door handle, as the paint might get scratched)
If you don’t have anywhere to secure the lockbox, contact us and we will provide a solution – but please check this while we still have time to help, at the petrol station, for example.
To open the loop:
There is a silver lever inside the lockbox. Look inside and you will see it at the top.
Keypad lockbox – Use two fingers to pull the lever towards you.
Dial lockbox – Push the lever to the side.
To close the loop:
Push the loop down into the box to engage it again. Test this with the lockbox in your hand and also once you have secured it to the car (before your put the key in!).
IMPORTANT! Please do not choose a lockbox location that is hard to get under your car. Our driver, and also you at the end of your walk) will have to access the lockbox and put the combination in before they can unhook the lockbox to retrieve the key. Please do not make this hard to do.
If we can’t access your car keys and remove the lockbox, we can’t relocate your car! You don’t have to try and hide the lockbox, your car key is secure in the lockbox.
Open your passenger rear window. Sit the bracket over the window. Close the window. Then turn off your car, get your car keys, and put your car keys in the lockbox.
Type of lockbox:
-
Keypad lockboxYou push the buttons to lock and unlock
-
Dial lockboxYou line up the combination on the dial
To use the keypad:
1. Clear the keypad – Use the clear button in the middle at the bottom of the keypad.
2. Open the lockbox – Enter the combination, then slide the Open tab (at the top) down.
3. Close the lockbox – Repeat steps 1 and 2 to close the lockbox
4. Returning the lockbox to us after your walk – Reattach the information card and close the lockbox.
Combination and information card
The lockbox will come with the combination on an information card. Take the card off the lockbox while it’s on your car and leave the card inside your car with the code facing down, and reattach it to the lockbox when you return the lockbox.
Please note all our codes are changed every season.
How to work the dial
Set the combination – adjust the dial so the combination is showing at with the red line.
Open the lockbox – Slide the Open Tab open.
