About New Zealand

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Important Information

New Zealand is a small island nation in the South-west Pacific. At 270,500 square kilometres it is comparable in size to Great Britain, Japan or Colorado in the United States. With a population of just over four million people it is one of the world’s least crowded countries.

NZ is an independent nation and a member of the British Commonwealth. The majority of New Zealanders are of British descent. New Zealand’s indigenous Maori make up 15% of the population. Equality is a very strong human right ethic in NZ society, the workplace, schools, and in families.

Approximately 86% of the population lives in urban (smaller towns) areas, and 69% live in ‘main’ urban areas (30,000 residents or more).

English is the everyday language of New Zealand, and English, Maori, and Sign Language are also official languages of New Zealand.

The economy is heavily dependent upon overseas trade, developing niche markets for its agriculture and manufacturing industries.

Sport is a major part of New Zealand life and most children participate in organised sport from primary school age onwards. You can enjoy days off sunning on the beach or surfing in the ocean, hiking through ancient native bush, skiing on the snow slopes or water skiing on the lakes or on the seascape.

Before you Arrive

Find out more about things you need to do or prepare before you can apply and migrate to New Zealand. There are many websites you can check out before leaving your own country. One of these is our New Zealand immigration website www.immigration.govt.nz/nzopportunities/

Visit:

Cost of Living in New Zealand

Visit: http://ww.nz-immigration.co.nz/cost-of-living/index.html

The NZ immigration website contains up to date advice on this topic: www.immigration.govt.nz

Time Differences

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/key-facts/key-facts-time-differences.cfm

Public Holidays

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/key-facts/key-facts-important-dates.cfm

Healthcare

Central government funds the New Zealand’s health and disability system. Not all services are free. New migrants who are permanent residents can receive the same benefits as New Zealand citizens. Visit http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf, www.moh.govt.nz/eligibility or Webhealth www.webhealth.co.nz.

Power Supply

The mains power supply in New Zealand is between 220-240v AC, 50Hz. Be wary of different build standards, such as washing machines unable to fit into NZ designed kitchens or laundries due to different standard sizes. Some items will require a change of plug or use of an adaptor to fit the New Zealand style sockets.

Bringing your Dog or Cat to New Zealand

It is possible to bring your cat or dog to New Zealand, provided requirements of the relevant Import Health Standards are met. Once your pet arrives in NZ it will have to spend time in quarantine. For further information visit www.biosecurity.govt.nz

Goods and Services Tax

All goods and services are subject to a 15 % Goods and Services Tax (GST). In shops the GST will be included in the displayed price.

Climate and Seasons

New Zealand’s seasons are – summer – December through February followed by autumn – March through May, then winter from June through August and spring from September through November.

The climate varies from sub-tropical in the far north to almost continental in the mountainous areas of the South Island. The middle North Island is a mix, with coastal areas moderated by sea breezes, whereas the inland areas enjoy greater variance through the seasons but not to extremes. Temperatures range from a maximum summer high of 30°C to potential winter lows of -3°C.

As a narrow country below the South Pacific Islands, the weather can change dramatically in a very short time – sometimes four seasons in one day. The sunlight in New Zealand is very intense and may be stronger than you are used to. Many people from ‘hot’ countries are surprised to find they sunburn quicker than they expected. It is wise to find more information about being SUN SMART in New Zealand at: www.sunsmart.co.nz.

Education

New Zealand has an excellent range of education options of world class standard. These range from early childcare services, kindergartens and play centres and home-based care.

It is compulsory for children to attend school from ages 6 to 16 years, but most children begin school at 5 years. The school year starts in February through to December. It is broken into four ten-week terms.

Tertiary education is provided by universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, colleges of education etc. For more information visit www.minedu.govt.nz

Housing

Owning your own home is a part of the great Kiwi dream, and about two thirds of the adult population own their own home. To find out more information go to www.realestate.co.nz

Driving in New Zealand

If you have a current and valid driver licence or international driving permit, you can drive for up to 12 months from your arrival date.

However, there are some differences about driving in New Zealand which you should make yourself familiar with. We drive on the left hand side of the road is the first one among a few differences.

There are booklets which can be acquired when you arrive from various outlets. Settlement Support New Zealand urges you to acquire more information about the differences about driving in New Zealand.

More information can be found on the NZ Transport Agency website http://www.nzta.govt.nz

If you are interested in finding out more about living and working in Hamilton/Waikato, please contact us here or phone the Settlement Support Co-ordinator.

Phone: 07 853 0468