Travel @au | Transfercar Blog

The Future of Car Travel

”Driving a vehicle is too dangerous for humans and will be outlawed when autonomous cars are proven to be safer”, claims Elon Musk, billionaire founder of electric car company Tesla. Despite the hype about driverless vehicles, experts say that it would take 20 to 30 years before they could co-exist with existing vehicles in cities.

However it is predicted that technology will take over from drivers in simpler situations such as traffic jams and parking within the next five years. Yes, in 2020 your new car will know how to park itself!

The future of car travel is not just about security and convenience, it’s also about saving time. Going driverless will also give us the opportunity to do something else while on the road. Cars will become communal living rooms on wheels.

The concept design for the F 015 Luxury in Motion by Mercedes-Benz features a large interior space, finished in walnut, glass, leather and aluminium, along with four individual lounge chairs.

Selecting a manual mode would prompt a steering wheel to emerge from the dashboard, while the driver and passenger seats turn automatically to face the direction of travel. Sounds cool, uh? Patience, patience, it’s still a prototype.

French manufacturer Peugeot also has an exciting vision for the future. Peugeot Moovie, an environmentally friendly city car that looks very different from the norm… It’s made of foam, plastics, steel, polycarbonate and plexiglas amongst others… But it’s not operational yet, don’t get too excited!

But do you know what the real next step is? No roads at all! Yes you hear me, why drive when you can fly? A few companies are already working on the concept of flying cars and have came up with prototypes. Terrafugia is hoping to have flying cars within the next ten years! Check out their video here. We wouldn’t mind relocating this car!

Crazy about rugby but gonna be on the road? No panic, we’ve got you sorted!

To the rugby fans out there, we have some real good news: You can be on the road AND follow the Rugby World Cup 2015, so there’s no reason to stop relocating cars 🙂

Here’s our guide to watching the games while on the road, and the best pubs for some rugby action in the main cities of New Zealand.

WATCH THEM ONLINE

You have a mobile phone plan with data, and don’t want to leave that comfy campa bed? Great, you can watch the games from anywhere directly on your smartphone screen! All you have to do is get the Fan Pass app from Sky TV. It’s free to download for Apple and Android devices and lets you pay a daily ($15) or weekly ($20) rate to access the Sky Sport channels 1 to 4.

Just make sure there is enough signal where you are, or try to connect to a free wifi hot spot to save data.

It’s also possible to use ITV to watch the games, check out the details here.

You can also download the official All Blacks app (Apple and Android, free) which has some exciting features including news, player information, statistics, and videos. We also recommend downloading the Official Rugby World Cup 2015 app (Apple and Android, free).

IN AUCKLAND

Neighbourhood Bar, Kingsland
Good breakfasts, and so very close to Eden Park! Even though our players are on the other side of the globe, being in front of their favourite stadium will help you feel closer to them!

O’Hagans Irish Bar and the Fox, Viaduct Harbour, Central City
O’Hagans bar is like a little slice of Ireland on the waterfront in Auckland, and the Fox probably has the best atmosphere in Auckland of all the sports bars we’ve been to! Look forward to those hearty breakfasts and perhaps a cheeky morning pint as well…If you’re going to be in Auckland central, definitely check out those two options.

The Elephant Wrestler, Takapuna

It’s a spacious, light-filled venue with a big screen and delicious pub food and great coffees. We reckon it’s one of the best places to watch the games on the Shore.

IN WELLINGTON

One Fat Bird

HD projectors and big screens, so there won’t be any bad seat in this pub. Breakfast specials from only $10… If you’re going to be in Welly, One Fat Bird is an obvious good choice!

Green Man Pub

One of the busiest pubs in Wellington, centrally located on Victoria Street, this one will be packed during the All Blacks games!

IN CHRISTCHURCH

The Running Bull

Big screen, great beer, and daily drink and food specials.

The Fox & Ferret
Lively atmosphere and a dance floor, so be ready to shake that booty as early as 7 am!

IN QUEENSTOWN

Pog Mahones
The home of live sport in Queenstown, this pub is an institution. Don’t miss it if you visit the Southern Lakes!

IN DUNEDIN

The Terrace Sports Bar
They claim to have the largest TV screen in Dunedin, it’s the premier sports bar in the city. Great fun guaranteed.

Car relocation + one-way flight = great return trip!

Combining a free relocation car with a cheap one-way flight is the way to go if you want to save both time and money!

The good news for car relocators is that Jetstar has just announced that it’s now going to fly from Auckland to Napier, Nelson, Palmerston North and New Plymouth! The new competition between Air New Zealand and Jetstar airlines – previously restricted to the destinations of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown – will bring air fares down for a range of regional destinations, including Nelson-Wellington flights which will follow early next year.

So what does this mean to you? It means you can now easily book our relocations from the regional cities to Auckland such as for instance Napier to Auckland or Palmerston North to Auckland! Grab a cheap flight to get there and come back with a free rental!

We recommend that you check our website regularly and subscribe to our email alerts for your favourite routes and combine this with an airfare sale for a truly cheap and fast return trip.

Queenstown for non-skiers

Queenstown might be a winter paradise for skiers and boarders, but there’s plenty to do if you don’t feel like swishing down the slopes. The region is also renowned as the ”adventure capital of the world” and for its great party scene, but those who aren’t in their 20’s anymore can also enjoy soft adventures and wonderful pinot noir. Here’s our selection of some of the best things that non-skiers can do:

Funyak Safaris on the Dart River

Combine wilderness jet boating with unique Funyak inflatable canoes for a fun way to explore the Dart River as well as hidden side streams, rock pools and dramatic chasms. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of this stunning area at your own pace as you float downstream on sparkling water, then enjoy a wilderness picnic lunch before heading past ‘Paradise’ and on to Glenorchy. Then travel a back-country route passing by locations used in movies to illustrate Middle Earth.

A visit to the goldmining city of Arrowtown

A scenic 20-minute drive from Queenstown, Arrowtown is a must-do. This historic goldmining town looks like it came right out of America’s Wild West. It has charming cottages, offers a cute local museum and the opportunity to pan for gold in the nearby Arrow river. There’s also some fine food (try award-winning Saffron), and beautiful galleries.

Sample some great wines in Bannockburn

Central Otago is the place to when it comes to New Zealand’s famous pinot noir, and our favourite terroir has to be the scenic Bannockburn area, home to several top wineries, including Carrick and Mt Difficulty. It’s very easy to get from one winery to the next so you can actually swallow the wines that you’re tasting 🙂 The food is also wonderful.

Cruise aboard a Steamship

A cruise on Lake Wakatipu aboard the iconic steamship the TSS Earnslaw is undoubtedly one of the best ways to experience Queenstown’s famed scenic beauty. The leisurely 90 minute cruise across the lake showcases some of the region’s spectacular alpine scenery while offering you plenty of time to explore a piece of the city’s living history – the 100 year old TSS Earnslaw.

The list really goes on… Queenstown has SO much to offer that a week won’t be enough and you’ll want to come back. The good news is that Transfercar has a lot of car relocations going to and from Queenstown so make the most of it!

Photos by Pascal Languillon except Steamship by Real Journeys.

Discover the magic of Western Australia

Western Australia (WA) is so huge and so lightly populated that most of it is just pure wilderness. It is Australia’s final frontier!

Perth is the country’s sunniest capital city, offering a vast array of amazing sunsets over the ocean. It blends urban cool with spectacular nature and provides a good start to your Western Australia adventure. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and a very decent choice of beautiful wineries nearby.

Follow the coast up North and discover some of the world’s most pristine beaches. The World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef is the largest fringing reef on Earth and one of the few places in the world where you can swim with the whale shark. Go South and you will find Margaret River, a bustling market town famed for its wine, incredible surfing nearby, and mysterious karri (eucalyptus) forests.

ningaloo reef

Western Australia is a superb destination for nature lovers. Wildlife-watching opportunities are extraordinary, from interactions with dolphins at Monkey Mia to the spotting of migrating whale pods off the coast of Albany. There’s also stunning gorges and waterfalls at Karijini National Park.

Broome offers a fantastic natural phenomenon called the Staircase to the Moon. It is best seen from Roebuck Bay in Broome, when the full moon rises over the exposed mudflats at extremely low tide and creates a beautiful optical illusion of stairs reaching to the moon. The Staircase to the Moon happens 2 – 3 days a month between March and October.

Transfercar regularly offers free rental cars and campervans that need to be relocated from one of the major cities of the East Coast to Western Australia. Relocation deals with 12 to 15 free rental days are not uncommon, giving you enough time to explore en route and see vast expanses of the country. Start planning your escape now!

The world’s most luxurious supervans!

You don’t like being on the water, but you want to live that superyacht lifestyle? Get a luxurious supervan!

Our favourite supervan has to be the amazing eleMMent Palazzo mobile home. This visual feast of extravaganza and luxury is actually of German craftsmanship, so made to last! The Palazzo features two floors of entertainment with a giant master suite, multiple bars and a liftable “flybridge” lounge up top. You can even extend a slide-out, increasing interior space by 80% when not on the road. The new eleMMent series 2015 is coming out soon, and we wonder what improvements will be provided to what is already an amazing motorhome, by all accounts.

Another supervan that would be nice to try is the Futuria Sports and Spa Motorhome. Another German invention! This mansion on wheels contains everything for luxury travelling: bathroom, bedroom, roof terrace with Jacuzzi and even sports car garage (equipped with the custom Toronto garage doors).

Guess where the third best supervan comes from? Germany as well!!! The Volkner Mobil Performance Bus comes equipped with a large fridge-freezer, dishwasher, microwave, Bose-Dolby-home Entertainment Surround System and a widescreen TV which can be concealed in the cabinet when not in use. Pretty cool, uh?

Think this is out of reach for you? Maybe… but do you know that you can find some supervans on Transfercar? Especially in the USA where you can drive brand new RVs for next to nothing. .. Check it out.

Reference: Hunretsville NC Garage Doors.