Hitch Hiking Auckland

The motorway system around Auckland makes it easy for drivers to get out of town, although you may miss out on a lot of traffic that is already on the motorway if you are waiting at a motorway entrance ramp. There are a number of convenient motorway entrances in the downtown area that make it relatively easy to hitch out of Auckland.

If you're heading south, you'll want to get on the Southern Motorway. Coming from downtown Auckland, the handiest on-ramps to the motorway are at the top of Hobson Street and on Stanley Street near the Domain. Pick a safe spot to stand before the motorway entrance, preferably a spot where a car can safely stop for you. An easier option is to take a coach to the spot near Bombay where the motorway ends. Any Hamilton-bound bus should be able to drop you off here.

If you're heading north, you have two main options. You can get on the motorway at the Fanshawe Street entrance, near Victoria Park or take a bus to the Massey University campus at Albany on the North Shore. Alternatively the North-Western Motorway also takes you north – you can get on at the entrance at the top of Hobson Street or at the entrance on Newton Road.

If you're hitching from central Auckland, you'll need to use a sign indicating your destination, as the motorway junctions in the central area are quite complex and lead to more than one motorway.
An easier option is BUG Ride (website http://pacific.bugride.com), BUG's own web-based ride sharing service, which allows travellers to both offer lifts and search for rides throughout New Zealand.