Country overview
New Zealand is renowned for its natural beauty, scenic landscapes, and clean, green environment. Made up of three islands ' the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island ' New Zealand is home to four million people. The capital city is Wellington, situated at the bottom of the North Island, although, the country's largest city is Auckland six hours north. New Zealand is a popular tourist destination for those in search of adventure - white water rafting, skydiving and bungy jumping are just a few of the adrenaline-filled activities on offer. And since The Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed, many have come to explore Hobbiton, and horse trek or helicopter through the different film locations.
New Zealand's economy relies on agriculture. Its primary exports include New Zealand beef and lamb, New Zealand wool and a range of fruit such as Zespri ' the golden kiwifruit. The country's population consists of Europeans, Maori, and growing Pacific Island and Asian populations. The country is perhaps most well known for its rugby team, the All Blacks, and the fact that there are more sheep than people.But despite its size, New Zealand offers a quality of lifestyle that can not be found anywhere else on the globe.
Education overview
New Zealand haseight universities, three of which appeared in the 2010 QS World University Rankings Top 200: University of Auckland (68) University of Otago (135) University of Canterbury (189) Universities are strong in medicine, engineering, law, management and agriculture and most universities place a strong emphasis on incorporating New Zealand studies within each of their disciplines. Research within each of New Zealand's universities is increasing as well due to the Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) which funds each university onthe quality and output of research. New Zealanduniversities rely heavily on their international student populations for the funds they bring in, but all ensure the students are well looked after as a result.
| Affordable living costs Range of internationally recognized qualifications Support networks for international students | Limited financial support & scholarships available for international students Far away from home and other countries (although this could be a pro!) |
International student accommodation
New Zealand universities have very good accommodation facilities for domestic and international students. There are halls of residence, mainly for first-year students, and self-catered flats available for those in their second or third year. A number of students go flatting in their second year of study and each university has an accommodation advisory service that can help students to find and set up their newflats.
International offices also arrange accommodation for students. This is mainly in the form of a home stay where international students are billeted with local families. They have a strong support network and meet up on a regular basis with other international students and their host families.
Weather/Climate
New Zealand's climate is complex and varies from warm subtropical in the far north to cool temperate climates in the far south, with severe alpine conditions in the mountainous areas. Skiing is a popular winter sport due to the annual snow fall both in the North and South Islands. During the summer months, people head for the golden sandy beaches and sunbathing and water sports become the focus. The New Zealand sun is incredibly hot and the sunburn time is only a matter of minutes. The country has a high rainfall, which is ideally suited for the farming regions, but seasonal differences aren't as disparate as in the Northern Hemisphere.
Transport
There is very limited public transport available in New Zealand. Air travel is expensive and trains are unreliable, however, the scenery you see while travelling is spectacular. There are relatively good but slightly infrequent bus services between towns and cities. The majority of New Zealanders travel by car, and the road networks on both islands are well maintained. The islands, separated by the Cook Strait,are linked by ferry which takes between two and three hours to cross.Students tend to rely on cheap cars, which can be found in 'Buy, Sell and Exchange' type newspapers and websites. Bikes, skateboards and scooters are also popular methods of transport around the student areas of each city.
Cost*
| Item | Price |
| small bottle of beer | NZ$3.50 |
| small bottle of water | NZ$2.50 |
| movie ticket | NZ$15.00 |
| souvenir t-shirt | NZ$20.00 |
| meat pie | NZ$3.00 |
| cup of coffee | NZ$3.50 |
| glass of local tap beer | NZ$3.80 |
| motel/hotel double | NZ$100.00 |
Useful info
Dialing code: 00 64 Currency: New Zealand dollar ($) Time zone: GMT/UTC +12, GMT/UTC +13 (Daylight Savings Time - from last Sunday in September to first Sunday in April)
Famous New Zealanders
Sir Edmund Hillary: The first man to conquer Mount Everest. Sir Ed, as he was affectionately known reached the summit with sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Sir Ed's image is on the New Zealand $5 note.
Peter Jackson ' was the man behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is New Zealand's best known film director and also directed King Kong. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa: an internationally reknowned opera singer, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa also sang at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana. New Zealand was also the first country in the world to give women the vote in 1893, as a result of the women's suffrage movement.
