Living In New Zealand

NZ Climate

New Zealand has mild temperatures, moderately high rainfall, and many hours of sunshine throughout most of the country. New Zealand's climate is dominated by two main geographical features: the mountains and the sea. New Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far north has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as -10 C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.

NZ Cost of Living

Before you move to a new country, it’s good to get an idea of how general costs compare to what you currently spend. It can be difficult to work out the price comparisons between the United Kingdom or South Africa and New Zealand when taking into account fluctuating currency conversions and varying salary levels.As exchange rates can change without notice, it is important to stay up to date with current rates while planning your move. Comparative salaries will differ depending on the industry in which you work. While New Zealand is not known for particularly high salaries, many companies offer non-monetary benefits, such as extra holiday allotment, use of a company car or phone, or free drinks to sweeten a salary package. Some migrants find they get up to a third less pay for the same job, while others in high-demand jobs such as IT can find the pay structure is better. Government statistics show that the average Kiwi salary is $45k per annum, though this range is not indicative of skilled occupations, which command much higher salaries.

Telephones / Landlines

There are two types of public telephones, one where you put money in and the other where you can use a telephone card. You can buy telephone cards in many shops, at the post office and at the Students’ Union shop on campus.

Cellular phone service in New Zealand was formerly rather limited; now, however, new options are popping up all over the place. While this is especially true for locals, visitors to the country can also enjoy new freedoms that such an extension of coverage allows.

Unlike the USA but like most of the rest of the world, New Zealand has the GSM cellular system. This means that your wisest choice in cell phone coverage while visiting New Zealand is in obtaining a pre-paid SIM card or plan from a service provider. If you plan on visiting New Zealand any time soon, don’t take off without a prepaid SIM card. The New Zealand SIM card provides a simple, convenient, and affordable way for any traveler to make and receive those all-important calls while abroad. The prepaid SIM card for New Zealand is a practical option for using your existing world phone as a prepaid New Zealand cell phone while you’re in the country at a better rate than you’d pay for a New Zealand cell phone rental. It’s also a trouble-free ticket to using the same options that the New Zealanders themselves use—the local New Zealander cell phone system. The SIM chip, combined with an unlocked GSM World cell phone, helps you keep the lines of communication open without being burdened by high international roaming surcharges applicable when you use your “home” SIM card abroad. You’ll likewise enjoy the benefit of SMS text messaging, voicemail, a local cell phone number in New Zealand, international roaming capability, and FREE incoming calls. The prepaid feature gives you complete control over your costs, and with our low domestic and international calling rates billed at just 1 second intervals after the first minute of each call, having a cell phone in New Zealand is affordable for all. Access to customer service from your New Zealand cellular phone is available 24 hour a day, so you’ll always have assistance with any unexpected issues or questions about your calls. No yearly contract, monthly charges, or credit check is involved.

Tips About Eating/ Drinking in the NZ

• It is safe to drink water from the taps in this country.
• Foods will be labeled if they are suitable for vegetarians/ Vegans.
• Many foods will contain nuts. If this is the case then it will be mentioned on the product label.
• Eating out is really expensive here. A restaurant meal with table service can cost about $20. If you choose to cook your food, plan to spend about $35-50 per week. You can find sandwiches for $5 and fast food like McDonald’s or Burger King will cost between $5-10.

Tips on how to spend less money on your food shop

Some ideas about possible ways to reduce the amount of money you spend on eating and drinking :

• Eating in school or university canteens will usually be cheaper than commercial cafes or restaurants.
• Cooking for yourself will be cheaper than buying ready-made meals.
• When travelling, consider taking some snacks or a picnic with you.
• Eating local and seasonal food is cheaper; it may be more expensive if you try to eat in the same way as in your home country.
• It is usually cheapest to buy food from a large supermarket.
• When you pay for your shopping in a supermarket and pay using a debit card (such as Switch), you may be asked, “Would you like some cash back?” Cash back is just a way of obtaining money, equivalent to using a cash machine.
• Free wi-fi – Internet on New Zealand is slow and expensive. McDonalds and libraries offer free wi-fi.