NZ Visitor Information

From October 2019 non residents traveling into New Zealand will require an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Application for an ETA is a simple 10 minute online process. Use this link to access the Immigration NZ ETA information and application web page.

This brings New Zealand into line with the USA and Canada for travel authority for inbound travellers coming into the country from partnered Visa Waiver countries (USA & Canada, etc).

New Zealand Kea

Natural Environment

New Zealand’s separation from other landmasses 100 million years ago allowed many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. Complementing our unique flora and fauna is the variety of landforms. In several days’ drive it is possible to see mountain ranges, sandy beaches, lush rainforests, glaciers and fiords and active volcanoes.

New Zealand and its People

New Zealand is comparable in size to Great Britain and Colorado and has a population of five million. New Zealand’s society is diverse, sophisticated and multicultural, displaying a unique and dynamic culture, influenced by Maori, European, Pacific and Asian peoples. The honesty, friendliness and openness of New Zealanders will impress you.

Getting to New Zealand

New Zealand is a three and half-hour flight from Australia. From the West Coast of the United States a direct flight to New Zealand takes 12 hours. Other destinations on the Pacific Rim including Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, flights take approximately 10 hours. The majority of international flights to New Zealand arrive in Auckland or Christchurch.

Climate

Visitor InformationNew Zealand has four distinct seasons:

Spring (September-November): 52–63F, 11–17C

Summer: (December-February): 70–96F, 21–30C

Autumn (March-May): 54–76F, 12–25C

Winter (June-August): 41–54F, 5–12C

Language

English is the common language of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multi-cultural society and you may hear many other languages spoken, including Maori, which is an official language of New Zealand.

Currency

New Zealand’s unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$). US$ is the accepted international currency worldwide within the hunting industry. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at banks and at some hotels and Bureau de Change kiosks, which are found at international airports and most city centres. 

Automated Teller Machines (ATM) are widely available at banks. International credit cards and ATM cards will work as long as they have a four-digit PIN encoded. All major credit cards can be used in New Zealand.  For day-to-day transactions in New Zealand credit and debit cards are the standard.

Wire Transfers

Wire transfer is an electronic transfer of funds via a network that is administered by banks and transfer agencies around the world. Wire transfers are a secure and reliable way to send money. They offer the convenience of transferring funds quickly, securely and with minimal fees ($15-$30). The key element is to know the person who is receiving them, and that person provides proof of identity, identity proof is bank to bank.

Paypal and Venmo are great for domestic transfer but not so much international transfers.

The HOW of transferring: the sender (you) first pays for the transaction upfront at their (your) bank. The sending bank sends a message to the recipient bank with payment instructions through a secure system (SWIFT). The recipient bank receives all the necessary information from the initiating bank and deposits its own reserve funds into the correct account (mine). The two banking institutions then settle the payment on the back end.

NB: I can do all this without having to visit my bank, many of you should be able to do the same. We do appreciate that for many smaller State and community banks this is not something they deal with regularly therefore a personal visit may initially be required.

Vaccinations

No vaccinations are required to enter New Zealand.

General Insurance and Safety

New Zealand is one of the safest holiday destinations in the world. You should observe the same precautions with your personal safety and possessions as you would in any other country or at home. We recommend you invest in comprehensive travel insurance.

Health and Medical Insurance

We strongly recommend health insurance. New Zealand’s public and private medical/hospital facilities provide a high standard of treatment. These services are not free to visitors, except as a result of an accident.

Contact Gerald or Sue Telford if you want any additional information about your New Zealand holiday.

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