How can I get to New Zealand from the UK but without flying?

Question

And without breaking the bank? And other words reasonably cheaply (but not too cheaply)

Answer 1

Join the merchant marine, choose a route to NZ, and jump ship at the other end

Answer 2

Cargo ship cruises often tend to be expensive, unfortunately.

There is a way. I hope you have a lot of time.

Go out and meet people who have yachts. The ocean going type. Get introduced to their friends. Hang around in marinas. Find somebody who is going roughly in the direction where you would like to go. Say Asia or the Pacific. Or straight to New Zealand, if you are lucky.

Then volunteer to crew on the yacht. Do some household work and maintenance in trade for a ride. They might or might not feed you.

If they don't go to NZ all the way, then you would have to disembark somewhere and chase a new hitch. Or continue by plane.

It can be done. I had the chance a few years ago. I couldn't do it because I was going to college and couldn't postpone. But it would have been a great adventure.

Come to think of it, you could also call large shipping lines like P&O Nedlloyd or Maersk to see if you could work on a ship in trade for a ride.

Answer 3

There's an agency in London called The Cruise People which can book places on freight vessels sailing between Tilbury and Auckland. These carry a few passengers at quite reasonable rates, considering they feed and accommodate you all the way as well as just taking you there. You can travel out by Suez or Panama (and back the other way if you want). It takes about 40 days in each direction.

They also advertise saillings from Hong Kong, which you can get to overland first via Eurostar to Brussels, train to Moscow, Trans-Siberian to Beijing, train to Hong Kong from there. That's probably cheaper and quicker but takes more organising by you.

See http://members.aol.com/CruiseAZ/col.htm .

I've never done any of these journeys but it sounds a terrific experience if you have the time.

Answer 4

Take the Trans-Siberian train from London to Beijing, then train down to Hong Kong. (I've only done it in the other direction, HK to London, via Beijing, Moscow, Warsaw, Berlin. Took 6 days). Try buying a ticket from East Europe, e.g. Hungary, where tickets are cheaper than UK.
From Hong Kong, to New Zealand, I don't know, but it must be possible to take a ship to Australia, bus through Oz, then another boat to NZ.

Answer 5

I may be wrong but I'm sure you can travel as Michael Palin did and hitch a ride on cargo ships but I haven't a clue how you find out about it. Good luck though and when you get to NZ make sure you don't miss Doubtful Sound in Fiordland, south island.

Answer 6

catch the euro star to france and fly from there to new zealand. this way you will not be flying from the uk an neither will you break the bank

Answer 7

Swim it. You would get to New Zealand and you would break some kind of world record.

Answer 8

Hm... I don't know the particulars, but as teleportation is still not usable (except in scifi), that woud mean by sea, then ground, then sea again, or directly by sea perhaps. It will take forever, though - weeks, most likely.
Good luck!

Answer 9

There are Greyhound Buses that leave hourly for New Zealand.

Answer 10

Using the power of thought, mentally transport yourself there.
And whilst you're there, could you bring me back a nice leg of NZ lamb ? Cheers mate