I figured i’ve been here long enough now (3 months) to give some decent insight to anyone thinking of traveling here (especially from the states). It’s not everything, but it’s hopefully a good brief guide to things that you should know and things I found out along the way…

WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO BRING
New Zealand is known for its campervans and backpackers. There is always a decent place to stay for pretty cheap, whether it is more of a hostel, motel or your own vehicle! If you are going to rent a place you will end up paying weekly (instead of our monthly) so make sure you take that into account when looking at pricing. Do some research and figure out what option is best for you. Buying cars here are very easy to do (they use TradeMe for everything… it’s their version of Craigslist) and if you are staying for a long time buy a car, renting will be way too expensive. Getting a campervan can be fun and cost efficient and there are so many places to stay with them and they all seem very safe. Make sure to bring whatever you need clothing and toiletry wise because it will be costly to try and buy it here. I brought big things or shampoo and conditioner for my whole time here from BJs for $10 each. Pack light, you don’t need much. I haven’t even used everything in my 1 suitcase of clothes I brought. It’s warm 90% of the time here too. In winter, you may need some boots and a jacket for the mornings and night, but other than that some shirts, shorts, pants and sneakers/flip-flops will you get you through your time here. Here they sold the same brand, half the size, on sale for almost $20. And bring the obvious things: a couple forms of id (passport is a given), any prescription medicines you need and your travel insurance information (prices will vary depending how long you stay and if you have any pre-existing injuries or conditions. Also there are a lot of different ones depending where you’re from but look online. Traveling for 3 months shouldn’t cost you more than $100 or so a month. And don’t be stingy, it’s worth it to get it just in case anything happens and they usually cover just about everything!).

THE METRIC SYSTEM
Learn it if you can, it’ll make life a whole lot easier to know some basic conversions (for some reason the US is the only country worldwide that doesn’t use it as their official form of measurement). Kms were the easiest for me because when it comes to running a lot of races are 5 or 10k. 5ks are around 3 miles (3.1 to be exact) and 10ks, 6.2. The weather and oven temperatures were a funny adjustment reading and trying to convert them into Celsius. And good luck figuring out your weight in kgs haha, it’s a little less than half. And know that when someone says they’ve gained or lost “a stone” it means 7kg, which is a good 15 pounds!
1 km= .6 miles
1 degree Celsius= 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit
1 kg= 2 lbs 3 oz
1 m= 3 feet 3 3/8 in
1 cm= .4 in

GADGETS
Your phone, electronics and DVDs may actually not work here. I went to play a DVD I brought and the screen read, “Due to foreign restrictions you can not view this program at this time”. And I tried to watch a show on hulu or ABC online and it was all blocked. Go to a cheap $2 shop if you don’t want to spend the $20 or so dollars at the airport or gift shops. They all work the same. Be careful when plugging heavy duty things such as your laptop in. Be sure your convertor can withstand the wattage and doesn’t go into flames like one of our friend’s laptops did. Also, unless you are okay with clearing your phone and shipping it away for $80 you may need to just buy a whole new phone. I did and went with Vodaphone at first and ended up switching to Telecom and like it a lot better. It is a pain having two separate phones, but at least I didn’t have to clear my old one and I would’ve paid just a little more to get a whole new phone. The phone plans are WAY different than in the states. Usually you pay for the amount you’re going to use beforehand. Then you add a plan either by calling or just adding it on your settings. And when you top up you do the same. Don’t do what I did the first time and not know that YOU have to add your own plan. I ended up topping up so much and the money getting drained by all the data I used. The best thing I did most recently was get the $19 value pack which lasts a month (unlimited texts, good amount of minutes calling and 500mb), but then added another $29 which gave me another 3GB of data which is mostly what I used to talk to people from home. It sounds like a lot of money to spend a month, but for me it was worth it to not be constantly topping up. Some of the best apps I found to keep in touch with your family and friends while here are:

Tango–> My favorite because you can message/call like you would at home, plus it also has video calling

Skype–> Probably the most well known connection tool and a good one if you’re calling from your laptop (most people won’t get tango or what’s app on a laptop because they are for cell phones or tablets). I really only use this one if i’m using my laptop to Skype people. The problems with Skype were poor connection (on both ends, numerous times) and sign in issues. And this turned out to be really frustrating for everyone when you have such a limited calling window with time difference/wi-fi access.

What’sApp–> a good easy messaging system that is the easiest to use out of all of them. Can also send pictures & video messages

FaceBook messager–> the one most people have and go on, there is also a new calling feature that calls like a regular phone too

MY SECRET SPOT
I know i’m a dork but one of the first things I did when I got settled was get a library card. Going to the library is by far the best travel tip I can give you. The libraries here give you free wi-fi too, so I basically lived here. And when I wanted to Skype or Tango, I usually sat outside on a park bench or on the grass and got to. Plus, it was where I was able to do some school research, upload pictures and work on all of my blog postings as well. Also, books are SO expensive so it’s a great way to read the paper, magazines or a good book for nothing. There are also DVD rentals for relatively cheap $2 or so (DVDs here can also CRAZY expensive to rent- $13 for new releases) and they have carts of pre-read books and used puzzles for 50cents too if you do decide you want to buy one. And from what i’ve seen there is a library in just about every large town or area which means it won’t be a problem finding one. You can also go to any Starbuck’s and a lot of cafes will have free wi-fi as well… just ask for the password and you’re good to go!

MONEY, MONEY
Make sure to let your bank/credit card companies etc. know that you are traveling overseas. The bank charged me a $5 fee to take money out of an international atm and my credit cards charged me 3% on each purchase (some may not charge you and some will even go down to 1% if you’re lucky). The reason you have to let them know you’re traveling is because they will actually freeze your card if they think there is fraudulent activity and if someone is buying something in New Zealand and the card holder is from New York, that is kind of a red flag. You may even need to let them know more than once because about a month or so into my trip my Visa was declined and it was my main form of payment (my bank account hadn’t been finalized yet). I got a little nervous because I knew there was plenty left on the card. Plus, I had to top up and add international calling and pay A TON to call my credit card company to see what was going on. Another heads up, add a parent or a spouse/sibling in the states to your account too in case this happens. This way, they can call for you and take care of it. So back to my story, I called and the Visa lady said, well we stopped your card because there was a charge in Warkworth, NZ and we didn’t think this was right. I told her I was currently living there and she goes, oh wait, yep it says right here in the notes you called and let us know that. So even as prepared as you think you may be, always expect something to go wrong and to have to fix it overseas. Another thing I learned about were was the conversion rate (the US dollar is worth a lot here which is good). Shop around to find the best one. If you are a part of a bank, they’ll usually give you a great one and you can put your American money right into your account. Right now the US dollar is worth .86 NZ dollars or 1 NZ dollar is worth $1.16 American. The rates will change a good amount, just shop around to find the lowest. If you’re in a big city like Auckland don’t just stop at the first one you see on Queen St., walk a little and compare them all because the little bit of research will be worth the few dollars in the end.

DRIVING

Like I said in one of my first blog postings, poor Sam. Thank goodness we were able to get a proper car for me to meander the windy, extremely hilly roads (thanks Amy!). Knock on wood, I have been doing fairly decent driving on the left side of the road (Sam don’t laugh). Every now and then (like today for some reason) I will go to get in on the wrong side of the car, but for the most part i’m getting used to it. Roundabouts are a real killer (make sure to give way to the car on the right). There are some roundabouts that are quite simple and some, like the one here in Warkworth, is a nightmare. Make sure if you are passing a toll, try and pay it before hand or within a few days otherwise you will get a $5 charge and a notice in the mail. The cars are a little different here too. You’ll see models and brands you haven’t before and will hear words like ute, which is their word for a truck. If you choose to buy a car, make sure it has an up-to-date registration and warrant on it as well. These just say that the car is registered to the appropriate person and the warrant will show that everything on and in the car is working the way it should. There will be random checks for this all the time while cars are parked/passing a police vehicle and in the beginning of the month in various towns, which is why it’s a good idea to make sure this is taken care of so you don’t get a warning or ticket.

NO SHOES, NOT A PROBLEM!
I was so used to the No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service signs back at home that when I came here and found out I didn’t have to wear shoes I was ecstatic. It’s obviously a good idea to where them anywhere there is food and to the bathroom, but other than that it is pretty optional and being that it’s beautiful out most of the time and I always forget to bring them, this has been the best for me.

RUGBY IS EVERYTHING
I mean I knew it before I came here, but I guess I didn’t realize the true extent of it. From television commercials to childhood hero’s rugby is the main sport here. There is also soccer, women’s netball, field hockey, swimming, running etc. But rugby is the type of thing you’re bound to see when you see a field in a local town or on tv Friday to Monday afternoon and nights, with repeats during the week. Now there is a difference between the rugby that is on tv here, which may be good to know. Super Rugby is probably what we’ve seen the most in the states. It consists of a scrum and is what the All Blacks play. The New Zealand teams are the Chiefs, Blues, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders. These teams play against other Super Rugby teams from Australia and South Africa. The NRL is Rugby League and is a little quicker (in my opinion) and is actually pretty different. Take it from Benji Marshall… New Zealand has one team, the Warriors, and it has been like being a Jets fan. You love them and they’re your favorite team , but they are so unpredictable and inconsistent. It is more of an Australian sport but you will see tons of kiwis walking around in league gear, especially shorts. I even caved and got a pair of my own. I have been to Auckland Nines, a league tournament which was nuts and a Warriors game when my Mom came. I suggest taking in at least one rugby game (either Super Rugby or league) if you are here. Even local teams like the Mahurangi Club in our area here are fun to watch on a nice weekend.

FOOD & DRINKS
I had heard of fish and chips before coming here and didnt know how much a part of life it really was. You will find a lot of fish & chip shops (at least one per town), a ton of cafes and believe it or not Indian restaurants. Just so you know too, chips are french fries not our potato chips. Cafes are where you’ll find breakfast, a big breakfast or pie being a staple. A big breakfast is 2 poached eggs, toast, sausages, a roasted tomato and usually sautéed mushrooms. Pies are made for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks. Their pies are savory, mince, steak and cheese, all sorts. Indian restaurants and curry dishes are also extremely common. A fun thing to do is BYO at a local Indian restaurant with friends. Be careful though because food is COSTLY compared to the states (ex. Mushrooms are $NZ 6.99 a kg here). Eating out costs quite a bit. Also, you can tip put people here usually don’t (because their wages account for the tip generally) unless the service is that good and you get up to pay when your meal is done.

There are so many different (wonderful) foods here. I have fallen in love with the cookie (it’s called a biscuit here) called Gingernuts. It’s quite hard, but when dunked in tea is so yummy. I have also gotten into pies and the fruit, Persimmon which is to me a much sweeter and softer apple. And when I go to the supermarket, there are a lot of things I recognize, but are called something different. Beets are beetroot and they are extremely common on your hamburger believe it or not! Peppers are called capsicum, zucchini is called courgette and their yam/sweet potato is kumara. You won’t find many berries because they are not grown here and the season has to be right. If you do, know that they will be quite expensive. Other things you’ll notice are cups of tea are called cuppa and the word tea is used for dinner or meal time. There are tons of fruit trees, Sam’s mom had a fig tree in her yard and one of the houses we lived in had trees filled with lemons and limes (limes are yellow here too- confusing I know), perfect for drink making. And speaking of drinks, mixed drinks are the norm, Billy Mavericks (bourbon and cola), Canadian Club (whiskey and ginger ale), Vodka Cruisers (vodka and juice). Beer and wine are also very popular (we live in wine country, by Matakana and have some really cool wineries by us) and you’ll find good Tui and Red Lion beer most places.

LANGUAGE
Words you’ll hear a ton of are: algood, sweet as, keen (my personal favorite), heaps (a lot), mate (more Aussie but people still use it here), mrs (someone’s partner), partner (boyfriend/girlfriend) and ay (at the end of most sentences). There are also some things that we’re used to, that are called something completely different, flat= house/apartment, boot= trunk, lollies= candy, ice block= ice pops, bum= butt, pudding= dessert, tea= dinner, chilly bin= cooler, chips= fries. Then there are the Maori words like Kia ora (hi, welcome, greetings, be well), which you probably heard on Air New Zealand and ta (thanks). A lot of towns consist of them and they can start with wh but are actually the f sound, whangateau is actually fung-ah-tee-ow (ask Sam how terribly I mispronounced this one when I first got there haha).

If you plan on staying in New Zealand for more than 3 months I would suggest:

1. Open up a bank account- the fees for all of my cards started to rack up and I could not wait to have my own bank account to use when I was here. It also helps because when you have a job (and an IRD/tax number etc.) your money can be directly deposited into this account. Plus, if you plan on staying longer than 3 months, the New Zealand address on your account will help you with time towards your residency. If you are working an IRD number is mandatory, so much sure to apply online for one too.
2. Buy a car- renting cars can be rather expensive and buying and selling cars here are so easy. TradeMe really is the best resource for this or the local car auctions. There may be a fee here and there, but you should be able to find a decent working car for a few thousand and it will be way cheaper than renting! Just make sure you test it out and see it before buying it, because you certainly don’t want a dud!
3. Get a New Zealand driver’s license or id card- This will make your life a whole lot easier. I have actually been refused because of my New York id and sometimes Sam too because they thought he was buying me alcohol and I was underage lol. And there was no way I was carrying my passport around everywhere!

There are a ton more things that i’m missing i’m sure, but i’ll add as I go. Hope this helps and hope everyone gets their butts to NZ real soon!