LEARNING ABOUT NEW ZEALAND

A land of great natural beauty, New Zealand offers unsurpassed lifestyle - a favorable climate; crisp, clean air; magnificent scenery and endless outdoor activities and leisure pursuits. This is a country filled with great variety - beautiful countryside offering lots of potential for outdoor sports and recreation, cities offering great urban lifestyle and a vast multicultural diversity based on many years of migration.

GEOGRAPHY

New Zealand lies in the southern Pacific Ocean, 1,600 kilometers east of Australia. It is made up of the North and South Islands and a number of smaller islands, with a total land area of 270,500 square kilometers. Mountain ranges and hilly country dominate the landscape. The major feature of the South Island are the Southern Alps. In the North Island the volcanic interiors contain New Zealand's largest lakes.

ECONOMY

New Zealand is recognized throughout the world as a land of prosperity and growth. The New Zealand economy has recently undergone tremendous positive changes. Its education, industry and technology are at the peak of world development.

New Zealand has become a significant trading economy. The trade has always been based on farming, but in the recent years, it had diversified its markets and products. At present Australia is its largest export market, followed by Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

POLITICAL SYSTEM

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and the Head of the State is Her Majesty, Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand. New Zealand has a parliamentary system of government and is a democracy. Parliament is usually elected every three years through a proportional electoral system know as Mixed Member Proportional (MMP). New Zealanders are entitled to vote at the age of 18. Permanent residents may vote providing they fulfill certain requirements.

CLIMATE

New Zealand's climate varies from sub-tropical in the far north to the almost continental in the mountainous areas of the South Island. January and February are the warmest months, and July is the coldest. Average temperatures range from 80C in July to 170C in February. There is a lot of difference in the climates between the east and west regions of the mountains. The average annual rainfall varies from 300 millimeters in Central Otago to about 13,000 millimeters in the Southern Alps.

POPULATION

New Zealand is a multi-cultural society with a population of about 3.8 million. About 75 percent live in the North Island, and about one million people live in the Auckland urban area. New Zealand's society reflects many years of migration form all the parts of the globe. Most New Zealanders are of British descent, with others from European cultures such as Greek, Italian, French, Dutch, Dalmatian, Scandinavian and German. Most recently people from islands throughout the Pacific and other immigrants from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and India have also settled here.

HOUSING

As the average cost of houses is comparatively low, about 75% of all New Zealand homes belong to their inhabitants. New Zealand's housing lifestyle are many and varied. Most of the houses are of wood construction, detached with three/four bedrooms. The main sources of mortgage finance for housing are registered banks and financial companies. Rental housing is generally sought through real estate agencies. Rental charges vary depending upon the quality, area etc.

EMPLOYMENT

All major daily newspapers have a Situations Vacant section, which advertises job vacancies. The largest listings can be found in papers from the main centers in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Some government agencies and professional associations also have their own specialist publications for advertising jobs.

EDUCATION

Most New Zealand students start their education at the age of five, but attendance only becomes compulsory at the age of six. Education is provided free in state primary, intermediate and secondary schools. Schooling is largely free, although state schools are beginning to charge "optional fees" to cover extra equipment and facilities. New Zealand's 23 polytechnics offer a wide range of internationally recognized qualifications as full-time, part-time, night-time or weekend courses. The ranges of courses include business, design, technology, hairdressing, building, nursing and journalism.

HEALTH CARE

New Zealand's health care system is mainly funded by though government. It has both public and private sectors. The residents of New Zealand are entitled to receive publicly funded health and disability services. The government also provides subsidies for visits to the family doctor ("general practitioner" or "GP") and prescriptions for young children, people who need frequent health care and people on low incomes.

TAXATION

Income tax is imposed by the New Zealand Government on income derived by a taxpayer in each income year. At present there is virtually no capital gains tax or wealth tax in New Zealand, but profits from certain speculative ventures and transactions in land or certain investments may in certain circumstances be liable to income tax. Non-cash forms of remuneration received by employees (e.g. company cars) are not subject to income tax, but are instead subject to a "Fringe Benefits Tax", which is payable by the employer.

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

Cars are the most popular way of getting around in New Zealand, particularly for long distances. Most cities operate a public transport system (usually buses) and there is a national bus and train transport service. Airlines fly between most cities daily and less frequently between provincial centers. There is also a regular ferry service for vehicles and passengers between the North and South Islands. Taxi services operate in most urban areas.

New Zealand had many competing providers of telecommunications services- - the most well known are Telecom New Zealand and Clear Communications. Television and radio services are provided by both public and about 120 private channels. Most cities and large towns have a daily newspaper (twenty eight in all) and two Sunday papers. More than 2300 magazines are regularly available.

IMPORTING PERSONAL ITEMS

Household and other personal goods can be imported and owned for your personal use. They are not subject to duty or other charges upon arrival. But the cost of moving can be very high and the replacement value vary greatly in different countries. In case of electrical and electronic goods, it is advisable to purchase new ones to make it more worthwhile.

IMPORTING PETS

An import health permit must be obtained priority importation of a cat or dog into New Zealand. Applications must be made to the Ministry of Agriculture. In some cases the animal will need to be identified by a microchip or a tattoo. It is advisable to make use of the services of a company specialized in pet transportation and import.