Driving a pet the length of the country, or across Cook Strait, isn't always realistic — especially for an anxious animal, a tight moving schedule, or a move that's genuinely too far to drive in one go. A specialist pet transport service handles this instead, by road or by air.
How to do it
- Book well ahead of moving day — specialist pet transport, especially by air, needs more lead time than a standard flight booking, and popular routes book out.
- Ask about door-to-door vs. drop-off options — door-to-door costs more but means you're not adding an extra trip to an airport or depot on top of everything else moving day involves.
- Check what's included for anxious or older pets — some services offer sedation coordination with a vet, or extra settling time; ask directly if your pet doesn't travel well.
- Confirm the actual transport method for your route — some moves go by road, some by air, and inter-island routes may involve a ferry crossing as part of the same booking.
- Ask about crate requirements early, not on the day — most services need your pet's crate to meet a specific size and construction standard, and getting the wrong one sorted last-minute is avoidable with a bit of notice.
Common mistakes
- Assuming your removalist's truck can take a pet — almost none do, this needs a separate booking.
- Leaving it until close to moving day, when specialist transport slots, especially flights, are hardest to get.
- Not checking your specific airline or ferry operator's own pet policy on top of the transport company's, since both can apply.
Related tasks
If you're driving yourself and just need your pet looked after for a day or two around the move, this isn't the right task — a local pet-sitter or boarding kennel is a simpler option for that.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does domestic pet transport cost in NZ?
- For shorter trips, roughly $150-$350; for longer hauls (around 800km), typically $300-$700 with a specialist pet transport company. Flying your pet as checked baggage on an Air New Zealand domestic flight is usually cheaper — a flat NZD $120 pet carriage fee, paid at the airport.
- How far ahead should I book pet transport?
- As soon as you know your move date. Both ferries and domestic flights have limited animal capacity per sailing or flight, and a pet can't just be added on the day — Navaroa's own plan times this task around 8 weeks out for exactly that reason.