Last Updated on November 10, 2019

New Zealand is one of the most rewarding travel destinations in the world.  With a landscape that will leave you speechless (especially in the South Island!) and people that will leave you smiling from ear to ear, you are bound to leave a piece of your heart there.  But, what should you know before you take a holiday to New Zealand?  As a Kiwi, myself here are 7 travel tips I suggest you read before your visit.

1. If you visit in the summer, wear sunscreen

Unfortunately, New Zealand has a hole in the ozone layer meaning the sun’s rays beaming down on New Zealand are extremely harsh.  If you spend more than 10 minutes in the sun you are likely to come out looking like a beetroot.  I have been burnt seriously more times than I can count.  Make sure you wear the strongest sunscreen SPF50+ and stay in the shade when you can.  I know it’s tempting to sunbake, but you will thank me later, trust me!

2. Jandals or bare feet are the most common footwear

If you want to fit in, make sure you bring a pair of jandals (flip-flops) with you.  You will notice nearly the entire population wears jandals.  If you didn’t know already jandals have more than one use.  They can be used as a seat for you to sit on if you’re on the sand or concrete and/or weapons.  Yes, that’s right!  They make great slapping articles to get rid of those pesky fly’s, mosquitos or just people who are annoying you.  Also, most of the time people don’t even wear jandals.  I quite often used to go to the supermarket with no shoes on, don’t judge, it’s more comfortable sometimes – especially if your jandals are broken.

accommodation in New Zealand

3. Get used to the sarcasm!

As you may have noticed from the last few sentences, Kiwis are also very sarcastic.  They have a great sense of humour which is normally in the form of extreme sarcasm.  It’s part of the Kiwi charm!  Don’t take anything too seriously.

4. Respect the culture and learn the customs

As a New Zealander, we are generally relaxed and outgoing people, but we also have a few customs you may not be familiar with.  There are quite a few do’s and don’ts but a couple of ones you should learn are number 1, never sit somewhere you will place your food and number 2, always take your shoes off before entering a Marae (Maori meeting house).

Some other unwritten rules also include, keep to the left when walking on a footpath, smile and maybe say a quick hello to the passer-by’s, respect each other’s bubble (Kiwis are used to open spaces, so we don’t like to get too close to anyone), and always bring a plate to a BBQ!

5. Learn a little bit of slang!

“Yeah, nah” may be a phrase you might hear quite often when visiting New Zealand.  Kiwis surprisingly have a lot of slang words which you may want to familiarize yourself with.  Here are some common ones:

• Bro – Short for brother, but we call everyone bro
• She’ll be right – Means everything is going to be okay
• Chur – Means yes, ok, awesome, cool, cheers and many other meanings!
• Bugger – This is usually said when something goes wrong
• Sweet as – Means everything is all good!
• Yeah right – Usually said when you don’t believe someone

If you want to learn more slang, then read 50 more here!

hotels in new Zealand

6. If you’re driving, keep to the left

Kiwis drive on the left and walk on the left.  One of the biggest problems that New Zealand has when it comes to driving accidents is from foreigners driving on the wrong side of the road and crashing into oncoming traffic.  It has become a big problem of late, which is why it’s so important to remember to always drive on the left.  New Zealand has some tricky roads, usually windy and steep so always stay within the lines, plus if you are driving slowly and you see someone behind you, then it’s polite to pull over and let them pass.

7. Keep it clean

New Zealand is an extremely clean country and we like to keep it that way.  If you decide to go camping (which I highly recommend you do, it’s an amazing experience in NZ!), then make sure you always take everything with you.  If you are hiring a campervan, don’t just dump your waste anywhere. There are special stations for that.  Kiwis are very proud of the fact that they have a clean country so please respect it and take all trash with you!

If you take all those tips for visiting New Zealand into consideration you will have an even better holiday.  Another few extra tips:  In rugby, the All Blacks ARE the best in the world – never doubt that, don’t insult Kiwis by calling them Australians and last of all, spread the word on how beautiful New Zealand is to your family and friends!

Other articles you might love:

• New Zealand North Island itinerary
• The best hikes in New Zealand
• Your complete New Zealand road trip guide
• 16 of the best things to do in Auckland

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