Why New Zealand?
New Zealand is truly an amazing country. The people are friendly, the weather is superb and the lifestyle is unbeatable, with a perfect pace for you and your children.
New Zealand Lifestyle
Set within a stunning landscape, New Zealand offers residence a perfectly balanced lifestyle. It is a safe and friendly environment for families, offers great career opportunities and the possibilities for exploration and travel.
The high quality of life New Zealand offers is what draws immigrants from all over the world to the country, and New Zealander’s pride themselves on welcoming newcomers. As well as finding approachable locals, you'll also find many other new arrivals to share experiences with. The country is very multicultural and residents are used to mixing with people with different cultures and accents.
New Zealand can offer all year round activities, beautiful beaches and lakes in summer and some of the best ski fields in the Southern Hemisphere in winter. It also has vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. It is also somewhere you can ‘get off the beaten track’ – Kiwis are known for their love of the outdoors and adventure sports. You are never very far from a great fishing spot, sprawling golf course, walking tracks, mountains or somewhere you can take part in extreme sports.
The quality of life offered in New Zealand is shown again and again in global reports. The 2014 Mercer report ranked Auckland 3rd in the world for ‘Quality of Living’, with Wellington at 12th. A similar survey by the Economist Intelligence unit ranked Auckland 10th of 140 cities, and the UN ranks New Zealand seventh out of 187 countries on its latest Human Development index. New Zealand is truly an incredible place to live.
Find out more about what to expect when you get to New Zealand and what you can prepare for before you get there, with NZSID’s handy guide.
New Zealand Climate
The seasons in New Zealand are in reverse to those in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is from September to November followed by Summer from December to February, Autumn is from March until May and Winter is June until August.
New Zealand has a temperate climate: relatively mild, wet winters with moderately high rainfall and warm dry summers, with many hours of sunshine. Being a maritime country, the weather can change rapidly from day to day or even during the day.
In general, the west of the country is wetter due to the westerly showers that fall on that side of the country. Generally the climate is cooler the further south you travel. Maximum summer temperatures average from 30 degrees Celsius in the north to 20 degrees Celsius in the south, while average winter maximum’s range from 15 degrees Celsius in the north to 10 degrees Celsius in the south. Overnight, particularly in the south, temperatures can reach freezing in winter and it is common to see snow falling at least once during winter in the South.
New Zealand Population
Size-wise, New Zealand is slightly larger than the UK, but has just a fraction of the UK's population at just 5.1m. There is a noticeable difference in population, it’s easy to lose the crowds and have the wide open spaces to yourself.
New Zealander’s are generally known as friendly outgoing and relaxed people. New Zealand is increasingly seeing migrants from all over the world arriving on its shores. However the majority of the population are predominantly New Zealand European. The Maori population is about 17% of the country’s population and their cultural influence can be seen throughout New Zealand. There are also growing numbers of migrants from Asia and the South Pacific Islands.
New Zealand Landscape
Tourists find they can only ever skim the surface of New Zealand’s spectacular scenery, even those born in New Zealand say they still have much to see.
The country has a huge variety of landscape, from spectacular mountain ranges to sunny beaches, glistening glaciers to luscious forests.
Of course, those of us who have watched Lord of The Rings have been given a showcase of New Zealand's scenery - Mt Doom was inspired by Mount Ngauruhoe in the South Island, Anduin River was in fact Waiau River in Fiordland National Park, and Hobbiton's party tree was found in a green valley in the North Island's Matamata.
Wherever you are in New Zealand you're never far away from a breath-taking scene, whether human built or natural.
New Zealand Education
If you're considering moving with family, finding a good school will be a priority for you. So you'll be glad to know that New Zealand has one of the best education systems in the world. The OECD named New Zealand as a 'top-performing country in terms of the quality of its education system'. Of the developed countries surveyed in the OECD’s 2021 Better Life index, New Zealand spent the fourth highest proportion of its GDP on primary to tertiary educational institutions.
Kiwis have a cultural concept of 'giving everyone a fair go', and this motto permeates their education system, which values skill-based achievements. They have a balanced focus on both practical and academic achievements, and have an educational goal of creating “confident, connected, actively involved life-long learners”.
The outdoors is a huge part of life in New Zealand and as such is an important factor in NZ schooling, with a vast range of sport and recreation activities available to school children.
New Zealand Healthcare
As an expat, you may wonder how the healthcare system in New Zealand works, especially if you've got existing medical conditions. New Zealand residents, and those who hold a work visa valid for 2+ years, benefit from a government-subsidised public health system that is free or low cost. Of course, accidents and emergencies are free - just dial 111. Just like the UK, some residents opt to take out private healthcare, though most rely on the public system.
If you are in New Zealand as a non-resident, you can still use the healthcare service at a cost, but you should ensure you have medical insurance from your home country before you travel.
If you are a new resident you should look to register with a GP in your area. You can find one near you on the New Zealand Medical Council Website. Your GP will go on to refer you to a medical specialist if necessary.
Dentistry is offered free to those under 18, and residents on low-incomes. For all others, oral practitioner work out of private practices, just like the UK. You can find a dentist in your area by checking here.