Highlights
- New Zealand, situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, consists of two main landmasses and many smaller islands. The official languages are English, Maori, and NZ Sign Language.
- The country offers a well-developed, stable, and corruption-free economy mainly based on tourism and exports, with the cost of living similar to that in the USA.
- Those interested in moving to New Zealand should be aware of various visa options and requirements, especially for bringing pets, as certain animals and breeds are not allowed.
- Choosing the right New Zealand moving company is essential for a smooth transition, and it’s recommended to start the moving process at least a year in advance due to various time-consuming tasks.
![New Zealand New Zealand](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/new-zealand.jpg)
If you want to be a New Zealander or a Kiwi (colloquially), you have the difficult task of getting to know New Zealand and preparing for your move. When moving to New Zealand from the US you will need not only your dream to do it and your enthusiasm but also useful information on the country itself, some tips for your move and information on how to get the best New Zealand house movers for your relocation there.
It all sounds like a tough job, right? But with this moving to New Zealand guide we’d like to assist you in this task and help you make a smoother transition to your new life. If you are looking for reasons to move to New Zealand, we may also give you some below.
New Zealand Interesting Facts
Location
New Zealand is an island country with a population of about 5,1 million people, situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, near the center of the water hemisphere. It consists of two main landmasses – North Island, South Island (which is the biggest piece of landmass), and many smaller islands. The distance between the two main islands at its narrowest point is about 22 km. The capital of the country is Wellington and the most populous city is Auckland. It is located about 1,500 kilometers east of Australia across the Tasman Sea.
Government
New Zealand is a Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy) with Queen Elizabeth II being head of state.
![NZ location](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/nz-location.jpg)
Settlement
Because of how remote it is, it was one of the last pieces of land to be settled by people. Most of the population – around 74%, is European descendants, the majority of whom are early British settlers, and the Maori – which is the largest minority.
Languages
That is why out of the three official languages, the dominant one is English, followed by Maori and NZ Sign Language.
Memberships
New Zealand is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Commonwealth of Nations, the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, ANZUS and the Pacific Islands Forum.
Etymology
![Torrent Bay](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/torrent-bay-nz.jpg)
A Dutch explorer spotted the country and named it Staten Landt because he thought it was connected to a piece of land from the southern parts of America with the same name. A few years later in 1645 Dutch cartographers renamed NZ and called it Nova Zeelandia after a Dutch province under the name of Zeeland.
Later, the name of the country was anglicized to New Zealand by a British explorer. The Maori call the country Aotearoa which means “land of the long white cloud” which relates to the country being long and narrow. The Maori also call the North Island “the fish of Maui”, and the South Island – “the waters of greenstone” or “the canoe of Aoraki”.
Topography
The country has various topography, with most of the South Island being mountainous, divided along its length by the Southern Alps with their 18 peaks, and distinctive biodiversity in its flora, fauna and fungi species. Because of the size of the country, you are always no more than 15 minutes away from a mountain, beach or park, so you can have a more laid-back and relaxed way of life in New Zealand.
Also because of the smaller area of the country, you have a wider choice of housing because you don’t have such a long distance from your home to your work.
Infrastructure
Most of the bigger cities in NZ are connected by a bus system. The majority of the locals travel around by car though. There is a railway system too but it is used more for cargo than to transport passengers. Most of the people who arrive in the country take an airplane to one of the six international airports.
Education & healthcare
Primary and secondary school which is for children between the ages of 6 and 16 is compulsory. It is free for New Zealanders and New Zealand permanent residents between the ages of 5 and 19. The literacy rate for adults in the country is 99%. Secondary schools have playing fields and lots of sports to choose from, often there is a pool as well.
According to statistics, teenagers from NZ perform better at school than teenagers in the USA so if you want a good education for your children this country is a very good option. The country is good for kids, also because they can be close to nature and you have a wider selection of housing to choose from so that your children can have their own room. Healthcare is free or low-cost in New Zealand because of government subsidies.
Economy & cost of living
The economy of the country today is well developed, stable and corruption-free, and is based on tourism of course and on export, mainly of dairy products, meat, and wine. The currency used is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), colloquially called the “Kiwi dollar”. The country depends a lot on international trade mainly of agricultural products and products of the fishing, mining and forestry industries.
It exports mainly to China, Japan, the UK, the USA and Australia. New Zealand has handled the global recession and despite it, you, as an American, can still find a job there, many skills are sought after here like ICT, engineering, healthcare, etc. The fact that you are located overseas will not be an issue at all when looking for a job in NZ. You will certainly notice some things being cheaper and others – more expensive than in the USA but pretty much the cost of living here is similar to that in the USA so you’re unlikely to find any major differences.
Driving is on the left. You’ll have to get used to that.
Climate
The climate in NZ is mild and temperate maritime with a mean annual temperature that ranges between 10°C to the south and 16°C to the north. Still, the conditions could vary a lot – with high humidity on the West Coast of the South Island and subtropical in the Northland.
The driest city out of the biggest one in NZ is Christchurch and Auckland is the wettest. Both cities plus Wellington are very sunny. The sunniest areas in New Zealand are the north and north-east parts of the South Island.
The south and south-west parts of the South Island are cooler and cloudier. It doesn’t snow much on the North Island and on the South Island, it does, usually between June and October.
![Milford Sound](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/milford-sound-nz.jpg)
Sports
Most of them have British origin – rugby, cricket, tennis, netball and golf are the popular ones.
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