Celsius Still Defeats Me
I moved to New Zealand at 44, ready to adapt to everything — the driving, the slang, the metric system. Everything except Celsius. That one I’m just not doing.
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Living in New Zealand | NZ: Living the Kiwi Life | NZ: North Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
Auckland by Train
We moved into our new apartment right across from the train station and decided it was time to actually use it. The Auckland transport system turned out to be clean, simple, and remarkably easy to figure out — one card for trains, buses and ferries. We rode out to Panmure, shared the train with a handful of little girls in tiaras headed to Disney on Ice, and ended up at an American store selling Vienna sausages in bulk. Just a regular Saturday.
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New Zealand Shakes: Life on the Ring of Fire
New Zealand gets around 20,000 earthquakes a year. Most you’ll never feel. Some you won’t forget.
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Marmite Versus Vegemite: A Very Kiwi Debate
I ate Vegemite by the spoonful on my first try. This was a mistake. Two years later I eat it regularly. New Zealand will do that to you.
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Southern Hemisphere Winter: All the Christmas Feelings, None of the Christmas
It’s winter in Auckland, it’s dark and cold, and I want to hum Christmas carols. It’s July. Christmas is five months away. Nobody warned me about this part of moving to New Zealand.
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New Zealand Has the Shortest Human History of Any Country in the World
New Zealand has the shortest human history of any country on earth. The oldest surviving building was completed in 1822. Here’s what it actually feels like to live somewhere that new.
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Jandals — National Footwear of New Zealand?
andals are flip flops. They are the national footwear of New Zealand, second only to bare feet. There is also a decades-long family feud over who invented them. Of course there is.
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Chuffed, Whinging, and Eating Scones: New Zealand’s British Soul
I ordered Devonshire Tea expecting a special kind of tea. What arrived was scones, cream, jam, and also tea. It was confusing. It was delightful. It was very New Zealand.
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Living in New Zealand | New Zealand Travel | NZ: Living the Kiwi Life | NZ: North Island | NZ: Where to Go and What to Do
Flying In New Zealand: Fast, Easy, and Full of Hobbits
New Zealand airports are the most efficient I’ve ever used. Wellington’s also has the bonus of being the self-declared Middle of Middle-Earth — complete with Wētā Workshop magic.
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What to Know About New Zealand Healthcare
Healthcare in New Zealand is government subsidised, ACC covers everyone including tourists, and you can’t sue anyone for an accident. Coming from the US, this took some getting used to.
