Whose driven on the left side of road? Any timely tips?

[Carter Turk]

Going to New Zealand next month to watch my son in "Natural Selection" mountain bike event.
He's one of 6 selected as a wild card, so the fam is showing up for support.
I've driven once in Australia in a rented Hyundai Sonata 14 years ago, when my daughter was granted a "Make a Wish" trip there after suffering Leukemia at the age of 12.
Currently she's in remission.

I had no issues I recall, though looking to the proper direction at an intersection took a bit to adjust to.
Just checking to see if there's any refresher mind-set things to be aware of for a left hand road NFG driver. Thanks

[oldGSfan]

The main thing is to keep your body in the center of the road. . If you're flying by mailboxes and parked cars up close and personal you are on the wrong side. When in traffic you can follow others and feed off the cues. But out in the country, it can be tricky - you pull out of some side road and onto the main highway, and everything seems OK, but it could be disastrous.

[Sandy]

Once you've gotten over the repeated use of the wipers by mistake I'm sure you'll get it figured out. Have a great trip.

[oldGSfan]

I remember wondering if the accelerator pedal would be on the left and the clutch pedal on the right, and if the gear shifting was the same or reversed, ha! I think the toilet flush water spinning in reverse due to the Coriolis effect got my mind spinning backward too. Or maybe it was the giant beers. Being tall and always seeming to drive tiny 4-cylinder 5 speeds, I didn't like having 5th gear jamming into my left leg - in the US it was 'far and away'.

[storm 64]

Just drive in reverse. Problem solved.

[Brendan W]

Where I get caught out is entering empty roads from filling stations and the like.
Autopilot takes over.
I recall tourists taping a sheet of paper with an arrow to the left on the steering wheel of their rentals.

[allojohn]

Where I get caught out is entering empty roads from filling stations and the like.
Autopilot takes over.
I recall tourists taping a sheet of paper with an arrow to the left on the steering wheel of their rentals.

+1 on that! Whenever I'm back I'm almost certain to fall into that trap once... usually after few days driving when my confidence has returned and then *&%$%*! Luckily, no collision to this point only incredulous motorists exasperated at my apparent madness!

[Sandy]

Just rembered that in a car you at least have a steering wheel as a reference, on a motorcycle it's much different.

[salty_monk]

I find it pretty easy to revert but occasionally it catches me out. Usually when pulling to the side of a narrow road or pulling onto a quiet street in the neighborhood or something….
it’s usually after a few days as has already been said.
years ago I’d hit the door panel looking for the gear stick when switching but these days that seems to come more naturally.

[LAB3]

Hire a driver, it's going to be cheaper to pay them than the crash damage on a rental car!

[GregT]

i see the event is in Queenstown. Heart of the tourist area. Where you strike arrows painted on the road to indicate left hand side driving.

The biggest danger is other visitors. Proven by accident stats. Campervans are lethal.