For some not an issue, for some a question to think about. Like the tourguide books have written, there are different ways to travel through this country. Choose the one that fits you the best. Maybe you can use a little bit of the info in this thread.
Hitchhiking
That works indeed in New Zealand. While i travelled, sometimes I spoke a fellow traveller who managed to hitchhike through the country. OF course, the big disadvantage is that sometimes you have to wait long for the right pick up, so you have to deal with some uncertainty. And sometimes it means standing in the rain while waiting for the pick up. If you don´t like that, don´t go hitchhiking
Car or Campervan
Some people hire a car. Some people by a second hand car and sell it after their trip. It´s a big adventure, because you have to figure out everyting yourself, like wich road to take and where to go, to think about filling the gas, the next nightstop, etc. Advantage is that you can go almost go everywhere, like places that are not in the busroutes.
The Bus
Yes, you are stuck with the route that the bus takes. Luckily, they have the good routes, and you will have the possibily to do a lot of sightseeing from the bus, while you don´´t need to worry about how to get where and how to drive.
My way of traveling was with the Kiwi Experience Bus, a company that provides traveling and sightseeing together. I have liked it very much.
The buscompanies Stray and Magic are same kind of companies. What they do is that they offer different kind of busroutes, small ones and the big ones like traveling for at least 21 days on both islands. It is not only driving from point A to point B. In between there are always stops for some small or big sighseeing, or even activitys, depending on the part of the country you are. A night sleep in an hostel is guaranteed, and only if you don´t want to stay in the hostel where they will go to, then you have to arrange something else. No problem at all. The activities, of course you have to pay for them. But because you are traveling with a big group you always receive discounts on those activities compared to the solo/couple travellers. Also, for some main attractions like Franz Joseph Glacier Full Day Hike, you can arrange it on the bus itself on the afternoon of your arrival. The solotraveller needs make his arrangement at least some days before.
The hostels where they go. Realise that all three companies want to have a guaranteed night sleep for their passengers. So it means that the hostel where they drive to is ofter a bigger hostel like Nomad or Base. There is no difference there. Nomand or Base are considered the partyhostel. Don´t like that? No problem, you can arrange your own hostel in the town. The next day (or later) you just hop on the bus again.
But what is the difference to those companies? Words get around that the Kiwi E. Bus is a part bus. Then ask yourself and a few others the question, what is your definition of a party bus? Surprisingly you will have some different kind of answer. Maybe one of the answers will be "it´s a bus where they only care about drinkin". Then ask yourself the second question, do you really think it is allowed to drink on the bus?
Realise that passangers on the Kiwi E, Stray and Magic Bus are probably divided in two kinds. The one who is on an holiday and the one who is travelling. Realise that there is a different in attitude. The traveller wants much more to explore and cares a little bit les for the group. This means that he is more likely do to a lot of hopping off the bus in a place, stay there some nights, then to hop on the next bus that will pass that day. The holidayperson is more likely to stay with to group, and often a lot of days with the same busdriver.
For those who are in a travelling spirit. Talk with the busdriver. They know a lot, a lot, a lot about New Zealand, so they are able to give you a lot of ideas for your iternary, depending on the things you want to do or want to see. They know the nice places for one day hikes, the not so obyious places, etc. Sometimes you read information in a tourguidebook, and you made yourself an iternary. After talking with the busdriver, it is more likely that you will change iternary.
Kiwi E. bus is not a party bus. Stray or Magic are not a dull bus. It is the people on the bus who make the atmosphere on the bus. Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not. Simply because people are different. Sometimes they are interested in your story, and you will find a great atmosphere. But sometimes you will enter a bus with a lot of people who totally don´t care about you, who already made their close circle of holiday friends. That happens, because that is life.
All three busses have young and older people. Maybe on the Kiwi E. bus the 20-25 years old are a little bit bigger that the other two.
