Photography & Drones — New Zealand

New Zealand does not register drones at all - and it gives you nothing for flying a small one. The Civil Aviation Authority states in terms that there are no exemptions for drones of 249 grams or less, so every rule applies in full. You need the owner's permission to fly over any property - houses, farms, private lakes, boats, vehicles - and a Department of Conservation permit to take off, hover or land on conservation land, which covers most of the scenery you came for.

Operating any aircraft, including a drone, in a careless manner: a fine not exceeding NZ$30,000 for an individual, or NZ$100,000 for any other person (Civil Aviation Act 2023, s 40). NO DRONE-SPECIFIC INFRINGEMENT FEE WAS FOUND - s 66(1) of that Act provides that a breach of a rule is only an offence if prescribed by regulation, and no such regulation was located, so it is recorded as NOT COVERED rather than inferred. Withholding information that would help identify the pilot in command is a separate offence (ss 18 and 19). DOC recreational drone permit processing fees, plus GST: NZ$180 in a green zone, issued instantly and valid one year; NZ$2,450 minimum in an orange zone; NZ$180 minimum in a red zone, where permits are rarely approved.