Getting in

• Christchurch Airport: The practical gateway for most international and island-wide itineraries. Take Metro route 8 or 8X to central Christchurch: roughly 30–40 minutes and about NZ$2–4 depending on payment/fare rules. A taxi or rideshare is sensible only with several people or bulky gear (about 20–30 minutes, often NZ$40–60).
• Queenstown Airport: Use the Orbus network, normally route 1 or 2 depending on your destination, rather than an airport shuttle. It is about 25–35 minutes to central Queenstown and roughly NZ$2 with a Bee Card or around NZ$4 cash. Taxis are quick but expensive, especially at peak flight times.
• Dunedin Airport: Orbus route 14 is the useful public-transport option to Dunedin’s Octagon/city centre: about 30–40 minutes, with an airport fare around NZ$10. If your accommodation is outside the centre, a shared shuttle can be more practical than trying to connect onward by local bus.
• Nelson Airport: Nelson’s local eBus service, including route 6 when operating to the airport, is the cheap option for the compact city centre: allow about 20 minutes and a low local-bus fare. Check the timetable for your arrival day; services are not airport-frequency urban transit. A taxi is about 10–15 minutes.
• Invercargill Airport: There is no dependable frequent airport-bus equivalent. Use a taxi, rideshare if available, or a pre-booked shuttle to central Invercargill; it is only around 10 minutes by road. This is a good airport for Southland or Stewart Island connections, not a substitute for Christchurch as an all-island gateway.
• Picton ferry terminal: From Wellington, Interislander and Bluebridge cross Cook Strait to Picton in roughly 3–3½ hours. Book the sailing, not a separate “transfer”: central Picton is walkable from the terminal in about 10 minutes, while connecting coaches, the Coastal Pacific train in season, and rental cars handle onward travel. The Marlborough Sounds section is worth doing in daylight if weather permits.
• Christchurch Railway Station: This is for the TranzAlpine to/from Greymouth, not urban rail. It sits outside the compact centre; use a local bus, taxi or rideshare for the roughly 10–15-minute trip. Treat the train as a scenic all-day journey, not efficient transport.
• Picton Railway Station: The Coastal Pacific links Picton and Christchurch in the October–April season. The station is beside the ferry terminal, so it is genuinely useful for a Wellington–South Island without-car itinerary; it is not a year-round service.