The Upsides of Everyday Living New Zealand

If you've been online researching life in New Zealand, you've likely encountered endless content with varying experiences and perspectives. While 'everyday life' in New Zealand is highly subjective (everyone's experience is different), contrary to the barrage of negativity online and in mainstream media, there are plenty of upsides to everyday life in New Zealand. Here's our take on some of them:

Life unfolds at a much slower pace

If you're moving to New Zealand from a bigger city like Cape Town, Manila or London - brace yourself for the sudden (and sometimes unexpected) change of pace because things are about to slooow dooown. Yes, even if you move to a city like Wellington or Auckland.

And by that, we mean life will begin to feel unhurried and your surroundings less chaotic.

Generally, people here are not in a constant rush.

You may notice they walk more slowly on sidewalks and take their time ordering at the counter in cafes. It's normal for strangers to make eye contact, and say 'good morning' or 'g'day' (in fact, not doing so in many parts of the country is considered rude).

People take their time and don't harbour a 'go-go-go-now-now-now' attitude or mentality.

This could also be because fewer people are around (for instance, instead of 20 million people inhabiting an entire city, there are only 1.7 million).

You'll notice this more often when you travel overseas and return to New Zealand. Arriving at Auckland International Airport can feel like a special kind of relief.

Social interactions are informal and laid-back

It's considered odd or funny to use honourifics in New Zealand.

Formal titles like Madam, Sir, or ma'am aren't commonly used.

Strangers call each other by their first names, and it's perfectly acceptable to call someone 'mate' or 'bro'.

If you visit or live in small towns, it's normal to chat to strangers you've just met like you've known them for years.

Generally speaking, Kiwis are always keen for a good down-to-earth yarn (a chat).

A Kiwi friend of ours lived in the UK for over three years. He noticed the biggest difference in striking up a conversation with a stranger in the UK and one in New Zealand was the type of questions he was asked.

In the UK, one of the first questions he was usually asked was, "What do you do for work?"

In New Zealand, the first question is normally "How's your day going?" or “How about this weather, aye?”

In the UK, he observed that a lot of weight was placed on what people did for a living—a job title often defined who they were as individuals, and for many people, was an indicator of whether or not a person was worth getting to know.

In New Zealand, it's the opposite. People don't ask you what you do for work (in some social settings, that could be considered too intrusive). Instead, they ask how your day is going, what you have planned for the weekend, or if you watched the recent Warriors game (up the wahs!) .

Social interactions are relaxed and usually devoid of pretence, and most of the time, people don’t generally care what you do for a living.

There is excellent food and coffee everywhere - even in the most industrial zones on the outskirts of suburbia

If you didn't already know, New Zealand is home to some of the world's renowned chefs and restaurants.

Our food scene is world-class, from savoury pies and your local Indian takeaway to eateries of every type of cuisine and award-winning fine dining establishments.

Lunch breaks in the city? Take your pick - you'll find a cafe or eatery that serves the best midday feast.

Even if you work in an industrial area, we can guarantee that there's a bakery just around the corner serving top-notch pies and surprisingly good coffee.

Expect to spend your midweek or weekends at food festivals and markets of every kind

New Zealand is a foodie nation built on excellent local produce, so it makes sense that food festivals and markets are among our favourite weekend events.

There's always a local food festival or market on midweek and on the weekend. It's the 'local' thing to do and a great way to spend time with family and friends.

To find one near you, check out Event Finda

There is almost always a beautiful, postcard-perfect view everywhere you turn

If you've been following our blog, you'll probably be sick of reading about the 'beautiful scenery and nature' by now. Yes, we do harp on about that!

But only because the stunning landscape and coastlines are some of the best things about living in New Zealand.

It's one of the reasons many people choose to move here in the first place, and what makes New Zealand, well, New Zealand.

Even if you live in an inner city suburb, you're never far from a beach or regional park, most likely home to a dormant volcano. So, if you're a nature buff, you'll love having access to these beautiful locations as part and parcel of your everyday lifestyle.

A prevalent sense of security and safety

Given the current social and political climate in the West and other parts of the world, New Zealand is a safe haven.

In general, we have an accepting and open-minded society with balanced political views (regardless of which side of the political fence we sit on), we keep our politicians accountable and don't harbour the same extreme fanaticism we're seeing more of in other parts of the world.

Like all societies, crime does exist, but in general, people feel safe walking down the street and in busier hubs, without the fear of being pick-pocketed or held up at gun or knife point.

In New Zealand, you can be who you are regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Work-Life balance is a a real thing

In New Zealand, 'work-life' balance isn't just a buzzword. It's an ethos many, if not most, people and businesses abide by.

Full-time or part-time workers are entitled to four weeks of paid annual holidays and ten days of paid sick leave each year.

People here do not applaud working overtime or crazy long hours; instead, they look upon it with concern.

Spending time with family and friends is encouraged and appreciated.

Fridays and Public holidays are sacrilege—don't even think about calling a tradesperson. They'll probably be logged off until the following week. Unless it’s a life-or-death or the world-is-ending situation, then it can wait until the next business day 😅.

Generally, Kiwis understand that there is more to life than work and many, if not most, employers are empathetic and accommodating when it comes to taking time off to attend to family duties.

The above are just some of the upsides to everyday life in New Zealand that we love. For more on New Zealand living, check out these posts.