Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with NewZealand

What New Zealand Campervan experiences have you had?

birdwatcher — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:19:42 -0800

New Zealand Campervan advice -- anyone done NZ by campervan? We're heading to New Zealand in the middle of February for a month and want to rent (hire) a campervan to get around. We want to start our trip on the South Island so we're planning to pick up the van in Christchurch. We'd appreciate advice on which company to go with, which options you took with your van, what your experience was like in the various camping parks, and whether you took the van over on the ferry to the North Island. We will be leaving from Auckland at the end of the trip but only want to spend about a week to 10 days on the North Island. We're a little undecided about whether to take the campervan over on the ferry or do the North Island by car.

I should add that we are experienced RV-ers here in the US having travelled and camped for 5 years and over 60,000 miles in various motorhomes. The camper and camping won't be new; only the country. Also, we know we'll be driving on the opposite side of the road. That too is not a new or daunting experience.

Thanks very much for your advice and experiences.

Alternative holiday ideas for New Zealand?

dinoworx — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:46:26 -0800

It's a common enough question, what should I do on my holidays in New Zealand? But we're not regular folks so finding good information has been difficult. We have 10 days in late October and we fly in and out of Auckland. We're Australian but well traveled and will most likely stay on the North Island unless some compelling information arises. We've hired a campervan and intend to travel about and camp where we can. Maybe a bed and breakfast or two. Though we are on a budget the main goal is to relax and enjoy the scenery rather than try and cram in too much. With our particular interests can mefites offer some good advice on where to see and do things that we'd find appealing. We're reasonably fit but not hiking all day up mountains fit.

I have a keen interest in permaculture and city farms/community gardens. My partner loves alpacas and all sorts of animals whose fleece can be shorn spun and knitted, ideas for seeing spring, lambs? She also has a keen interest in Neil Finn so the museum is on our list. Any excellent craft and/or local food markets?

We both love coffee and tasting local delicacies. Especially wine! Mud baths and sulphur springs sounds cool as well. We're looking to experience some of the natural beauty that New Zealand has to offer.

As we are in Australia the odds of a second trip are probably high. But may be a few years off. This time of the year it looks like the weather will be cool and wet. So are there things to do that work well in that kind of weather? Many thanks in advance!

Happy Birthday! Love, Canada

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:32:57 -0800

Birthday surprise from far away - I need help with ideas for a friend in NZ. I've gone through tons of old posts about birthdays, surprises, gifts, and long distance gift ideas, but nothing really helped.

A good friend is going to school in New Zealand. Her core group of friends (4 others and myself) are in Canada. She won't be home for her birthday in November, and we would like to arrange a great surprise for her. Since none of us will be visiting her before her birthday, it might be difficult to set up a surprise from here. We might be able to enlist her housemate to help, but the less work needed to be done on that end, the better.

What we would like:
- have something "ready" on her birthday (i.e. call her to say happy birthday, then tell her to go look in her closet, or visit Restaurant X down the street - and voila, birthday surprise is waiting!)
- something that won't make her feel more lonely (someone suggested we have a party in her honour and take pictures, then send them to her, but I think this would make her feel lonesome)
- something that isn't too expensive - we're trying to brainstorm now in case we need to mail things or contact her housemate, but the cheaper the surprise the better because we're all close to broke

Factors to Consider:
- she is in Christchurch, and none of us has ever been there so we know nothing about what's around, what might be fun to do, etc.
- she is turning 24
- we have a birthday card that we will all sign, so if we need to use it to tell her something (i.e. "you're going bungee jumping!") we can write it in the card
- she finishes school a week and a half after her birthday, and so we don't want to send large gifts or things she'll have to pack up and take with her when she leaves (she'll be traveling for a month or two before coming home)
- she loves hockey, Canada, outdoorsy stuff, word games, and coffee
- we have sent care packages throughout her time away, so anything she has been missing from home, we've sent to her (she has been away since last November)

Any ideas, thoughts, or suggestions? We're a fairly creative bunch but this challenge has us pretty much stumped.

Seeing New Zealand in a bit less than a week?

fermion — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:28:00 -0800

Five days in New Zealand, starting from Christchurch and visiting Wellington somewhere in the middle. How can I narrow down my options for fabulous things to see and do? Very shortly, I will be leaving for New Zealand. I'm flying into and out of Christchurch, and I'll have five days to travel around in between. I've read the previous AskMe threads on things to see in New Zealand, and each one just leaves me more overwhelmed than before with all the possibilities. How can I choose? Is there one place, or a few, that exemplify New Zealand's best qualities? How should I calculate the tradeoffs between travel time and amazingness?

The one definite point on my itinerary is that I'll be visiting friends in Wellington. Currently I'm planning to get there from Christchurch by taking the train up the coast, but I'm open to other suggestions (should I fly instead?) I'd like to see and hike around on some of New Zealand's famously spectacular scenery. I wouldn't mind spotting some interesting wildlife. I'm not sure of the best ways to get from place to place, so advice on that point is particularly helpful. Please help me develop a do-able itinerary!

(Bonus question: where can I get some really good coffee on my travels?)

How to best deal with multiple Chinese suppliers?

mhjb — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:36:29 -0800

Looking for advice regarding Chinese imports. Importing products into New Zealand from a number of suppliers - is there a service that would act as an intermediary for me? I have recently been approved for a capital grant in order to start a business designing and building audio gear. I want to ensure I'm purchasing the maximum amount of stock for the money I have. Most of the components I require are available in China for a fraction of the price I can get them here.* The problem is that I have to deal with numerous wholesalers, leading to inefficiencies in terms of freight cost, not to mention the language issues that come up with each new supplier.

The service I'm looking for would be an intermediary based in China that would act as a kind of a depot for me. This would be someone with good English that could take delivery of my orders from 10 different suppliers and send them over to me in one unit, meaning I'd pay the cheapest possible freight and import duties.

I'm generally a noob with all of this and terrified of blowing this opportunity by mis-spending my start-up capital, so any and all advice relating to dealing with suppliers and import issues would be appreciated.

*E.g. 3PDT footswitch: 100 units delivered for 170USD compared to 750USD locally

Raising a family in New Zealand. How much has where you grew up determined your personality?

scazza — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:02:13 -0800

How much has where you grew up determined your personality? How important is location? Those who grew up in New Zealand, how much has its culture and limitations shaped you? Children of expats, how did having expat parents influence you? Any Americans in NZ want to tell me why they are raising their children there? And I'm not asking this since I just saw "Away We Go." It just occurred to me the similarity of this question. I often think about where would be the best place to raise a child. Yes circumstance usually dictates, but let's forget that for the moment. I am American but also a New Zealand citizen where my large family on my father's side lives in Auckland. I have always heard that NZ is an amazing place to raise your child, however I have some concerns that maybe you all can help me with.

My experience has mostly been of Auckland and my own family. My family network there is very large and insular with very little room for individuality. I don't think anyone in my generation there has gone to college and they all work for the family business. They all talk of leaving but never do. They are an amazing family, but culturally ignorant and occasionally offensive (for example re gays). I am an artist, my partner a lexicographer, we adore the outdoors, but also like intelligent conversation and debate about everything, anything (University of Chicago life of the mind anyone?). We have considered raising our future children in NZ but basically I don't want them to grow up to be like the rest of my family there, isolated in terms of cultural and intellectual knowledge and respect, open-mindedness and curiosity. Individuality, achievement is a very American value, one that can sometimes be taken too far, but I don't want to rob my children of it if they grow in a more insular culture. My cousin tells me it gets more insular as you move south in NZ from Auckland but I don't know whether to believe her, and I wouldn't want to live in Auckland.

How much does or has location determined your personality? I think it's determined by your parents more than anything (contradicting conventional thought that it's your friends who are the most influential, but I've just never encountered that in anyone I know) but what about extended family?
I've heard Wellington is the culture capital of NZ, is this true? Are there other places? Is it true that cultural exposure declines as you head south?
Those who have grown up in NZ, have you felt a full cultural and intellectual exposure and life?
Any Americans in NZ want to tell me their stories? Why and where do you live in NZ? (Though it would be Saturday for you now, so are you even checking MF?)
Friends I've known who left NZ to see the world have all moved back. What's up with that?

Nursing in New Zealand vs. nursing in the US.

supercrayon — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:58:21 -0800

Nursing in New Zealand vs. nursing in the US? Are there any nurses about who have experience working in NZ and the US? What's it like? How do they compare in terms of working conditions, pay, quality of care? Or has anyone recieved nursing care in both countries?

I'm an american getting my nursing degree in NZ and I'm trying to find out what I'll be in for depending upon which country I wind up working in.

Unusual and/or eccentric guides to New Zealand?

colinmarshall — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:59:55 -0800

What are the most eccentric, unusual travelogues of or guides to New Zealand — especially the North Island, and especially Auckland/Wellington — around? I'm heading to NZ in November and would rather not rely too heavily on the usual sorts of travel literature. You know what I mean: all that stuff packed with "If You Go" boxes and stories like "How I Climbed [mountain x]". So what's some of the odder preparatory material out there? I'd simply like to hear everything I wouldn't from, say, a Lonely Planet. Books, articles, blog posts, radio, films: any medium is acceptable.

Made in Australia?

Stylus Happenstance — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:18:22 -0800

How can I sell a fairly small number of t-shirts and/or stickers in Australia? I run a Facebook fan page (not for a celebrity or company or anything copyrighted) that has nearly 10,000 fans, and I'd like to try to sell t-shirts and such. For some reason unknown to me, the vast majority of my fans are Australian, and I'm American. Cafepress has an Australian site, but it still seems that the shirts ship from over here.

Is there a company that actually makes this kind of stuff and ships it from Australia? I really have no idea how many shirts I could sell, but I have several thousand Australian fans.

Don't drop your computer in the Antipodes

nax — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:33:01 -0800

Where can my daughter get her MacBook hard drive fixed in Christchurch NZ?

What musn't I miss in New Zealand?

thebabelfish — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:32:18 -0800

I've been studying abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand since early January. The semester is wrapping up quickly and I have a pretty undemanding finals schedule, leaving me with June to do more or less whatever I want minus two exams for which I have to be in Christchurch. What should I make sure I see in New Zealand before jetting back to the States in July? In the beginning of the year I was doing geological field work on both islands and managed to see the Port Hills, Castle Hill, the West Coast from Greymouth to Karamea (although very focused on just the geology), Hanmer Springs, Taupo, Mt. Ruapehu (climbed it!) and the Tongariro Crossing, Rotorua and the surrounding area, Lake Tarawera, and parts of the Bay of Plenty.

I've been to Lyttleton and Arthur's Pass multiple times, although there's still more in the Pass I could hike I'm sure. I've experienced the Wild Foods festival of Hokitika.

During my three week mid-semester break, I roadtripped and hiked near Mt. Cook, Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula, Invercargill by way of the coast, Stewart Island, Milford Sound, Queenstown, the Marlborough Sounds, and Nelson Lakes.

I missed climbing on the glaciers due to weather and our 12-hour drive from Queenstown to Nelson, but I did manage to eat a very small hunk of Fox Glacier. I'm also clearly missing out on large swaths of the North Island.

I'm itching to get out of Christchurch again. What must I absolutely see before leaving NZ? Additionally, what's in Christchurch that I must see when I'm stuck here?

How can I decide if it's time to go home?

Flying Squirrel — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:02:30 -0800

When it is time to pack up and go home? I am at a standstill trying to decide on whether it's time to go home to visit and refuel, or to keep living the Australasian dream. Family is important to me and I'm worried about my grandma. Almost a year ago, I was on here freaking out about doing a working holiday year in New Zealand. It turns out to have been the best year of my life (I'm almost 28.) The responses I got on that thread were amazing and true.

There were a couple rough spots to begin with (a bit of a struggle to get going at first, broke up with the boyfriend I came over with -- turned out to be for the best) but overall it has been the an amazing adventure and the richest and most rewarding year I've ever had.

I was able to work my way up to an amazing job as a communications adviser for a large government agency (best job I've ever had) and I have made some of the closest friends I've ever known. I've been able to travel to Thailand and Australia with new friends I've made, get scuba certified, and I've also seen lots of New Zealand. It's changed me a lot, for the better, most of all it's been really exciting, interesting, and fun nearly all of the time.

My work contract runs out at the end of June (can't get it renewed), and my visa runs out at the end of July. I've become really attached to a lot of people here and I get anxious when I think about leaving.

I've been thinking I might go do the working holiday in Australia, hopefully working in Melbourne. I've spent a bit of time in Australia (mostly in Melbourne) and loved it.

I only intended for this trip to last a year. I promised my grandma I'd come back to Canada, saying I was only intending on staying a year. (She was worried I'd move over here and never come back.)

I do miss my family, and I am starting to feel very detached from my former life.

I have always been very close with my grandma, closer than my own parents in some ways. She's an inspiration for me. I want to be able to spend some more time with her before she dies, which I hope isn't anytime soon.

She's 83, healthy - goes to the gym 3 times a week, sends me emails regularly, has an active social life, etc. We talk on the phone about once a week. But she's 83 -- should I go home and spend some time with her now, or keep going and spend a year in Australia?

More importantly, how do I get on with making a decision instead of in a state of paralysis?

I need to get going and apply for the Australian visa if I'm going to do it.

Some other points:

- Money is a factor. I've spent most extra money I've had on travelling, and if I go home, I'll have to spend 6 months or likely a year working to save up for the flight back.

- 'Home' in Canada (where my parents live, same town as my grandma) is a small town with a couple thousand people in it, an hour's drive from the closest city.

- I know the 'economic crisis' is also probably a factor but I can't be bothered to factor it in too much. It's bad everywhere, it's probably worse in Canada than Australia, and I'm content to take whatever job I can get.

- I guess Australia calls because I've had a great time every time I've been there, I love the crazy animals they have there that don't live anywhere else in the world, and the cities are bigger than in New Zealand. I've love to explore a lot of the country. Also, New Zealand is still close enough that I could come back and visit my friends here and travel around more.

- My family doesn't have the money to come and visit me so right now that's not an option (though I'd love to be able to save up enough to help bring them over here for a visit!)

- Cutoff age for working holiday visa in Australia is 30. NZ's is 35, and I can get another year long visa for NZ.

- Aside from being close to family and catching up with a couple close friends, I don't really have any desire to be back in Canada right now.

I'd be interested in hearing about people who have lived away from their home country for at least two years without a visit home in between. Or anyone else who has gone through a similar experience.

The 'worst-case scenario' voices in my head are screaming at me that my grandma is going to die and I didn't spend enough time with her, my dad is going to have a heart attack and I'm the last person to know, and something drastic is going to happen to my brother or sisters while I'm off gallivanting around the other side of the world.

Sorry this is rambled and incoherent -- my emotions are getting tied up and I really am having a difficult time getting anywhere with this decision.

How do I decide? How do you make decisions -- what works for you, pro and con lists?

What do you hate about New Zealand

nadawi — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:00:43 -0800

Tell me everything awful about New Zealand. My boyfriend and have been talking for a long time (longer than we've been together, actually) about wanting to go far, far away and live someplace near water like on an island. we've been throwing the idea of new zealand back and forth and before i sink too much time into research i thought you guys could tell me every negative about moving there.

about us: he's 33, i'm 27. we're both skilled in computers/tech support. we're both skilled in the service industry (him as a waiter, me as a retail monkey/studio photographer). we're fit, in good health, and willing to do just about anything for a job. we're american citizens and neither of us have traveled abroad. i wouldn't consider us rude/stereotypical americans. we don't eat fast food (much), we don't drive SUVs, we don't have a lot of possessions. we have basically no friends so no one to really leave behind. i'm a vegetarian, but would consider adding fish back to my diet if i could get them not factory farmed and fresh. he's been picked up for a minor traffic offense, but besides that neither of us have ever been in trouble with the law.

so, let us have it - why is this a terrible plan?

How much time should I spend in Wellington on a two-week trip to New Zealand?

Dasein — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:09:20 -0800

I'll be in New Zealand for two weeks (Apr 5-19), flying into and out of Wellington but spending my time traveling around the South Island. How much time should I spend in Wellington at the beginning or end of the trip? Should I head straight for the ferry, or is it worth spending a few days exploring Wellington and its surroundings?

Should I take the PADI course in Thailand or New Zealand?

Flying Squirrel — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:56:14 -0800

Should I get my PADI certification now in New Zealand or next month when I'm on vacation in Thailand? I am living in New Zealand, and am going on a three week vacation to Thailand at the end of March.

Before coming to New Zealand, I did an introductory scuba dive (I don't have the full open-water PADI certification) in Fiji and absolutely loved it. I want to get my open water certification now and do more diving whenever I can.

The vacation in Thailand is very loosely planned at the moment, but we will be spending lots of time at beachy places and are pretty much free to go wherever.

For those who have done the PADI open water course -- should I get it over and done with now, here in Wellington, NZ (where the visibility will not be great, but it could be slightly cheaper -- $400NZD)

Or should I wait and do it somewhere in Thailand while on vacation?

Thanks for your help!

Gift Card for a New Zealander?

slopepheasant — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:27:16 -0800

What are some major department stores or online stores in New Zealand? I am looking to buy a friend in New Zealand a gift card. Living in America, I don't really know what stores are commonly used in New Zealand. They are a young couple, so maybe home appliances? Or a department store? Does Amazon service down there? What stores should I be considering? Thanks in advance.

Can I work in New Zealand for the summer in the recession?

SamuelBowman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:33:39 -0800

Is it feasible to go to work in New Zealand for June-September period this year? If not, is it possible to go anywhere? I'm getting the itch to travel after I graduate from university this summer. I've never done any kind of work abroad so I'm apprehensive, especially given the times we live in. I'm from Ireland (if it's relevant) and I'd really like to go, with my girlfriend (this is a must), to New Zealand for the summer (well, it'll be winter there) and work. Is this possible at the moment, given the recession? I don't have enough money to pay for the trip beyond travel expenses etc, so if I can't work, I can't go.

I'm unskilled, but have worked quite a few different jobs and I'm willing to do practically anything. How do I find a short-term job on the other side of the world? WWOOFing sounds interesting, but I'm a little wary in case I end up in a Bart Simpson's French exchange situation. If you've done something like this, how was it?

I don't know enough about NZ to know whether South Island or Auckland (or wherever else) would be more interesting and fun, but I would love to see South Island (especially Fjordland) at some point during my time there. I'm also not 100% set on NZ, but I think it would be first in my list (and going somewhere outside North America/Europe is pretty essential). I don't speak anything except for English.

I can find things like visas, etc, out for myself, this is really about whether it's worth thinking about this at all. Would it be possible? Would it be worth it?

In short:
* I want to go somewhere amazing this June-September with my girlfriend. Preferrably not Europe or North America.
* We don't have much money, so we'll have to work, and we don't mind what we do. Working together is not essential, but living together is.
* It doesn't have to be New Zealand, but it would be pretty swell if it was.

I would love to hear thoughts, suggestions or experiences from anyone before I get my hopes up too high. This is my first question on Metafilter, if I've left something out just let me know!

Thanks in advance!

New Zealand Honeymoon Advice

chugg — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:54:04 -0800

Honeymoonfilter. Anyone have experience going on a campervan trip in New Zealand? I am a travel noob. I have travelled outside of Western Canada a total of three times in my entire life and as one might expect I am a little apprehensive about travelling so far away.

We are planning on going on our honeymoon in late September/Early October '09 and are intrigued by the thought of cruising the New Zealand countryside via campervan.

What we would like to know is:

1. Is it fairly hassle free?
2. Is there one rental company that is better than the others?
3. Should we splurge and get the luxe RV? (toilet and shower)
4. Is there ample camping?
5. Should we worry about crime? (again, scaredycat guy far away from comfort of home)
6. Is it touristy? As in busy with tourists or is it somewhat unpopulated?
7. How the weather this time of year?

I have read this question and have done some research on google but was hoping a New Zealander (ite?) or someone that has done it could provide a little insight.

Where in Los Angeles can I buy a travel adapter THAT WILL POWER MY LAPTOP in other countries?

drjimmy11 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:21:35 -0800

Where in Los Angeles can I buy a travel adapter THAT WILL POWER MY LAPTOP in other countries? So as mentioned previously, I'm headed to Australia and New Zealand. and I would like to use my U.S. electronics there.

Since all of them are rated 100-240v I only need an adapter, NOT a converter. I just ordered one off Amazon, and on the label it says 'cannot be used with Class 1 devices." Class 1 includes a laptop and just about anything I want to use.

So, I'm leaving the 24th. I need to buy a real adapter than can power real devices. Is there some kind of awesome travel store in L.A. that sells them? Eastside or Westside is ok.

thanks!

drug prices in NZ

moonlet — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:12:49 -0800

What will prescription medications cost an uninsured US resident who is buying them in New Zealand? First of all, I won't be actually uninsured. I'm quitting my job and heading to New Zealand for four months to backpack and pick apples. I'd prefer not to keep my present insurance through Cal-COBRA, because it's really expensive, so I'm applying for high-deductible insurance that includes overseas coverage. It won't cover my meds, because they're for a pre-existing condition.

I take 100mg Wellbutrin (bupropion) SR, and 50mg Luvox (fluvoxamine), daily. Even buying generic, without insurance they'd cost me something like $300/mo here.

My present insurance will let me buy only 60 days' worth of each medication at a time, and my psychiatrist will not prescribe me twice what I actually take. He will, however, write me scrips to take with. So, I need to either do something dodgy involving Canada, or actually purchase the meds in NZ.

I'm guessing they're not as expensive there as they are in the US, even for an un-government-subsidized foreigner. If they are, though, I may as well keep my COBRA insurance.

So. Any ideas how much it'll run me, or where I can go to find out?

I'm going to New Zealand- tell me everything!!

drjimmy11 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:01:59 -0800

I'm going to New Zealand- tell me everything!! Please tell me everything and anything that will help me have a cool, exciting, adventure in New Zealand. I'm flying into Auckland 12/26/08, leaving 1/12/09, and have only a vague plan so far.

About me: From Los Angeles, early 30s, have traveled to UK and Europe but that's about it. I'm a writer and plan to incorporate experiences from this trip into a semi-memoir/travel narrative/fiction hybrid kind of thing I want to write. I enjoy outdoorsy stuff, music, film and cultural stuff, and just chilling someplace quiet. I am not a tremendous fan of traveling by myself, but that is what I'm stuck with in this case- anything that would help me meet locals and have someone to talk to besides myself would be greatly appreciated. I am a "pescatarian" so no lamb, but do love good seadfood.

My original goal was to take this boat trip to NZ's sub-antarctic islands. I was put on a waitlist and haven't heard back, so that seems out. My plan now is to rent a car in Auckland and drive south, exploring along the way. I'll then take a boat to Stewart Island and hopefully hike the 3-day Rakiura Track, then drive back north.

So, I have many many questions:
1) What are the cool things I absolutely need to do in the big cities, Auckland and Christchurch?
2) Accommodations: I'm told it may be crowded during the high season- will I be ok just reserving a hotel in Auckland and booking as I go- or will I regret not booking everything in advance? I am not totally adverse to hostels, but would prefer a cheap-to-moderate, clean hotel at this point in my life.
3) New Year's Eve: Anything especially cool I should do?
4) "Farm stays" This concept intrigues me. Are there any in particular that are highly recommended? Are there any that are more vegetarian friendly, ie they wont ask me to hack the head off of anything or watch as they do? (I'm also considering stopping at Stonehaven homestay in Blenheim, since by all reports it seems to be the best thing ever, and I wouldn't mind exploring the wine country a bit.
5) the south island and the Southern Alps. The south island seems to be overflowing with natural beauty- is there any one thing I just can't miss? (love LOTR books but would prefer to forget the movies, so dont really need to see where they were filmed)
6) Stewart island- anything in particular I need to know about hiking and getting in/out? Do I need to reserve accommodations for the night I get there? I have read up on the hut system along the tracks, but will it be so crowded in summer that I should bring a tent in anticipation of them not having room? How badly will I regret it if I don't bring a stove and choose to just eat cold food for 3 days? I do have the (amusingly named to an American) "Tramping in New Zealand," and it does have a list of necesssary equipment. But what one thing will I regret not bringing? And what stuff i should I try to bring over from the US, and what should I buy/rent there?
7) If I go around quoting "Flight of the Conchords," will people find it amusing, or is everyone sick of it by now?

Whew. That is a lot. Sorry.

kiwi-filter: What's this ad from the 80's?

dasfreak — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:16:59 -0800

Help me identify this Australia baiting NZ advert from the 80's I can't for the life of me remember what the product was and youtube/google is giving me a blank. I vaguely recall it being for L&P

The advert starts with this older guy turning up at a farm in the outback. It's baking hot, red and there's the sound of flies buzzing about. They're talking sheep and the Aussie sys "We're getting nearly 3 to the acre" (cut to shot of manky sheep in middle of a field of dust) and the kiwi guy says "pushing it a bit aren't you?"

At the end of the ad two kids are playing cricket and one bowls underarm. The kid with the bat throws it down and says "trevor!" to which the kiwi bloke says "that boy could play for Australia one day"

And that's all I remember

What are your favorite smallish New Zealand towns?

nitsuj — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:37:13 -0800

What are your favorite smallish New Zealand towns? My S.O. and I will be spending a few months working (as telecommuting tourists) and living in New Zealand (among other places). We'll be flying into Auckland, but I'd rather find a smaller (but not too small) town to find a short-term, furnished, Internet-ready apartment to rent. Where do you recommend?

Bonus points for any tips on finding said apartment aside from the obvious (Craigslist, local newspapers, etc.).

Can I negotiate my new wage with the temp agency I'm hired through?

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:37:59 -0800

Can I negotiate my new wage with the temp agency I'm hired through? I recently got promoted at my job. At the time I was hired, I was very much in need of work, and although my background is in communications and graphic design, I was willing to take anything for the time being. I took the first job I was offered. It was supposed to be a 2 month contract, which now looks like it end up being nearly a year.

I am living in New Zealand, and registered with an employment agency (I am Canadian but have a work visa in NZ until the end of July.) The agency hired me for an admin job for a large branch of the government, and although they knew I wanted communications work, thought that this would be a good environment to work and expressed that it was only an administrative role. I was hired at $18NZD/hr.

So I started out doing admin work, was trained by the admin person before me. However, due to some shifting around of roles in the department, and the fact that I know InDesign and web design, and have several years of experience in Communications roles, I ended up taking on a lot more responsibility. I am now finding and writing stories, taking photos, and doing the layout of the weekly internal newsletter for the ministry, in addition to all the admin jobs I was trained for. I've been working here for about 3 months.

Because of the increased amount of responsibility, I talked to my manager and asked if it was possible to be hired by the ministry directly, rather than through the agency. I would also like to commit to them at least until the end of my visa, longer if it could be extended.

My manager pulled me in for a meeting today and said that they were really happy with my work, that they could extend the work until at least the end of July, and that they would like to offer me a raise to reflect the new role - she said they would pay $35 an hour, but that she wasn't sure how much the temp agency took off that. She said they couldn't hire me without the temp agency because they would have to pay a fee to buy out the contract.

This afternoon the temp lady called me, said she had spoken with my manager (she didn't know that I had spoken with the manager beforehand) and told me that the manager would like to give me a raise to $21 an hour (before taxes). I told her I was surprised, and said I had also talked with the manager and asked if the $14 per hour was the cut that the temp agency got. She got really uncomfortable and said "well, yes, it is a lot of work setting up these contracts." I asked if the manager was aware of that percentage, said I was just going to check with her and she said "well, I'll call her to confirm." She didn't seem to want me to go back and talk to the manager.

I guess my question is if there is any wiggle-room with the temp agency to get a slightly higher wage ($25/hr??) After talking with my manager, I was a bit disappointed that the temp agency gets such a large cut. Is this pretty standard?

I don't want to whine, but I also want to make sure that I'm getting paid a fair wage as it is a high-pressure job and I am also responsible for a lot of other management and planning duties in addition to the newsletter.

I haven't signed anything, and I'm wondering if I can go back to the temp agency and ask for a higher wage.

After I got off the phone with the temp lady, she called back a few minutes later and said "I did the calculations, and it looks like you'll actually be getting $21.63....is that OK with you???" I just asked her to send me through the forms but didn't say yes or no.

Should I just suck it up, not tell the manager what the temp agency charges (she told me she doesn't know) and be happy with the increase I got? Or is it worth investigating more?

I really like where I work, I like who I work with, and I work hard.

I have never worked for a temp agency before, and am surprised that they can command such a high fee for doing (what seems to me) very little.

Sorry for the longwinded question, and thank you for your help!

What to pack for one year?

Flying Squirrel — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:16:50 -0800

How to pack for one year? I am very ignorant of the logistics for what I'll need, despite having read onebag.com and other travel resources. I'd love to hear advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation!

My question is -- what type of luggage, and how much should I bring for one year?

I'm traveling to New Zealand in a couple days with my boyfriend. We're from Canada. We both have one year working holiday visas, no jobs yet. We're stopping in Fiji for 5 days on the way over, then flying to Auckland, where we have a hostel booked for 2 days. After exploring Auckland, we're going to travel around the north island for a little bit, and make our way to Wellington and decide which city we want to settle in. Since we will be in one place for an extended period of time, I'm not sure what type of luggage to use and how much to bring.

I was originally planning on bringing a suitcase on wheels, but got horrified reactions from everyone who has actually done this type of travel. (I have never traveled for more than 2 weeks). So I got a good, large, backpack, and despite my cringing at the thought of looking like a pretentious would-be mountaineer, I'm willing to do whatever is the most practical.

Do I try to fit everything into my 60L backpack? I'll also have a small carryon daypack as well. Is it a ridiculous idea to also bring a small suitcase for additional items to store somewhere until we get a permanent place?

Here's what I'm thinking about right now:
- I know I can buy everything I need. But New Zealand is more expensive than Canada for many things, and I don't know if I want to replace a lot of shoes, clothes, etc.
- I'm not concerned about the extra baggage charges (if any) for taking an extra suitcase. We're allowed two pieces of 20kg luggage before extra charges.
- how many pairs of pants, shirts, shoes, socks, underwear, etc. is right?

I'm sorry this question isn't more articulate -- I'm getting a bit frazzled in these last few days. I'd love to hear from anyone who has packed for a year -- what is the most feasible?'

Is a backpack really the way to go? This is the model I just got, although I may take it back if a suitcase is more reasonable.

This is the first trip of this kind I have ever been on, so please excuse my ignorance and I appreciate all your help!