How to recognise New Zealand in a street photo

Dropzone #5 · 31 October 2026

Auckland

12

How to tell

1. Yellow centre line: Double yellow no-passing centre lines are classic New Zealand; Australia uses white.
2. Broken yellow kerb line: Dashed yellow lines along the kerb mean no stopping in New Zealand.
3. Left-side driving, grass berm: Left-hand traffic and wide grass verges fit NZ suburbs.

The first thing that jumps out is yellow paint: a double yellow line down the middle of the bend and a dashed yellow line hugging the kerb. On a road where traffic keeps left, that combination is close to a giveaway for New Zealand, because Australia, the UK and most other left-driving countries paint their centre lines white. The rest backs it up: a wide mown grass strip between footpath and road, low single-storey houses with tiled or iron roofs, palms mixed with big leafy trees, and a wooden power pole. Carry this forward: in New Zealand, dashed yellow kerb lines mean no stopping and appear on almost every suburban bend.

Easily confused with

• Australia: Australian centre lines are white; yellow centre lines point to NZ.
• United Kingdom: UK uses solid yellow kerb lines and white centre lines.

Remember: Yellow centre lines on a left-driving road almost always mean New Zealand.