Moving to New Zealand. What I Need to Know

Also, there is a considerable amount of material in the following two things:
1. Paul Holmes
2. stories about how New Zealand is perceived by others, especially murkins.

Te Papa's nice, although I don't know how it compares to other new style national museums.

Depending on where you're from Wellington might seem pretty small. There's actually quite a good cafe scene here.

It is very cheap to pop over to Australia for the weekend.

We drive on the left. Be prepared for wind. Visit the South Island.

1. it's cheap. also means no one is paid very much (especially in universities, vis a vis other countries), but you don't need so much. it just becomes an issue when travelling, and in buying anything imported (CDs are often US$25!!!). ie twice as much as in the US.

2. The food is generally really good. Plant a garden is you have the chance. Beer and local wines are good and cheap.

3. People dress down. Some would call it slobby...more just very casual.

4. The media is generally terrible. The Herald is an OK newspaper, every other one is shit. TV is bad, but it is in most places. Student radio is OK. Difficult to find intelligent political debate, in media, at least.

5. Buy a bike, or walk lots. Public transportation is not very good.

6. Wellington has a very limited band and club scene. Most people go to bars, and cafes during the day. Beware lots of 20something tedious people talking about coffee, weed, the wind, dub, nature. OK, there are worse topics, but there's also definitely a kind of crusty / hippie / anti-american, anti-corporate mindset that gets old fast.

7. It's often cold in Wellington, even in mid-summer. Go elsewhere. Houses almost never have central heating.

8. Eat fish n chips often and heartily.

9. Oh yeah, rubgy games will often make front page news. As will any New Zealander / NZ film that does well. It's stupid and small-minded.

Summers are actually hotter in Canterbury, which is in the South Island.

You could consider living on the Kapiti coast, which is about an hour north of Wellington and has a better climate, but transport might be a hassel because our main highway up that way is a national embarrassment (plus you don't want to be in the situation of trying to find a park at Victoria Uni) and the train, while better, is rickerty.

Oh, our Prime Minister is a woman, so is our head of state (and her representative) and our chief justice and our attourney general. The leader of the opposition is a character from Bleak House who has somehow managed to escape and now aspires to lead us.

And it is truly wonderful.

You will never be prepared for the changes in our weather, so don't even try to plan ahead. Get wet / hot / cold / blown away ( all in one day, every week ) and soon you won't even notice.

It isn't That cheap to live here, and the beer and wines are good but getting more expensive lately. However, you can get imported cd's for good prices ( less than US25 ) if you look around.

yeah public transport is shyte unless you are in Christchurch, ( in my experience that is ).I have to agree that tv is terrible, ( esp Paul Holmes ) radio just as bad apart from the Uni stations, and the NZ Herald is probably the only 'news' paper worth reading.

We have great pies.

Generally speaking, locals love talking ( proudly bragging ) about their 'patch', helping and showing newcomers around.

Travelling around takes a lot longer than the maps seem to portray.
We have a bizarre 'left turn' traffic rule, designed to confuse all tourists.

Our "beat police" are not usually armed.

Whatever else you do, make sure to spend a good amount of time exploring the West Coast of the south island, and further south.

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