Did you know?

• The Maori name for New Zealand is “Aotearoa” – most often translated as meaning “Land of the Long White Cloud”.
  
  
• The South Island is sometimes referred to as “the mainland”, because at 150,437 sq km it’s larger than the North Island (113,729 sq km)
  
  
• New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote – way back in 1893.
  
  
• Auckland is home to more Pacific Islanders than the Pacific Island nations themselves. About 6% of the population is made up of people with a Pacific Island heritage.
  
  
• The smallest coin in circulation is the ten cent piece, though prices can be any amount. So cash payments are rounded up or down to the nearest ten cents.
  
  
• A dairy is the NZ term for a corner shop, where basic groceries and magazines can be bought.
  
  
• A cheap way of phoning friends and family overseas is by using special phone cards. These are available at most dairies. It can be worth shopping around, as the calling costs vary, as does the line quality.
  
  
• Most New Zealand companies have both a postal address and a physical address. The postal address, usually a PO Box number, is for items sent in the normal post. Courier parcels should be sent to the physical address – not the PO Box.
  
  
• It’s common to be invited to a party and be asked to “bring a plate”. The idea is to bring food along on the plate, that will be shared by all the guests. This is sometimes referred to as a “pot luck” party.
  
  
• The reversed seasons mean that you’re more likely to celebrate Christmas with a barbecue than a roast meal. To make up for this, many kiwis dust of the tinsel and tuck into a roast in June or July, for a mid-winter Christmas celebration.
  
  
• You may need to hunt them out, but there are some restaurants which allow “BYO” (bring your own) alcohol. A corkage fee is charged, but it’s an inexpensive way of enjoying a tipple of wine with your dinner.
  
  
• Tipping good service is optional: it’s not expected.
  
  
• Smoking is banned in all enclosed public places, including bars, nightclubs, pubs and restaurants.
  
  
• One of the most common ways to pay for things is by “EFTPOS” (Electronic Funds Transfer At Point Of Sale). Your New Zealand bank card is swiped in the machine, and you enter your PIN number, and hey presto, the money is automatically deducted from your bank account. You can often get “cash back” (i.e. withdraw money from your account) at the same time as making a purchase, or use the card in an ATM machine.
  
  
• Though you’re able to catch trout in New Zealand’s lakes and rivers, selling it (and farming it) is illegal. So you’ll never see trout for sale in fishmongers and supermarkets. Fear not, there are plenty of other types of fish available to make up for this!

There isn’t enough space to tell you all we know. To find out more about how you can benefit from our recruitment services as a candidate and/or employer just get in touch we welcome your enquiry.

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Page Last Updated May 9, 2008
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