Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nz

Making the move: Australia --> New Zealand

simplesharps — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:36:55 -0800

What's involved in moving from Australia to New Zealand? I've been flirting with the idea of moving over to NZ for at least two or three years after thoroughly enjoying myself a couple of years ago on holidays.

I've done a little bit of googling and found a few sites, but I'm after more specific information:

- Does Australia have some agreement with New Zealand that allows both citizens to move and work freely in either?
- What process, as an Australian, would I have to follow, ie - 1) get job offer, 2) apply for residency etc...

There are quite a few jobs of interest (web design) on seek.co.nz in the area I'm after so that shouldn't be a problem.

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.

Where to find albums by Donna Savage, if any?

elmono — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:05:04 -0800

Anyone know what happened to NZ singer Donna Savage? She sang with the Dead Famous People and on Saint Etienne's second single . She also did the magnificent background vocals for "Heavenly Pop Hit" by The Chills. I read somewhere that she released a solo album, but it was a long time ago and my memory is not what it used to be. Can anybody help. Thanks!

How do I turn apple (pies) into kiwis?

hal_c_on — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:15:56 -0800

How do I get New Zealand dollars within the United States? So I am permanently moving to NZ within the next 9 months or so from the United States. I have a savings account in the states that has not been touched in years (except to add more to it).

How do I take advantage of the good US dollar and put my savings into NZ dollars? I don't want to do it AFTER I move there (which is what all the NZ bank websites are wanting me to do).

Again, this money will NOT be touched, and I don't need access to it until I get to NZ (if that matters). I just want to take advantage of the good US dollar right now.

I don't need any advice about how I should be investing, or stock tips. I don't want to become a foreign exchange trader. I just want to turn a good portion of my savings that is just sitting there into NZ currency...something I will have to do in 9 moths anyways. How do I do this today?

Also, if you have more questions for me, I will be watching this post so I can can answer them!

Thanks metafilter, you guys are awesome.

Do you know this Sam Hunt poem?

routergirl — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:22:56 -0800

"Burying my Father," by Sam Hunt. Does anyone know this poem? A good friend of mine just lost her father. She's looking for a specific poem by Sam Hunt, and hoping to find it somewhere on the internet. We've been searching all day and have struck out. Although there is loads of poetry on the 'net, Sam Hunt seems strangely...absent. From what she tells me, it's only "about six lines". She's in NZ, and I'm in the states, and with little I can do to help her in this time, this seemed like something that might be possible.

I checked Amazon for books by Hunt, but many of them are out of print, and I can't even find a reference to the poem anywhere. Can anyone help me find this poem? Either the poem itself, online, or a book that contains it?

How to get to the land down under the land down under.

hal_c_on — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:19:13 -0800

What is the best way for an American nuclear family (2 adults, kid) to emigrate to New Zealand with permanent residency? We have SCOURED through tons of NZ emigration websites. We kinda know the ins and outs of the process, but want to know more than just THEORY.

My wife and I (along with the kid) are all us-born citizens. We're both college grads (one with advanced degree), make adequate money, have NEVER been in trouble with the law, and are in great health in our early 30s. We're thinking Auckland, but if it were non-Auckland vs. non-NZ, we would definitely move somewhere else (Christchurch, Wellington, etc).

We are waiting to finish up a few things in the states this summer (academics, legal stuff, etc), before we actually send in an "expression of interest". After this summer, we want to get to NZ asap. We want to move there, start jobs there, setup all aspects of our life there.

Anybody have any tips? Should we do something first, or not until we get there? Does anybody want to trade residency in NZ for ours in the US (haha...unless we can actually do that)? What helps, what is a detriment?

Any legitimate help would be appreciated. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them asap. Please feel free to send me mefi mail as well if you don't want to post here.

My god, I love this site. Thanks mefites.

snappy situation

troika — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:50:19 -0800

Where can I get 120 film (for a Holga) in Washington, DC and Auckland, NZ? Is mail order my only option? Also, regading developing: is mail order my only option?

How do I move tiny valuable things around the world?

szechuan — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:49:31 -0800

Great Aunt dies in Spain, bequeaths jewellry to relatives in New Zealand. How do we get it there? I've got reliable recipients in London, so my first thought was for Great Uncle to FedEx or similar to there, but this now seems a bit too much for him to cope with. Short of flying to Spain to collect in person, is there an option I am missing?

Rent-a-lackey?

Helga-woo — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:13:08 -0800

New Zealand volunteering: I'm going to New Zealand, and I want to do some volunteering when I get there... any suggestions? Ok, so my family have been planning this trip of a lifetime for about 20 years. It's simple, go to New Zealand for about a month, see various friends and relations, watch some cricket, drive about a bit in a camper van. This is all great and good, but, I'm now 29, and I think I will go mad if I have to spend 4 weeks in a camper van with my parents. My sister has friends working over there, so she has an easy escape route. I need to create one. So I'm looking for some volunteering I could do when I get there. Ideally it would be some sort of working holiday type thing, that lasts about a week (something like what BTCV or the National Trust offers in the UK). So any recommendations that offer opportunities like that would be cool, and I'm open to other ideas.

I've got skillz! I've worked for some of the biggest NGOs in the UK on volunteering, I've got tons of professional and voluntary experience in everything from environmental conservation to youth work to fundraising to event organisation (including with the aforementioned BTCV and National Trust)... so personal recommendations for organisations where a slightly-less-than-clueless Brit could make themselves useful for a week, would also be fab!

I'm going to be there from end of February to end of March 2008, the actual dates aren't fixed yet, but will be soon.

Also, I know that BTCV is currently offering a working holiday in NZ at that time, but it's 2 weeks, and a bit expensive. I don't care about the extra tours and stuff, trust me, my mother has already put together a plan of military precision so that's already taken care off. I just want to ease my guilty conscience about the 23 hour flight and meet some new people. Plus I'm thinking something organised directly with local organisations might be cheaper. I'm happy to pay though.

How do I make myself the best flatmate?

chrisbucks — Fri, 18 May 2007 04:40:56 -0800

Flathunting: How do I convince people that I'm the perfect new flatmate for their established flat? I've been hunting for a new flat since I moved out after a break up, and so far havent had perfect results. Most say they'll get back to me in a few days, and then I hear nothing.

I figure the reasons for this are... age (I'm only 21, but been out of home for 3 years), but possibly there is more... I'd say I'm fairly interesting, creative and sociable but I dont exactly extrude an enthusiastic out going nature, I'm pretty quiet but can still hold fairly decent conversation, so what do I need to say to convince people that I'm the perfect addition to their house? What's better, talking about yourself or asking people about themselves? (Not wanting to come through as self-involved).

This will be my 4th time looking for a flat (moving each time for various reasons), I should know how this is done, but this is the first time in a 'competitive' market.

How does a busy student turn more coin?

chrisbucks — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 00:11:31 -0800

How do i turn some coin without ruining my studies? I'm in the 4th year of my degree which i should have finished a while ago, due to pressure to pay rent each week I've been working a lot, and subsequently failed a lot of papers due to pressures all around. I cant get government support. As simple as possible: I am ineligible for government student allowances due to my parents income, (despite not having lived with them/or been supported by them for over 2 years) the only thing the govt can offer is $150NZD weekly loan (interest free) and I usually have an aversion to borrowing money.

My current job is a no brainer and usually work alone with not much to do (it's usually phone work where I wait for the work to come to me, and I get paid regardless). What kind of activities can I do which would earn me more money without having to invest too much time or capital? I just turned 21 so, currently still fairly unskilled in the job market.

I'm thinking...
-Selling things via Trademe (NZ version of eBay)
-I'm a novice screen printer, so printing blank t shirts and selling them on-line.
-selling my photographic prints online or other places.
-proof reading, and editing (not sure how to find these jobs at piecemeal rate, and only via email -outsourcing and such).

any alternative income ideas would be great, also, should I take that loan? Given that it is interest free until i start earning above $X a year. I currently earn about $50NZD after rent and some food. Help me get my girlfriend to Fiji at the end of the year! :-)

Watching the Olympics in NZ?

myopicman — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 18:19:55 -0800

What should I expect for New Zealand media coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics? I'll be visiting NZ for 5-6 weeks in February and March and I'm curious what radio and television coverage of the Winter Olympics will be like. For sure, there'll be a focus on the local athletes and teams, like the skiers, but I'm wondering how I were to idly see if the hockey tournament will be aired. I know I can get results on the Internet, so I'm more into figuring out what the bars and pubs will be broadcasting whenever I'm not tramping about.

Compensation for airline delay - esp Air NZ, Star Alliance?

i_cola — Sat, 03 Apr 2004 19:06:47 -0800

Airline woes
I'm currently sitting in a hotel at Auckland Airport (New Zealand) when I should be loafing on a beach on the island of Raratonga in the Pacific as the flight I was due to take at 11.15am was cancelled due to a mechanical defect. I'm not happy (more inside)... I've been put up in the hotel, 'allowed' lunch & dinner (no drinks of any kind) & transfers from & to the airport. I'm on the next flight out of here...the bus leaves the hotel at 4.30am *whimper* tomorrow morning.

I know that the airline (Air New Zealand, part of the Star Alliance) are proably doing what their terms & conditions state ut as I'm missing out on a day of beach & sun (I only get 5 nights in Raratonga now) I'm I out of line for feeling under-compensated?

Anyone with similar experience with other airlines (esp. other Star Alliance memers, eg Singapore Airlines, Virgin)?

NZ Tattoos

Jimbob — Fri, 06 Feb 2004 17:12:13 -0800

Tattoo parlours of New Zealand: Which? I'm going on a holiday in New Zealand next week, and I've decided I'd like to get a new tattoo done while I'm there. My experiences of tattoo parlours in Australia is that there are two sorts: scary, biker-run ones, and friendly, new-age hippy ones. My previous experiences with New Zealand suggest that the former may be more common there. So do any locals have any reccomendations of a friendly, clean, inexpensive shop? I will be in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Bay of Islands, and Rotorua, and am looking to have a simple, black, pacific-islander design done (not, however, with the traditional method!)