Running Late?
Please text Gavin on 0272686381 urgently to advise if you are running late.
Your lesson may be shortened as lesson times are tightly scheduled.
Unattended lessons will still be charged unless you cancel with at least 48 hours notice.


Forgotten when/where your lesson is?
Please check your email for an email containing the subject line "Thames Driver Training".
We always send an email confirming your lesson when you book.
We also send a text when you book and a text reminder the day before too.

If you're still unsure, please contact us ASAP (unattended lessons will still be charged, so please check so you don't miss your booked lesson).


Do you hire your driving school car for the test?
Sorry, no, we no longer loan or hire our driving instructor car for the test. You will need to arrange to borrow or hire a car if you do not have your own car.

Remember to make sure you have insurance to drive a borrowed car and that the car has a current WOF and registration, check that all the brake lights/hazards, indicators etc work properly and that the car is in a Warrant of Fitness compliant state at the time of the test, L Plates (if applicable) or the test will not be able to go ahead.

Saunders Mitsubishi Thames have hire cars, phone 0800111110 to find out more.


Can I book my practical test with you?
No. Gavin is a Driving Instructor, helping people learn to drive, not a Testing Officer. To book your driving test, please book online with Waka Kotahi/NZTA here https://online.nzta.govt.nz/licence-test. It can be hard to get a time for a test right now, so we suggest you check back in daily to look for new times due to cancellations, or even to bring an already booked test date forward. If you no longer need your booked test date for some reason, please cancel it online so someone else can book their test.


Do you do practice driving tests?
Yes, practice driving tests which can be booked online with us, but for your actual test, you need to book with NZTA/Waka Kotahi. See this page for more handy tips https://vtnz.co.nz/getting-your-licence/car-licence/


Will you teach me the "test route" for the test?
No. Your Driving Instructor, Gavin Buchanan will help you gain the skills to be able to drive safely in NZ, not just one of the many Thames test routes. He will teach you how to drive safely amongst the infrastructure tested in the NZ driving test including give ways, compulsory stops, roundabouts, school buses, merging lanes, varying speed zones, parallel parking etc.

Only learning the route, does not mean you will be a safe or competent driver elsewhere in NZ. For your own safety and the safety of others, we will not "teach the route", we will teach you how to drive.