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.
New Zealand has custard in a carton. I thought that was odd. Then two teenage boys drank an entire one in one sitting and I understood completely.
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.
I wrote this in 2016 or 2017 during the two years I lived in New Zealand. Some details — prices, hours, what’s open — may have changed, but the experience and my love for this place haven’t. I moved to New Zealand a week before starting work. It was a flurry of activity in the…
Apartment hunting in New Zealand is a group sport. You register for a viewing, show up at the designated time, and mill around the apartment with a bunch of strangers all pretending they’re not sizing each other up. It’s odd. It’s a little competitive. And somehow we found our favorite apartment yet after only looking at three places.
Two weeks in New Zealand and I’ve already identified the biggest cultural difference between here and America. It’s not the driving side, the accent, or the sheep. It’s the laundry.