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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.

What's the deal with outrageously cheap airlines?

drjimmy11 — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:49:56 -0800

Air Pacific: too good to be true? I am looking at visiting New Zealand this Dec/jan. I just looked up roundtrip flights from Los Angeles to Auckland. Everything is around $2600, except two from Air Pacific, which are under $1400. They have one stop in Fiji.

Before I buy, I'm wondering if I'm missing something. Why so cheap? I googled reviews and found nothing terrible, except one person claiming they were stranded on Christmas Island for 3 days, which actually sounds fun to me.

So, has anyone flown Air Pacific? Is there a catch? Are these prices common or is it some kind of fluke I need to jump on right this second?

Thanks!

Does Australian credit record follow you to New Zealand?

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:08:33 -0800

I currently live in Australia, but my boyfriend and I are planning to move to New Zealand in the near future. Unfortunately, I went through a messy divorce so my credit record here in Australia isn't very good. We're moving overseas to leave the rat race behind and ideally have a fresh start, but I'm worried my bad credit is going to follow me. I've done a bit of research, but have received mixed answers as to whether or not the credit travels. In fact, my boyfriend is actually from New Zealand and when he moved here he was told his credit would follow him, but when he recently applied for a loan the banker told him his New Zealand record doesn't matter. However, on the other hand, when I was doing my research, the same bank said "Yes, it follows you."

So, needless to say, I'm confused. Any info - perhaps personal experience - would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

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.

Bring me your solar wind and magnetosphere

Helga-woo — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:57:12 -0800

Will I see the southern lights in New Zealand? I'm going to New Zealand on Monday and staying for about 4 weeks. We're going as far south as Dunedin and staying there for a few days. Any chance we'll might see the Southern Lights? Any at all?

I know it's a bit of a long shot, as the sun is going through a quiet period, I subscribe to the Aurora watch email and there hasn't been one sent for ages.

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.

A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree

samsarah — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:48:35 -0800

Does anyone know where I could find a downloadable (preferably free) version of the New Zealand Christmas carol "A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree?" I'm trying to make a holiday mix for a friend from New Zealand. I've googled and googled and have not been able to find one anywhere...

Gracias.

Can we clear customs with homemade dehydrated food packets?

HappyHippo — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 12:06:54 -0800

My lovely wife is planning a hiking trip in New Zealand. This will be her first hiking adventure out of North America. Recently she has started to dehydrate her own food for her multi-day hikes. No preservatives, more tasty, less expensive, and all that. Can she pack this in her luggage and expect to clear customs? Thanks in advance for all your help!

Any country with penguins is good by me

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:06:45 -0800

Heading to New Zealand for a year. I feel like I have a good handle on the basics of work and living, but I still have a lot of questions. I'll be in New Zealand for a year beginning in September. I have a one-year work visa, obtained through BUNAC. Here's the plan: I fly into Auckland and make my way fairly quickly to Wellington, where I'd like to settle for four or so months. I've picked Wellington mainly because it's smaller and more manageable than Auckland and just seems a bit cooler. I want to earn as much money up front as possible. I have a list of temp agencies, businesses, and shops to contact. I also have a skill set that may allow me to freelance. After a few months of working and saving money, I'd like to start traveling around, picking up work when and where I can. Is this the best way to handle the whole working holiday thing? What's the best way to find rooms in central Wellington for sublet? Is there anything I should be doing, reading, watching before I go to help me prepare? I'm particularly interested in educating myself about the culture and politics of New Zealand and possibly getting involved with environmental or, more specifically, urban sustainability groups while I'm there.

I've read the previous NZ plans, but any other (general or specific) NZ advice is appreciated. Sorry about the anonymity. My employer doesn't yet know I'm leaving.

The Educationalist Path Less Taken

trinarian — Sun, 13 May 2007 08:06:36 -0800

Where does my educational experience fit into my future? I'm 26, head teacher with an international education exchange program, and a former high school social studies teacher. I have a B.A. in Political Science but no real certification, though I do have one masters-level classroom management class under my belt. I want to enroll in a master's program for international education on the Western side of the Asia-Pacific region.

Teaching will be my career. I'm a good at it and want to eventually teach would-be teachers about different education systems around the globe. Ideally, I'd love to find an online program with a reputable university and keep working in China.

That's not likely, so the big question is what kind of jobs can I expect to find if I move to Hong Kong, Australia, or New Zealand to work on a masters? So far the situation looks bleak. An email to NZ immigration led to me being told bluntly that I'm not qualified and everything non-TEFL in HK looks the same way.

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! :-)

New Zealand Filter

dbiedny — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:44:42 -0800

New Zealand Filter: Please help me identify this cool compound... So I'm traveling around the world via Google Earth, and I find myself looking at New Zealand - specifically, the North Island and the city of Wellington. Looking down at the airport, my eyes notice that the tip of the land mass northeast of the airport appears to be a huge compound of some sort. It's greener that the surrounding areas, and includes a very large building, as well as some sort of cool structure at S 41 17' 6.36". Anyone have any idea what this is? Peter Jackson's private mansion?

NZ with kids - where to stay, what not to miss?

chr1sb0y — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:52:24 -0800

Me, my wife, and our 2 sons (3 and 6) need a peaceful, pleasant, and somewhat inexpensive place to stay for 3 days or so near Auckland, NZ. We will have a rental car. Got any suggestions? (Bonus - what's not to be missed with kids, 'round Auckland, Wellington, and Nelson areas?) We will be in New Zealand in December/January for 3 weeks for a big family reunion, plus some general vacationing. We're coming from the states, and my wife and I have been to NZ numerous times before.

How to get another foreigner into the US?

mariokrat — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 22:33:40 -0800

Can I get my fiance in the US? I'm a Canadian grad student in the US on an F-1 visa. My fiance is a citizen of New Zealand. We're looking for a way to bring her here that will let her work (we're both far too poor to make things work with an F-2). Right now, her entering the Green Card lottery seems to be the best option, but is there anything we're not thinking of? We've both been looking for jobs she can apply for, but the region I'm in doesn't seem to have a great job market, even for the locals (Albany region in NY). She's got a four-year university degree from a prestigious school in Japan, but jobs in her field are not very common or lucrative so an H1-B visa seems like only a distant possibility.

Or.. Should I pack up and finish school in New Zealand? This isn't out of the question, but I'd face issues finding a good academic fit.

So, is there a way she can come to the US so that we won't both be living on cup noodle, or should we wait until I get a proper job?

Car rental recomendations in New Zealand?

chr1sb0y — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:35:56 -0800

Does anyone have any recommendations/horror stories for car rental in New Zealand? We're coming from the US. We'll be driving for about 2 weeks with our 3 and 6 yr old boys, and we'll need a car seat too - and probably a mini-station-wagon - so we probably want to avoid Rent-a-Dent. (FYI - we've rented and driven in NZ before, but not with kids and their associated complications.)

Universities and student life for a Ph.D. in New Zealand in English Lit

lumiere — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 17:04:10 -0800

I would like to go to school (for a PhD in English Literature) in New Zealand and would very much like some advice. [more inside] A bit of background: I have a BA from a Canadian univeristy and am currently working on an MA in England (with a dissertation focusing on aboriginal literature in Canada, cultural hybridity, and legitimacy). New Zealand universities seem to cover aboriginal literatures well (not just Maori literature) and I do think they are likely to offer programs and have supervisors that would be compatible with my interests (and, obviously, are in very attractive locations).

I've thoroughly scoured English department websites, identified but not yet contacted potential supervisors, and am continuing to research any possibility of external funding. I would, though, love some advice regarding universities in New Zealand. Which universities are well regarded (recognizing that 'reputation' doesn't mean too much but does help one get a job)? Are there schools or locations you might recommend over others? Why would you recommend particular schools/locations? How much money is required to live at a decent student-type standard in New Zealand? Or, conversely, would you recommend staying in the UK (Warwick and Durham are my choices here)?