live work study play

livingin New Zealand

Part of the

Study in New Zealandseries

Living in New Zealand 2011 45

44 Living in New Zealand 2011

Te MāoriWhaT’s WiTh The haka?

Haka are important to New Zealanders. They are

expressions of ‘Mäoriness’ and have come to be expressions

of our bicultural identity. There are actually countless

different haka. The famous All Black haka, ‘Ka Mate’, was

written by a chief of the Ngäti Toa tribe, Te Rauparaha, back

in the 19th century. It tells the story about te rauparaha

being sheltered from his enemies. Each tribe (iwi) has a

number of haka. Different haka might be performed at

festivals and weddings and tangi (funeral) and celebrations

and competitions. Many high schools have their own haka.

The All Blacks also have another haka, ‘Kapa o Pango’.

Why “lots of haka” and not “lots of hakas”

There is no ‘s’ in the Mäori language, so most newspapers

and media outlets don’t add the english plural to Mäori

words. Confusing? Not at all – very easy to tell by the context.

Language

The Mäori language is called te reo Mäori. Te reo is closely

related to Tahitian as well as Rarotongan. Te reo is quite a

simple language in that there are five vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

and 10 consonants (p, t, k, m, n,. ng, wh, r, h, w). The vowels

in Mäori can be pronounced with either a short or long

sound, and when a long vowel is written down it always has

a ‘macron’ over the vowel – like the ‘a’ in Mäori. Here’s a

rough guide to how some letters in te reo sound. Vowels: ‘ä’

sounds like “are”; ‘e’ sounds like the ‘e’ in “egg”; ‘ï’ sounds

like ‘ee’ as in “see”; ‘ō’ sounds like “or”; and ‘ū’ sounds

like the ‘oo’ in “moon”. Consonants are pronounced as in

English, although ‘wh’ is pronounced as an ‘f’ (“ef”) and ‘ng’

is pronounced as the ‘ng’ in “sing”.

Some Mäori people you may not have known were Mäori:

» Kiri Te Kanawa – opera soprano

» Russell Crowe – actor (Ngäti Porou descent)

» Michael Campbell – US Open winner (golf) n

Māori are the tangata whenua (literally, ‘people of the land’) or the indigenous people of

Aotearoa/New Zealand. Mäori make up more than 15 per cent of the New Zealand population.

MANy INTERNATIONAl STUDENTS are entitled to work up to 20 hours

per week during the academic year, and full-time over the summer

break. you must not gain employment in New Zealand until you have

permission from Immigration New Zealand. Often this permission

is automatically printed on your student visa label. If you believe you

are entitled to work and it is not shown on your student visa label, you

should approach Immigration New Zealand and request a ‘variation of

conditions’.

Work perMiTs for parTners of inTernaTional sTudenTs

The partners of both postgraduate and undergraduate students may

be eligible to apply for a work permit. If your partner is interested in

working, they should approach Immigration New Zealand and make an

application.

paying Tax

Before you start work, you need to apply for an IRD (Inland Revenue)

number. When you begin work, your employer will give you a Tax Code

Declaration Form to complete. It is important to complete this form,

as without a tax code declaration, tax is deducted at the high, non-

declaration rate of 45 cents in the dollar. As soon as you receive income

from your part-time job or from other New Zealand income sources,

you are legally obliged to pay tax to the government. This is usually

automatically deducted from your wages when you are paid, so you

don’t need to do anything. If you have worked for part of the year only

(the tax year goes from 1 April to 31 March) then you are probably

entitled to a tax refund. Contact Inland Revenue for a personal tax

summary, which will show you if you are eligible for a refund. For further

information visit: www.ird.govt.nz

Working inYou’re allowed to work part-time in New Zealand while studying here, and

there are a few things you also need to be aware of, like tax …

CuLture

Māori

Work = $$$$$

a large group of Mäori wähine

perform an action song

interior of meeting

house (wharenui),

auckland

finding Work

your school or tertiary institution should be able to help

you with different job search options. In many cases you

may be able to find work on campus, such as tutoring or

marking work, or working in a university shop or café.

The minimum wage in New Zealand is between NZ$10

and $12.50.

» The government runs Career Services:

www.careers.govt.nz

» Trademe.co.nz

» Seek.co.nz n

new Zealand

Part-time Workinternational students may be eligible to work

up to 20 hours per week if they are:

� enrolled in a full-time course lasting at

least two academic years

� studying towards a new Zealand

qualification that would gain points under

new Zealand residence policy

� studying a full-time course to develop

english language skills – to qualify, you

must have an ieLtS (general or academic

module) overall band score of at least 5.0.

Contact immigration new Zealand or visit the

website www.immigration.govt.nz for more

information.

Living in New Zealand 2011 1110 Living in New Zealand 2011

AucklandIf you’re lookIng for a ‘bIg lIttle cIty’ as the place to make your base, auckland might be the city to choose. It’s new Zealand’s largest city, where art and culture meet business and commerce in a colourful explosion.

the ‘first city of the Pacific’, auckland is the hub of the Pacific, with the largest numbers of Polynesian people in the world.

More than 181 different ethnic groups from all over the world call auckland home, which makes auckland an exciting and vibrant place. People from asia – particularly Japan, korea and china – make up a large and important proportion of auckland’s people.

auckland is also known as the ‘city of Sails’ because the harbour and its yachts dominate life.

Around town » High Street and Queen Street form the main business and

shopping districts. » Ponsonby and karangahape roads are very popular with

urban socialites. » newmarket and Parnell are up-market shopping areas. » otara and avondale weekend markets offer a colourful,

alternative shopping experience. » Devonport is an historic naval base and a character-filled

area just a few minutes away from the cbD on a ferry. » auckland’s north Shore is a parallel city across the famous

auckland Harbour bridge, and has its own centres and attractions in a ‘suburban’ setting.

is a small country’s big city …

NEW ZEaLaNdplAces

GettinG About although auckland is one of the largest metropolitan areas (by size) in the world, its many volcanic vantage points and lush plant growth make it an amazing place to cycle or walk around. » 120 bus routes » 12 ferry routes » regular trains that run along two rail lines accessing the east,

west and south of the city.

built on rich volcanic soil, Auckland boasts: » over 800 parks and reserves, dozens of beaches, countless

walkways » the zoo and various museums » fantastic facilities – pools, community centres, halls and libraries » nine recreation centres » 12 swimming pools » three public golf courses » more than 100 public tennis courts » 550 sports fields, 10 skate parks.

but auckland itself is a diverse place and you’ll need to choose which side of the city to live on!

auckland city lies on a narrow stretch of land between the beautiful Manukau and Waitemata harbours. Most people in auckland live on the mainland, but auckland also has 65 stunning islands in the Hauraki gulf to choose from. Wow!

the Waitemata Harbour has popular swimming beaches at Mission bay, Devonport, takapuna, and the west coast has popular surf spots such as Piha and Muriwai. >>

Living in New Zealand 2011 35

34 Living in New Zealand 2011

When you get to New Zealand, you’ll find an amazing array of dining experiences on offer. You

will be able to eat the food you’re accustomed to back home – New Zealand has many ‘ethnic’

restaurants, cafés and markets – or sample the local food styles, including Mäori hängï. As well,

Kiwis shop at supermarkets, farmers’ markets and the great New Zealand dairy.

Food

FOOD {Kai} Eating OutFrom food courts to cafés to expensive restaurants – enjoy!Restaurants & cafésIn some cafés, you just sit down at a table and wait for a waiter to

come. New Zealanders eat dinner fairly early, around 6 to 9pm, and many restaurants are only open until about 10pm. An average meal at a ‘good’ restaurant might cost anywhere between NZ$20 to $50. Many restaurants allow you to bring alcoholic drinks with you – these are advertised as BYO (bring your own). Tipping is voluntary and in recognition of excellent service only. In restaurants, the goods and services tax or GST (15%) will be included in the price. Kai = MāOri FOr FOOD! Kaimoana Aotearoa/New Zealand is world-famous for its kaimoana (seafood). Specialties include groper, cod, mussels, paua (abalone) and koura/crayfish (lobster). Cafés and restaurants regularly have seafood on the menu. All over NZ, people catch or gather their own kaimoana. Be aware that there are limits on how much seafood you can take from the ocean, and that these limits are policed carefully: www.fish.govt.nz Cooking in the ground! When you’re asked to a hängï, you’re actually being invited to a Māori

feast cooked in an underground oven. Various types of meats (often pork, chicken AND lamb) and vegetables such as kumara (sweet potato), pumpkin and potato are wrapped in leaves or aluminium foil. This food is then placed in a pit with hot stones or irons. The food is wrapped again and then covered with dirt. It cooks in steam for a long time. It is a safe, clean and delicious way of cooking food. Particularly in towns like Rotorua, a number of hotels serve hängï, accompanied by Māori music and dance. This is a real ‘taste’ of Māori culture. ShOpping

Supermarkets New Zealand supermarkets supply anything and everything you might need in the way of food, as well as general household items such as cleaning, hygiene and pet supplies. Grocery shopping in New Zealand is easy at large supermarkets, where all the week’s food requirements can be bought in one place. You can find supermarkets in shopping malls, suburban areas and urban centres throughout New Zealand. They are generally open longer hours than standard shops, with some opening their doors for 24 hours, seven days a week. For those who find supermarket shopping physically difficult or who find a trip to the supermarket too time-consuming, there is now the option of online supermarket shopping. Ethnic markets

Ethnic food markets specialising in Asian foods or Mediterranean foods can be found in most major cities of New Zealand. Many towns will have a range of Asian food stores and groceries, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Malaysian. Halal food can usually be found in specialist butchers and shops as well as in local supermarkets. Many restaurants also serve halal meat. The great New Zealand dairy Local, small stores that sell a little bit of everything are known as ‘dairies’. They of course sell dairy foods such as milk and cheese (New Zealanders produce and consume vast amounts of dairy food) but their name doesn’t really describe what they sell. They are great places to buy pretty much everything, including bread, milk, rice and the newspaper. Doing your weekly shopping here, however, is not a good idea as it is often more expensive than bigger shops and supermarkets.

Fresh food markets (or ‘farmers markets’)Many places – including cities – have open-air fruit and vegetable markets (or farmers’ markets), on one or two days of the week. Much of the produce sold here is grown in farms very close to the city, so it is often much cheaper and fresher than what you buy in a supermarket. n

nZ green-lipped mussels – kaimoana at its best

SamplE pRiCES $NZ1 piece of fresh salmon sushi 1.00

Bowl of beef noodle soup 9.00

3 pieces of fried chicken and a drink 7.50Toast and a coffee/tea

5.002 eggs, sausages, chips (French fries) 11.00Ham and salad sandwich

4.00Bowl of spagetti bolognaise

12.00

FOOD ‘tO gO’takeaway food (food that is cooked and ready to eat and then eaten at home or somewhere else) usually costs in the range of nZ$5 to $15, depending on the size of the meal and the kind of establishment you buy from.

pavlova – a classic nZ dessert – with strawberries and cream

food, cultures & customs

livingin New Zealand

don’t just dream it ... live it!

live work study play

visas to healthcare to banking to nightlife ...

issN: 1179-5115 $15.95Part of theStudy in New Zealandseries

fiNd your place iN the pacific studying & working

live, work, study and play in New Zealand.

Living in New Zealand is produced for international fee-paying students considering living, studying, working, and playing in New Zealand.

The international student market is one of New Zealand’s biggest income earners, and Living in New Zealand caters to this lucrative market.

Editorial covers regional benefits, leisure and sporting activities, education and training, work options, culture, health and safety, travel and infrastructure, support and accommodation, food, and banking and finance.

Distributed through APN’s international education network, this lively, A4, full-colour magazine brings relevant information to those making education, career, and lifestyle decisions.

fAcTs AT A gLANcE•48 pages +cover•Distributed to 38 countries, including India, Hong Kong, china, Korea, Thailand, Brazil, Japan, and

germany.•free to universities, institutes of technology, private training providers, English language schools,

agents, embassy staff and MAf offices.•cost effective and targeted exposure to the lucrative international market, which is one of

New Zeeland’s biggest income earners.•+100,000 international students came to New Zealand to complete some or all of their education and

to experience a lifestyle that is warm, welcoming and relaxed.•Booking deadline is November 16th, with an early bird booking of November 5th.•Pricing sheet available.

To coNfIrM your oPPorTuNITy PLEAsE coNTAcT

Bronwen Wilkins general Manager

+64 4 915 9786

+64 21 537 256

+64 4 471 1080

bron@apn-ed.co.nz

PMFE