Yes, Mother’s Day is a completely invented holiday. Yes, New Zealand totally copied the American version of Mother’s Day. Yes, your mum is going to be annoyed if you forget. Is there anything particularly New Zealand about Mother’s Day in New Zealand, or does it just follow the “chocolate and flowers are just fine” models…
New Zealand is slowly moving away from actual physical money, with only 43% of Kiwis using cash on a daily basis. You need a bank account for daily life in New Zealand, but this is true about most places, isn’t it? Maybe it seems like Kiwi banks are basically all the same, but you shouldn’t…
Anyone moving to Australia and expecting to get a pet kangaroo or koala should think again. Australia isn’t really like the Crocodile Dundee films, and it’s definitely not like that episode of The Simpsons where they went down under. Some native species can be kept as pets, though. Australia has the highest rate of pet…
Are you considering moving to Australia from New Zealand? Then you probably are aware that New Zealand isn’t part of Australia, even if clause 6 of the Australian constitution allows NZ to become a state of Australia. Sorry Australia, but New Zealand said no when this was first suggested back in 1901, and it’s not…
Some people might think New Zealand has similar weather to Australia, since the countries are neighbours. After all, France and Germany usually have similar weather. But New Zealand and Australia are separated by an ocean, meaning New Zealand’s weather is usually less extreme (meaning it’s far more pleasant). The summers in New Zealand tend to…
Towns and cities in New Zealand tend to either have British or Māori names, so you can probably guess which one applies to the North Island city of Hamilton. The city was actually named after John Fane Charles Hamilton, a British naval captain who died fighting against the Māori as New Zealand was forcibly colonised—making…
Most countries have a city or state that’s popular with retirees. In the US, it’s Florida, and in Australia, it’s the Gold Coast. But what about New Zealand? What city is the best for retirees? If you are thinking of retiring in New Zealand, some of the best places include sunny Nelson, Wanaka, West Coast,…
What does New Zealand have in common with Japan? They’re both island nations in the Pacific Ocean, and…well, that’s about it. Of course, they’re both appealing destinations to visit and even to move to, but which country is going to offer the best change of scenery for you and your family? There are considerable differences…
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city (by far) but is only the 314th largest city in the world—narrowly beaten by Tirupur, India. With an urban population of just over 396,200, Christchurch is a distant second to Auckland’s 1,700,000 people but is still New Zealand’s second-most populous city. Are there many differences between living in New…
Renting a campervan is the best way to explore a tiny country like New Zealand. Also, thanks to our excellent roads, your van journey will be smooth and relaxing. In terms of the surface area you can cover, New Zealand is the 75th largest country in the world. It’s a bit larger than the United…
