Looking for Help from New Zealand

Factual Questions
1

I’m looking to spend a semester in New Zealand next year ( assuming I get the mucho money required) and I’m hoping to get some info from natives or people that have lived or studied there for an extended period.
The two universities I’m looking at are University of Canterbury in Cristchurch and University of Waikato in Hamilton. I’m planning on going into theatre costuming in the long term, but that’s not too big a deal in which NZ school I choose.
I’m also currently taking an Intercultural Communication class, and it’s really helping me understand some important things about studying another culture, so a lot of my questions might refer to concepts from the class.
Anyhoo…
One of my big concerns once I get there is housing. I’ll likely be on a fairly tight budget, so what kind of housing would be best. I’ve been looking at the dorms (Halls of residence?) and flats supported by the schools for the most part. There are also program through the schools to connect students with people living there, but I think it might be weird moving in with strangers. What would you recommend?
Of course there’s the all important climate. I’ve found several different things online, but they all tend to say different things, and it’s different for the two islands isn’t it? I’m planning on going around our fall semester (August-December), but I don’t know for sure. What kind of weather should I plan for in the different seasons?
I’m also thinking about getting a part time job while I’m there. Are there any good opportunities for a student like that? What do the boss-employee relationships tend to be like?
One of the concepts we discuss often in class is “Individualism vs. Collectivism”. The idea that a culture will tend to be more individual or group goal oriented. What should I expect when I get there?
I’ve also seen that there is a lot of influence from the Maori culture in NZ. Does it tend to be integrated with the rest of the country, or is the Maori group seen more as their own smaller in-group?
Another of my big concerns is transportation. Do you use mostly private vehicles, or Public transit? I love being able to use busses and subways and such. I wish we had a decent system here in Kansas.

I suppose I’ve written enough of a novel for now. I’m sure I’m come up with more questions and such later.

Thanks everyone, for any input you have.

2

hi CG-

Can’t answer everything but I’ll do what I can. I relocated from Vermont to Christchurch in July of 02.

Christchurch has a major metro of about 400,000 people. The weather here is much milder than Kansas. August-December is Spring-summer here. Cool nights, cool and warm days. I’ve lost track of how the Farenheit system works, but I’ll guess 55-65 at night, 65-80 during the day. Rarely is there uncomfortable humidity and never that East-Coast sticky humidity that makes you want to die. It’s almost always windy, though.

Chch is flat, with wide streets that are great for cycling, and has excellent bus service. No subways as it’s built on filled and drained swampland! Outdoor activities are not that far away and there are busses that cater to this.

People are nice here - they seem more “civilized” than Americans somehow. Must be the English influence. After being here 18 months, I can usually spot Americans a mile (kilometer, whatever) away, and they always talk so loudly! I can see how other cultures view Americans the way they do. Kiwis also seem to be fiercely independent and seem to take more responsibility for their own actions. This is very obvious in areas like insurance - our auto insurance is NZ$150 a year. (we drive a beater, but still!)

You’ll see more Maori influence the farther North you go. I’ll take some flak for saying this, but there is a lot of racism here, most of it subtle. The Maori are considered by the pakeha (whites) sort of how Americans consider blacks - equal but not really equal. NZ as whole is taking strides to right some of the wrongs that have been made over the years. You’ll hear talk of the “treaty industry” - disparaging words will be said by Moari (“it’s not enough”) and by whites (“when are they going to stop asking for more?”). Moari are definitely better off in comparison to the Native Americans, but there’s still a long way yet.

Definitely look into the work restrictions of a student visa - there is only so much work you can do with one.

Can’t tell you too much about student housing - we own now. Rentals are priced by the week. There are a lot of run-down places around, so shop carefully.

If you can afford it, do it. Just get out of America any way you can for a semester - it’s amazing how much more perspective you have on your own country after viewing it from the outside.

Further questions, email me off-board capnfutile@netscape.net

Good luck,
Capnfutille

3

Hey costumegoddess. Nice to have you aboard.

Note that I’m talking specifically about Canterbury. I’ve been to Waikato University a few times, but I like Canterbury better. Not that I’m biased :smiley:

First off, check out the University of Canterbury website.

Info on Halls
Dorm/Hall fees are about NZ$190-220 per week. A few of them are full service - three meals, room service, etc. Can personally vouch for College House, great place with a terrific atmosphere - possible the closest you can get to a old fashioned English dorm in NZ. Oh, and all the halls are co-ed if it means that much to you. Another option is the ‘Ilam Halls’, self contained flats operated by the Uni. Cheaper, but no food provided (both good and bad).

You can get privately own flats, normally NZ$70-120 per week. Styles range from ‘Really Nice’ to ‘White Trash Haven with optional car wreck on lawn’. If it’s possible, stay at a cheap hotel/packpackers and shop around for a while. Normally load of notices around Uni and the classifieds. You can normally get ones within 30 minutes walk easily.

And yes, it does get cold down here. Lows are can hover around the -5°C mark during winter, but typically 2 to 0°C. Summer can reach 30-ish°C, so pack for both extremes. It’s only snowed twice in the seven years I’ve been here. During August/Dec, it’s late winter/early spring. Pack for variable weather. Also, heating in flats tend to be troublesome (no insultation in the walls) - prepare to bring a sleeping bag.

I’m not too sure if there’s any problems with International Students having part time jobs - check with the NZ Embassy. The employee/r relationship is pretty good. The employees tend to be better off than the US (MHO, obviously); I managed to get 5% bonus holiday pay out of my last summer job and was covered by the firm’s insurance when I pranged the car (totally my fault too!). Oh, and McDonalds employs students here ;). There’s the usual part-time student work of retail, food and laboring. There’s also half a dozen production theaters around here, but I don’t know if they offer jobs.

Maori culture isn’t that big a deal, and is prevalent in all of NZ. There’s a growing number of urban Maori too. English is still the language of choice, even though Maori is recognised as an offical language. Think of it like the US govt/Native Amercian situation, only with the government recognising landrights and better perks.

Public transportation is great down here. The city’s bus system is almost as good as Melbourne’s trams. Most bus stops are with in a 30-45 minutes walk, and buses are nice and non-threatening. You can ride around the city fo a few bucks. No subways though (small matter of Christchuch having an underground aqueifer), and while there is a national train system, it’s still easier to use buses.

Err… I’m not too sure about the “Individualism vs. Collectivism” comment though.

4

My brother did an exchange program at the University of Canterbury, and I spent a week staying in his dorm room, so I can describe them pretty thoroughly. It was sort of a cross between a dorm and an apartment-type setup, with a kitchen, living room, shower room, and laundry at one end of a long hall, and six small single rooms along the hall. This dorm was coed and reserved for international students – from what I remember, it consisted of my brother (American), one other American girl, one German guy, one Norwegian girl, and two Korean girls. It was your basic institutional concrete-block building, but the amenities were nice, and with the single rooms you got a lot more privacy than you do in a typical American dorm with doubles. I’d recommend it, although I guess being in the international-student ghetto could get old after a while. (I don’t know whether the university offers any other options for exchange students that might be more integrated.)

As noted above, the bus service in Christchurch is very good, and studying abroad is an amazing, enlightening experience no matter where you go.

Oh yeah, and while you’re there, try to make it to the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers (how many times in your life do you get to walk on a glacier?) and the Otago Peninsula (how often will you get to see penguins and sheep in the same field?) It’s a really cool country. Enjoy.

5

Several times a year.

Oh, sorry. I’m from the Dunedin area, so I guess I’m just lucky. :slight_smile:

6

I should add as a further to my post that the weatehr I was describing was summer weather - it can get below freezing here in the winter, and most homes built prior to the last twenty years don’t have central heating. So if you do end up being here for anything but summer, pack some warms. We bought a 100-year old villa - spent lots last winter on electric heat, even after insulating the floor.

Chch is not a good place for asthmatics in the winter - many people still heat with coal and during the winter nights you get this haze/fog that looks like those old movies about London.

Oh, and it’s a “bumbag”, NOT a “fanny pack”. Fanny means something else entirely :slight_smile:

capn

7

Thanks so much, everyone. I didn’t expect so many replies so soon. I always forget just how many people there are on here. My mom and I both lurk a lot :slight_smile:

Yeah, I’ve heard about the “fanny” mistake before :slight_smile: Although the word “bum”, in that context, always makes me giggle for some reason. :stuck_out_tongue:
That’s one of the other things we’ve discussed in class: different slang and gestures meaning completely different, and sometimes embarassing, things in different countries. Is there anything else like that I should watch out for? From what I’ve heard/ read it seems like Australian and NZ slang are similar a lot of the time.

8

Although I’m English I have more family in NZ than Britain and have spent several months in the aggregate there over the years, but maybe I can help. I used to have family in Hamilton and a cousins daughter went to Waikato University and had a great time. That said I know Canterbury a little better and the rest of the family are South Islanders…

You don’t give us much clue what your interests are, apart from Theatre. My impression is that Canterbury is more self consciously “artistic” than Hamilton which might appeal to you, including at least one arts festival.

Canterbury is also much more touristy, “pretty” and inward looking (self regarding?) than Hamiton. Canterbury was conceived as an English city and the architecture and feel of the town retains that. Personally it doesn’t appeal as I have grown up with the real thing. But Canterbury is like no other place in New Zealand, for both good and bad. It is flat and hot, very windy and dry in the summer and can be very cold in winter. The local agriculture is arable.

Hamilton seems a more business orientated place, with a much bigger Maori and South Sea Islander population, more poverty but to me at least feels a more “real” place. Around here the farmers are mostly into beef and diary. It also has a great rugby team! Whilst not as self consciously artistic as Christchurch is has it’s own local scene and is much more culturally diverse.

If you are from Kansas hopefully you will be able to relate to the strong rural influence on all of New Zealand outside Auckland (whose residents are dismissed as “jafa” in the rest of the country; “just-another-fucking-Aucklander”) and maybe Wellington. Those apart pretty much all of NZ has a small town feel to it.

If you are into the great outdoors, especially tramping (as they call hiking), then South Island might do you better - and the ski fields are also pretty handy. In the North, organised sport is bigger and sailing is a big thing although that is probably not a big factor in Kansas :wink: .

If you are only there for a short while, one term, then Christchurch is probably more easier to “get” - more accessable due to the heavy tourist influence. It is also a better location to combine with tourist stuff of seeing the sights (South Island is pretty amazing). If you throw yourself into stuff though and value a more diverse experience and are genuinely interested in Maori culture you might get more out of Hamilton. Aukland is also close to the latter if you want some big city culture. Public transport is better in Christchurch town and it has an international airpot, but otherwise Hamilton is better connected to everywhere else - it even has a train service that goes somewhere useful!

9

Hiya!

Hamiltonian checking in here! I’ve studied at Waikato for 6 years so if you want to know anything, I’d be more than happy to help!

Waikato is definitely moving towards being a very ‘international’ university, rents much cheaper here than in Auckland of even Otago or Canty I think…

If you want to know more my email is cgilson@maxnet.co.nz

Cheers

Chris

10

Ah, that’s where my brother was staying, and hence the only place where my description applies. Didn’t realize there were other university housing options with a different atmosphere.

11

Well I can take you to some damn good parties if you come to Christchurch and introduce you to a University and exUniversity group that will give you an insta social life.

12

I love partying and meeting new people and stuff, l though I’m not huge into drinking or anything. That tends to be what the big parties among my age group around here are: a bunch of people getting totally pissed and usually doing stupid things. I do love to go dancing though. That’s the one thing I look forward to about turning 21 (one more year, almost exactly^_^). There’s nowhere decent here till you’re of drinking age, because most clubs just don’t want to mess with keeping track of the underage ones. What is legal age for all that stuff there anyway?
We’ve got 16 for driving, 18 to be an “adult” (haha), and 21 for alcohol.
Are there any other “special” birthdays that you guys get to look forward to?

13

Oh dear. I’m a JAFA so i can’t give you real advice on what you asked.

I can tell you the legal drinking age is 18 and drinking is a favourite student activity.

14

Yes,

*the American term “root”, meaning to cheer for or support a team, means something completely different in the Antipodes.

*To Australasians, an “ass” is a donkey. An “arse” is a backside

15

And if you talk about your friend Randy people will snicker.

Feel free to email me if you want to know any info.

16

I know this is a little bit of a weird question, but what’s the health care system and such like? We were discussing various systems the other day, Like Sweden who has a pretty groovy set up:high taxes, but they pay nothing for healthcare, and their welfare really is about the well being of the people, vs the US where we pay a lot of stuff out of pocket, or out of personal insurance policies, but have relatively low taxes.

Personally I opt for the first, but that’s just me.

17

While the slang and idioms may be different here to the US, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. NZ culture is still perhaps more British than US but Americanisms and the US culture have been strong influences since about WWII.

We now get exposed to US terms from TV and movies constantly, so even if you use a term that’s not in common use here there’s a good chance most Kiwis will understand what you mean.

18

Health care is subsidised or free to residents and possibly to you on a student visa. You will be able to use the student health care system on campus which is, I think, free GP visits (you pay an annual fee with your tuition fees) but don’t quote me on this. I’ll ask and check.

The heath care system is to a degree run down here. For those who can afford it health insurance is a good idea. In saying this I consider it to be a lot better than the Amarican system (at least what I know of it).

Check out what you are eligable for under your student visa.

19

I agree with Kipper that basic health insurance is a good plan – something to cover that sudden need for a liver transplant. :slight_smile:

You should however be covered automatically in the case of accidents. NZ does not allow suit for personal injury – rather there is a government agency, the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC that pays costs towards treatment. The ACC covers accidents of all sorts, work related, sporting injuries, a fall, etc… but does not cover illness. Visitors to NZ are covered pretty much equally with locals as far as I can see, but you might want to check out their web-site for details.

On another topic, while I don’t want to give capnfutile flak over the subtle racism observations, and not to say it doesn’t exist, I will say that this is definitely an area of YMMV – and will depend on area and age-group, and of course individuals. My step-mother who grew up and lives in a small town with a large Maori population will say things that make me ashamed to know her (and my father is only somewhat better); I live in Auckland (and despise the term “jafa”) :slight_smile: which has become increasingly multi-cultural over the last couple of decades and work in an IT company with people from over twenty different countries. I don’t generally observe noticable racism.

20

YMMV? Am I just being slow or is this some super secret abbreviation thing? :confused: