Shocking Things About The Kiwi Lifestyle

There are a few things about the New Zealand lifestyle that may well prove surprising to foreigners either visiting there for longer periods of time or moving there outright.

There are a number of things that the country is already famous for, of course: the quality of sports betting NZ has to offer is world-renowned, the coffee is excellent, the people are very friendly, and, contrary to what most roasts about New Zealanders would have us believe, there aren’t actually that many sheep in the cities!

Public Transport Leaves Much to be Desired

One of the first things foreigners will experience, and struggle to understand, is how Auckland, a huge international city with more than a million people living there, has managed to create such a complicated method of public transportation for its denizens to make do with.

The first shocker is that there isn’t a train linking the airport to the city, which has become a norm for cities of this size worldwide, but more surprises await…

It’s not actually possible to survive in New Zealand without a car, unless you’ve made your home in the CBDs of either Wellington or Auckland. Although train travel is possible around the country, it remains expensive, infrequent, and takes a very long time to cover even short distances.

Mobile Internet Speeds are Excellent

On a more positive note, the mobile Internet speeds in New Zealand are very fast, and very reliable. Australians especially are happily surprised by the speeds and reliability of 3G and 4G internet connections on the go: unlike Down Under, where network overloads and system faults are the order of the day, the service in New Zealand is pretty perfect.

Very few travellers expect that a country as small as this one is capable of offering its inhabitants 4G network speeds that can stream video at 100mbps. The downside, however, is that the mobile companies offering mobile data have relatively small caps in place.

Things Can Be Expensive

This is particularly true for Americans, who can look at playing a little bit more for everything from petrol through to milk and makeup. Prices are around double in New Zealand when compared to those in the United States, and although this can make sense for imported items, it is surprising that even local items and services which do not have that far to travel from the point of production to the point of sale can cost a lot more than what you’re used to.

Administration is Excellent

In many countries worldwide, but particularly Europe and Britain, administrative tasks like getting gas and electricity and opening bank accounts can take weeks, and sometimes months, to get done. New Zealand is different.

You can do these things, all of these things, in just one day! The low level of bureaucracy involved in the daily administration in New Zealanders’ lives is a happy surprise for foreigners. Just don’t be so shocked that you’ve called a helpline and had it answered by a real person in a matter of minutes that you drop the call!