In a few months, we’ll be celebrating our third year in New Zealand. It took a long time for us to adjust living here, and there are times (especially in winter) that I feel we are still doing so. Unlike Singapore which was mostly similar to Manila, there are quite a few things we had to get used to here in NZ.
But for the most part, our stay has been positive. For the challenges that we had to face, it was really about re-setting our expectations of what life would be like here. Also, there is nothing that good old Filipino humour and resilience can overcome.
That being said, here are a few things to know about living in New Zealand.
1.Houses are notoriously old and cold.
I had this idea in my head that I’d be living in a modern house with an open floor plan, carpeted and with nice, warm rooms. Well you can have that in New Zealand, but for a price. Our current house is not that at all. It’s quite old, I think built around the seventies. Lots of wood, and definitely no open floor plan at all.
In most houses, there is no central heating. You’ll get easily educated about the difference between types of heating appliances–a heat pump, an oil or gas heater, microthermic heater, and even a fireplace!
Here in NZ, it was only recently that landlords were required to make their rentals insulated. Our landlord provided us with an oil heater for each room, but we also bought our own electric heater because they helped save our electric bills. In our first winter, when we were still adjusting to the climate, I wanted to make sure Katie was warm enough at home, so our bill was just through the roof.
2. A lot of items are expensive.
Once JP and I got our rental house, it was time to put some furniture because rentals are not usually furnished in New Zealand. I was surprised by the prices of the furniture we were looking at. In Singapore, we only had to go to IKEA and probably would have furnished the house for cheap. There is no IKEA in New Zealand (but it will open soon-yay!), and there is a big push to buy locally made products—which are beautiful and sturdy but quite expensive.
We ended up with one sofabed we got on sale, and I scoured Salvation Army for another sofa set. Oh, that’s one more thing to know here in NZ, they are big on buying second hand items–furnitures, clothes, appliances.
Food can be quite expensive too. A SGD 4-5 plate of fried kway teow in Singapore would cost NZD 16 over here. A simple Chinese noodle takeaway costs $11. Veggies and fruits, if not in season can be expensive.
Last winter, there was a time when avocadoes cost $6 PER PIECE! Right now, it’s at $2.50, so I guess that’s a relief for avocado lovers. Home-cooked meals using veggies in season has become the norm for us. You will also see most families with kids pack their own snacks whenever they go outside.
3.Malls and shops close at 6PM
Having come from Manila and Singapore, where I can spend an entire day in a mall, it was hard for me to get my head around shops closing at 6. Apparently, shopping and hanging out at the mall is not the way Kiwis like to spend their time. They like to spend time with family and it’s mostly outdoors. Biking, hiking, camping in the bush – these are well-loved activities here in NZ.
These days, we also spend a lot of time outdoors. There’s lots of parks and playgrounds around the city to entertain the kids. We go to some events during the weekends, or spend time with friends. I think we’ll go hiking and camping when the girls are a bit older.
This is not a big deal for me these days, but I still relish my time at the mall when I visit the Philippines.
4. Winter is in June, Summer is in December, and the weather can be crazy.
Like Australia, New Zealand’s seasons are opposite of the US. But the truth is, it’s almost always cold, especially here in Wellington. This past year, the summer was gorgeous. We had long spells of sunny weather, and in the beaches we went to, the water was warm enough to swim in.
Winter can be miserable. It rarely snows here in Wellington, but sometimes there’s hail and lots of wind and rain. In our first winter, there were days when Katie and I didn’t go out of the house, we all got cabin fever. But I’ve learned to take advantage of good days. As long as it’s not raining, even if it’s a bit chilly, we can go out with the girls for an hour or two.
The best advice I could give in relation to the weather is: always bring a sweater. While the weather app on our mobile phone is almost always accurate, sometimes Wellington’s notorious winds make the temperature drop by a degree or two. So even if the sun’s out, it’s a good idea to always have a sweater in your car, just in case.
5.The country really is beautiful.
Prior to coming to New Zealand, I’d only seen photos. Lots of greenery, beaches, etc. But pictures don’t do justice to the New Zealand landscape. You are never too far away from a hill (with sheep lazily grazing on grass), a beach or a bush (forest). On our first road trip here in the North Island, I was so amazed by the beautiful scenery. You’ll see all shades of green when you go on a road trip. Here are a few photos from our different trips around the North Island.
The South Island is another world altogether, as friends who’ve been there can attest. We recently went down to Queenstown, and it was gorgeous. I’ll write about that in another post.
So there it is, five things you need to know about New Zealand. There’s many more I can share, but that will be for another time. If you want to know more, you can send me a message or a comment on this post. Cheers!
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Good job Ays.