New Zealand

Life in General

Business Hours 
Banks 9:00am to 4:30pm - can vary slightly. Otherwise, Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:30pm. Late night for shopping is either Thursday or Friday. Changes to the Shop Trading Hours Act means that most shops are open for longer hours than this. Almost all are open Saturday morning, many are open on Sunday with some shops and markets remaining open later during the week.

Automatic teller machines are widely available including a system in many supermarkets and petrol stations called EFTPOS where you can buy goods with your card and a PIN number and/or obtain cash. All international credit cards are accepted in New Zealand. Travellers cheques can be changed in banks, hotels, stores, etc. 
There is no restriction on the amount of foreign currency which may be brought into or taken from New Zealand. Funds may be in the form of bank notes, coins, travellers cheques or any other instrument of payment. Visitors may convert surplus New Zealand currency at any outlet authorised to deal in foreign exchange.

Events 
Some of the noteworthy cultural events include: Summer City Programme (January to February; Wellington) which is a series of festivals around the city; Marlborough Food & Wine Festival (2nd week in February; Blenheim); International Festival of the Arts (February, even-numbered years only; Wellington), an entire month of national and international culture; Golden Shears Sheep-Shearing Contest (March; Masterton), a must for lovers of sheep, scat and sweat; and Canterbury Show Week (November; Christchurch) which has agricultural exhibits, rides and local entertainment.

Tipping 
Tipping is not unheard of in New Zealand. Employed people don't depend on tips for their income and service charges are not [usually] added to hotel and restaurant bills. Tip for service if you think it's deserved.

Getting There & Away 
The overwhelming majority of visitors arrive by air. There are three airports that handle international flights: Auckland (the major exit/entry point), Wellington and Christchurch. Departure tax on international flights is NZ$20. A few cruise ships visit New Zealand, but there are no regular passenger ship services and working your way across the Pacific as crew on a yacht now seems a thing of the past.

Getting Around 
Although New Zealand is a compact country and generally easy to get around, it makes good sense to fly - especially for the views over the mountains or volcanoes. A variety of discounts also makes flying economical. New Zealand has two major domestic airlines: Air New Zealand and Ansett New Zealand. Several smaller airlines - Mt Cook Airline, Eagle Air and Air Nelson - are partly owned by Air New Zealand and have been grouped together as `Air New Zealand Link'. This network provides thorough coverage of the country.

New Zealand also has an extensive bus network, with the main operator being InterCity (servicing both the North Island and South Island). The two other major bus operators are Newmans (North Island) and Mt Cook Landline (South Island). Services on main bus routes are frequent (at least once a day); unfortunately they can be expensive and slow. A good alternative is to use shuttle bus companies which are smaller, cheaper and friendlier than the large bus companies. Some of them are designed to cater especially for foreign travellers and/or backpackers and have lots of little `extras' that make them particularly attractive; other companies, perhaps drawing on the experiences of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, can take you around New Zealand on `alternative' buses which are often an unhurried way of seeing the country.

Main train routes are few, though train travel is reasonably quick. Trains are modern and comfortable, and the fares are sometimes cheaper than those by bus on the same routes.

Car travel (New Zealanders drive on the left) is recommended as the roads are good and well signposted and the distances short. Rentals of cars, motorcycles and campervans are popular with a range of special deals available.

There are plenty of boat services, including the Interislander ferry (operating between Wellington in the North Island and Picton in the South Island.

And finally, there's always cycling around the country. Many travellers describe New Zealand as a cyclists' paradise: it's clean, green, uncrowded and unspoiled, and there are plenty of places where you can camp or find cheap accommodation. Bicycle rental can be daily, weekly or monthly and is inexpensive.

Crime 
While it may be `safe' compared to most other countries, serious crime does exist here and visitors should take sensible precautions. Always lock your vehicle, and don't leave it in isolated locations for extended periods. Avoid leaving valuables visible in the car. Avoid areas/situations which appear unwholesome. The emergency phone number (police, ambulance, fire) is 111, and ask the operator for the service required (this can be used from payphones without paying).

Health 
New Zealand operates a no-fault accident compensation scheme which covers residents and visitors. Personal injury through accident entitles the injured party to compensation for reasonable expenses related to the accident. Due to abuse, this has been reworked recently and compensation is far harder to obtain.

Water Supply

New Zealand cities and towns have good public water. Water is safe to drink out of the tap. The water in Christchurch *is* totally untreated and is supposed to be the purist domestic water supply in the world...

In bush walking areas giardia has been found so its advisable to check before drinking from rivers or streams. Boiling water for five minutes or more is advised where advice is not available.

Communications 
Telephone Country Code = 64

The Telephone is similar to British Telecom style. Uses BT 600 plug (not RJ-11) Phone line is pins 2 and 5 of the BT 600 plug (RJ-11 is pins 3 & 4). Hotels will have difficulty in converting plugs styles but conversion cables are available from retailers.

Most New Zealand telephone systems can handle DTMF tone dialling. BEWARE: New Zealand pulse dialing is the reverse of most countries. The digit are reversed and so produce different numbers of pulses. The conversion is:

      digit  | # of Pulses

 

     --------+------------

 

        0    |    10

 

        1    |     9

 

        2    |     8

 

          [.....]

 

        8    |     2

 

        9    |     1

 

The best solution is to use tone dialing.

Electricity 
The normal electricity supply is 230 volts 50 hertz alternating current (AC).

3 pin appliance socket from a viewpoint looking at the wall or a plug seen from the inside as one would while wiring it up.

       phase -----   /     \   ---- neutral

 

       (or live)

 

                        | --------- earth

 

If the wires you have are brown, blue, and green [yellow or white striped], then; brown = phase, blue = neutral, green = earth. The old code is red, black, green respectively. If you have ANY doubts, please consult a qualified electrician.

Most hotels will have shaver plugs suitable for all international appliance of low power rating, and which will supply 110 and 230 volts. These plugs may be for shavers only.

TV Information

New Zealand runs on PAL G on UHF. This gives the same picture and sound spacing (5.5MHz), but the channel spacing is slightly wider - the same as that used for 6MHz intercarrier spacing. Standard 50 hertz field rate, 25 hertz frame rate. We also use NICAM for stereo tv, rather than one of the various analogue systems.

In the Southern Hemisphere, the locally-vertical component of the field is in the opposite direction to where it would be an equivalent distance north of the equator. This affects the colour convergence of video monitors. It's not a *huge* difference, and it took computer companies until the late 1980s' to wake up to the difference and ship different monitor versions to New Zealand, South America, and Australia. Northern hemisphere monitors *work* but the colours won't be as crisp as you'd expect.

North Island

In ancient Maori mythology, the North Island is Te Ika a Maui (the Fish of Maui). According to the story, Maui was fishing with his brothers when he hooked the North Island from the ocean. His ravenous brothers, ignoring orders not to touch the fish, began gnawing at its flesh, causing the fish to writhe and thresh about - this frenzy of movement is the reason behind the island's undulant and mountainous landscape.

There are snow-fringed mountains in the Tongariro National Park, exclamatory geysers and bubbling mud pools in Rotorua and a profusion of rivers, lakes and streams. But the North Island is more than rips and fissures: it has its share of rolling pastures, forest-clad hills and stretches of long, sandy beaches. It also has New Zealand's two largest cities - Auckland to the north and the country's capital, Wellington, to the south - which are focal points for arts and entertainment, historic buildings, great dining and a variety of accommodation.

Auckland 
The largest city in New Zealand, Auckland, is almost enclosed by water and covered in volcanic hills. Auckland has a spectacular harbour and bridge (and a fanatical number of yachting enthusiasts) which has earned it the sobriquet 'City of Sails'. A magnet for the people of the South Pacific islands, Auckland now has the largest concentration of Polynesians in the world. Highlights include the Auckland Museum, which houses a memorable display of Maori artefacts and culture, and Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World & Antarctic Encounter, a unique simulacrum of ocean and exploration activities.

There is great shopping in the suburbs of Parnell and Newmarket, well-preserved Victorian buildings in Devonport, Polynesian handicrafts, cafes, restaurants and markets in Ponsonby, panoramic views of the city from the extinct volcano One Tree Hill, and good swimming beaches including Kohimarama and Mission Bay.

The Hauraki Gulf off Auckland is dotted with islands such as Rangitoto, Great Barrier and Waiheke, which have affordable accommodation, a number of walks and diving possibilities and, in the case of Waiheke Island, excellent art galleries. Auckland is also a good starting-point for visiting the amazingly scenic Coromandel Peninsula and Hauraki Plains regions to the south-east.

Northland 
Northland is the cradle of both Maori and Pakeha culture: it was here that the Pakeha first made contact with the Maori, the first whaling settlements were established and the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. Often referred to as the 'winterless north' because of its mild year-round temperatures, Northland has a number of interesting museums (Otamatea Kauri & Pioneer Museum), glorious, blonde beaches (Ninety Mile Beach) and diving spots (Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, reckoned by Jacques Cousteau to be among the top 10 diving sites in the world), historic towns (Pahia and Waitangi), game fishing (Bay of Islands) and flora and fauna reserves (Waipoua Kauri Forest).

Great Barrier Island

Great Barrier Island at the mouth of the Hauraki Gulf has acres of long, white sandy beaches on its eastern shore, deep-water sheltered inlets on its western shore, and a rugged spine of steep ridges running down the centre. The 80,000 hectare preserve has a number of walking tracks which combine old logging trails and tramways. Natural hot springs, towering kauri forests and a serene aura make it a perfect escape. Flights and ferries operate from Auckland, 88 km south.

Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty, given its name by Captain Cook in 1769 because of the number of thriving Maori settlements, has a consistently mild climate year-round, good beaches and is the home of the kiwi fruit - a fuzzy, brown, sweet-tasting fruit and a major source of export revenue for the region. The city of Tauranga offers activities such as jet-skiing, water-skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, diving, surfing, fishing and harbour cruises. Across the inlet from Tauranga is Mt Maunganui, a popular holiday resort with beaches and saltwater pools. Rotorua, one of the most visited cities in New Zealand, is famous for its kinetic thermal activity (Whakarewarewa is the best known site and the location of Pohutu, an active geyser that gushes forth every hour), a large and influential Maori population, trout springs and wildlife parks.

East Cape

The East Cape, as opposed to the Bay of Plenty, is little visited, but its isolation belies an area endowed with native forest, wild coasts and picturesque bays, inlets and coves. During the summer, the coastline turns vermilion with the explosion of flowers from the pohutukawa trees lining the shores.

Cape Runaway 
A succession of picturesque bays leads to Whangaparaoa (Cape Runaway), at the very tip of the East Cape. The beaches are deeply shelved and littered with driftwood, and the old Anglican church, nestled under Norfolk pines on a lone promontory, should not be missed. Cape Runaway can only be reached by foot and it's advisable to seek permission before going on private land.

Central North Island

Hamilton, New Zealand's largest inland city, is surrounded by some of the world's richest dairy farming and agricultural regions. It is a city of museums, zoos and parks, and offers river cruises on the Waikato River, the country's longest (425 km). Further south is the region of King Country, once the stronghold of powerful Maori chiefs. The town of Waitomo is famous for its limestone caves and subterranean black-water rafting (a wetsuit, caver's helmet, inner tube and abundant courage are all that's required) while Te Kuiti, named after the belligerent Maori leader Te Kooti, is recognised as 'the shearing capital of the world'. Even further south is Taumaranui, which makes a good base for kayaking, rafting and jet-boating on the Whanganui River.

The west coast region of Taranaki is dominated by Mt Taranaki (also officially known as Mt Egmont), a dormant volcano rising 2518 metres. Other highlights in Taranaki include the Egmont National Park and the region's world-class surfing and windsurfing beaches. New Zealand's largest lake, and the geographical centre of the North Island, is Lake Taupo. Dotted around its shores are towns with cheap accommodation and great dining possibilities (trout is a speciality). Nearby are the spectacular Tongariro and Whanganui national parks; the former is renowned for its ski slopes while the latter has several excellent walking tracks and recreational water activities on the Whanganui River. East of the national parks is the Art Deco city of Napier, with its splendid weather and beautiful beaches.

Wellington 
The capital city of New Zealand, Wellington, is situated on a splendid harbour at the southern tip of the North Island. Often maligned by its northern counterparts for its ill-tempered weather - the winds are often of gale-force calibre in winter - Wellington is a lively city of culture and arts (with festivals almost every month), and great ethnic restaurants and cafes. It is also home to the country's government and national treasures. Buildings of interest include: the modernist Beehive (the executive wing of Parliament); the old Government Building (one of the largest all-wooden buildings in the world); the National Library (housing the most comprehensive collection of books in the country); and the Katherine Mansfield Memorials (the property where the famous author was born in 1888). In addition, there are museums, a zoo and stunning views of the city from atop Mt Victoria. Cuba Street has great shopping, Thorndon has historic sites of interest, Lambton Quay is the primary business street and Mt Victoria is the place to go for cheap accommodation and dining.

South Island

The South Island crams in glaciers, fiords, turbulent rivers, trout streams, rainforests, mossy beech forests, palmy beaches and a number of mountains that top 3000 metres - a repertoire to inspire even the most sluggish arms, legs and lungs. It's an island where you can fish, paddle, pedal, raft, hike and walk in some of the most gorgeous scenery on earth.

Most journeys begin in postcard-perfect Picton, where the ferry from the North Island arrives, or Christchurch, a city under the delusion that it is somewhere in southern England. From either of these points, you can make your way to any number of attractions: the labyrinth of tributaries known as the Marlborough Sounds; nearby Nelson, a city famous for its wines and succulent seafood; Mount Cook National Park, where New Zealand's tallest peaks are found; Queenstown, nestled beneath the saw-toothed peaks of The Remarkables; and, further south, the reserves of podocarp forests and fauna found in the Catlins. The people, much like the weather and topography, are robust. The roads are excellent for a self-drive holiday.

Marlborough Sounds

The convoluted waterways of the Marlborough Sounds, formed when the sea invaded a series of river valleys after the ice ages, are home to bays, islands and coves. Separated by forested knuckles of land that rise from the sea, the Sounds are an exhilarating place with activities such as sea kayaking and white-water rafting and interesting wildlife that includes sea gannets, tuatara lizards (relics from the dinosaur age), even carnivorous snails! There are also great walks, including the Queen Charlotte Walkway (a 58-km track among lush forest) and the Abel Tasman Coastal Track in the Abel Tasman National Park (220 sq km of beaches, sea coves, forest and granite gorges).

Wine, good food and a climate conducive to year-round activity are features of the towns of Nelson, Picton and Blenheim. The crayfish from Kaikoura are superb but it is a town famous for much larger fry - sperm whales. Whalewatch and dolphin swimming tours are manifold and inexpensive.

West Coast

Wild, craggy and desolate, the West Coast is an area buffeted by heavy seas and drenching rain. Keri Hulme, the Booker Prize winner, calls the region home, drawing inspiration from its 'bleak and ascetical' landscape. Understandably, those who live here - commonly known as `Coasters' - occupy a unique place in the national folklore. Activities include canoeing and riding the rapids down Moeraki River, fishing for brown trout in the lakes, watching penguins and fur seals lazing on the greenstone beaches, and squelching through forests (which are much to the liking of the rapacious ringtail possum).

Harihari 
Harihari, a small town on the West Coast, made world headlines in 1931, when Guy Menzies completed the first solo flight across the Tasman Sea from Australia. The journey was hassle-free but the landing proved a disaster: the aircraft overturned in a swamp, and Menzies, on undoing his safety straps, fell - much to the delight of the cheering locals - head first into the mud. The town is now known as a base for coastal walks, birdwatching and trout and salmon fishing.

Westland National Park

The Westland National Park has over 60 glaciers, with the most accessible being the Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier: you can almost hear the strangulated groans, tweaks and gurgles as they slowly advance down the mountainside. The town of Greymouth is the western terminal for the passenger train TranzAlpine Express, which winds its way over the Southern Alps - through beech forests, glacial valleys and mountains - on to Christchurch.

Canterbury 
The hub of the South Island, Canterbury is one of the driest and flattest areas of New Zealand. The predominant feature of the region is the capacious Canterbury Plains, situated between the coast and the mountain foothills, which is devoted to farming and agriculture.

Paradoxically, Canterbury contains most of New Zealand's highest mountains such as Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. The area's major city is Christchurch which has genteel, sylvan suburbs, up-market eateries and cafes, and is home to the Wizard, a Rabelaisian figure who dominates lunchtime discussion in Cathedral Square. Gently steering its course through the city and suburbs is the ankle-deep, willow-lined Avon River - perfect for punting.

To the east of Christchurch is the feral coastline of Banks Peninsula, dominated by gnarled volcanic peaks; it is also the location of Lyttelton, which has excellent arts and crafts stores. A good day trip from Christchurch is to the Frenchified town of Akaroa which boasts the best fish & chips in the country. West of Christchurch is the settlement of Arthurs Pass, which is a great base for tackling walks, climbs and skiing in Arthurs Pass National Park. To the south lie the picturesque towns of Geraldine and Fairlie, the high, tussock-grass plateau known as the Mackenzie Country and the World Heritage Area that is Mt Cook National Park. The imperious Mt Cook (3755 metres) is the highest peak in Australasia, and offers plenty of walks and unlimited scope for tramping, rock climbing, lung-cleansing and sightseeing.

Copland Pass

The gruelling four-day Copland Pass trek in the Mt Cook National Park is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that can only be completed in good weather by well-prepared, experienced teams or with professional guides. The terrain varies from glaciers and snowfields to rainforest and thermal pools. The pass is 2150 metres high and is surrounded by dramatic 3000-metre peaks. This is no stroll and should only be attempted by professional masochists experienced in the use of ice axes, crampons and alpine route-finding. Apparently the sense of achievement in crossing the pass entitles you to enter an elite club of euphoric high-achievers.

Queenstown 
Queenstown, set in a glacial valley on the edge of Lake Wakatipu, is a town synonymous with hairy adventures: parasailing; schussing down icy rapids in jet boats; white-water rafting; and bungy jumping off Skippers Canyon Bridge - the latest and most terrifying stunt is plunging 300 metres from a helicopter.

Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park, which takes its name from its glacier-carved coast, is a wilderness of mountains, ice and beech forests. The scenic climax of Fiordland is undoubtedly Milford Sound where cruise ships bob toy-like beneath the shadows of towering mountains and waterfalls. There are classic alpine walks, including the Routeburn Track (in Mt Aspiring National Park), the Hollyford Valley and the Milford Track (billed as the 'finest in the world').