There are heaps of carrier companies that can help you relocate to New Zealand. 

If you’re moving furniture, organising a moving company is one of the first things that needs sorting out, as it can take up to 2-3 months for containers  to arrive. 

Furnishing an average 3-bedroom house will cost approx. $7,000 + GST (NZ VAT), so think carefully about what will be most cost effective for you. Buying new or shipping your furniture? If you do decide to ship your belongings, avoid cheap carriers and be sure to get insurance.

Moving to New Zealand from the UK is a big trip for your possessions, so it is worth insuring in case anything is damaged or goes missing. I used Crown Relocators, a large reputable business that regularly ships goods from the UK.

www.crownrelo.co.nz
www.expertsinmoving.com
www.international-removals-direct.com
www.nzvanlines.co.nz

Below is a list of the main retail banks for day-to-day banking. I personally found ANZ to be super helpful and found opening an account with them from the UK very simple; their staff are really friendly and helpful. To get your EFTPOS card (switch card) once you are in New Zealand, you’ll need to take your passport into a local branch.

Wespac – www.westpac.co.nz

ANZ – www.anz.co.nz

BNZ – www.bnz.co.nz

ASB – www.asb.co.nz

Kiwibank – www.kiwibank.co.nz

In order to apply for a mortgage, you first need to secure permanent residency, but you can review all rates online with the banks listed above.

Assuming you are bringing your pets when moving to New Zealand, to enter the country you will need to ensure they have had the correct jabs and pass rabies tests. Your local UK vet will be able to advise you on the necessary paperwork and inoculations.

Once all the paperwork is in place, you need to book with a pet carrier company to get them into NZ and then they will need to be in quarantine for a period of two weeks before being let loose in NZ. I used www.qualifiedpet.co.nz who were awesome: the standard of care and accommodation was amazing. Be aware this is a pretty costly exercise; to bring my rather large dog over cost $6,000.

To provide you with accommodation as soon as you get to New Zealand, we have a number of contacts who regularly have short-term leases available. In some cases, accommodation can be arranged prior to your moving to New Zealand. We can discuss availability closer to the time, but to get an idea of rentals visit:

www.trademe.co.nz

www.realestate.co.nz

AtHop cards can be purchased at main Transport Centres in the NZ’s larger CBDs and give you access to all public transport.

www.at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/at-hop-card

www.at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/journey-planner

Uber – Yes, it is here and the app works really well. Drivers are friendly and respectful of their passengers – download the app.

Cycle Lanes New Zealand have recently invested in many safe cycle routes around the city. These can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz. However, cycling outside of these designated areas around Auckland city is probably not such a good idea.

If you want to hire a car on a regular basis, check out www.cityhop.co.nz.They have cars dotted all around the country, in most cities and city fringes.

Many schools in New Zealand are zoned. If you live inside the zone for a school, you’re guaranteed a place there. You can apply to go to a school that’s outside the zone where you live, but you might not get in. Generally, school standards are very high in New Zealand and schools pride themselves on a broad curriculum that includes teaching new students Maori culture and history through to modern day business in a safe, supportive environment. There is a big emphasis on extra curricular activities which parents often get involved with: a great way to meet other New Zealanders. Once you have narrowed down where you want to be based, or have secured your NZ job, we can offer support and advice around schooling and put you in touch with the right people. Visit www.educationcounts.govt.nz for a list of schools across New Zealand.

School terms are generally 10 or 11 weeks.

Dates vary from school to school and from year to year.

Term 1 –  Late January/early February

Term 2 –  Early May

Term 3 –  Late July

Term 4 –  Mid October

More paperwork that people don’t think about. Once you are settled in New Zealand, it is important to move your UK private pension to NZ. This will be placed into a KiwiSaver scheme and should you opt in, your employer will have to contribute 3% of your salary per year to your scheme (you have to contribute between 3% and 8%).

Contact us so we can arrange an experienced broker to manage this process for you.

You need to register with a doctor. Depending on your location we can help with that. You will pay a fee to register and then a fee for consultation. If you are on a visa, you will pay $3 per item on your prescription.

List of Medical Practices: www.healthpoint.co.nz

The White Cross is a halfway service for minor emergencies such as a deep wound or broken bone: injuries that are not life threatening. White Cross practices are walk-in centres located throughout New Zealand. For areas without White Cross centres, e.g. parts of Auckland’s North Shore, you are able to walk into the local A&E.

Locations of White Cross Centres: www.whitecross.co.nz

Hospitals: Each NZ city has a traditional hospital offering full services from A&E to terminal care facilities: www.health.govt.nz › Your health › Services and support › Health care services.

PLEASE NOTE: It is worth getting private health insurance as not all services are free and hospital bills can mount up quickly.

This is a tough list to narrow down as there are so many awesome places in New Zealand and across so many spectrums. I will narrow the list to 12, and these are in no particular order; that was way too tough to figure out. All of these places have their own websites, so go and have a nosy!

Waiheke Island

Goat Island Marine Reserve

90-Mile beach and Cape Reinga

Tongariro Crossing

Milford Sound

Queenstown

Bay Of Islands

Marlborough Sound

Hobbiton

Rotorua & White Island

Waitomo

Te Papa Museum of New Zealand

NZ  – UK Equivalent

Trademe  – EBAY

Warehouse  – Wilkinsons

Kmart  – Household Tescos

Bunnings  – B&Q

Mitre 10  – B&Q

Hallensteins  – Burton

Harvey Norman  – DFS

Glassons  – Next for Women

Countdown  – Sainsburys

PakNSave  – Asda

New World  – Waitrose

Nosh / Farro   – Marks & Spencer

…And if you are missing some tastes of home, you can always get a fix at one of the English shops:

Union Jacks / British Cornershop / Brit Superstore

1 January  — New Year’s Day

2 January — Day after New Year’s Day

Auckland Anniversary — Last weekend in January

6 February — Waitangi Day

Friday 14 April — Good Friday

Monday 17 April — Easter Monday

18 April — Southland Anniversary Day

25 April — ANZAC Day

Monday 5 June — Queen’s Birthday

25 October — Labour Day

In order to start a new job in New Zealand, you will need an IRD number. Prior to arriving in New Zealand, you are able to apply for this online. For further information visit www.ird.govt.nz.