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Ten Facts About Moving to New Zealand

Sep 30. 2021

Famously known as the land of the long white cloud and regarded for its Maori heritage, if you have a relocation to New Zealand on the horizon, here’s a few interesting facts about the country. See how many you didn’t already know!

• They mean business when it comes to gender equality. New Zealand suffragette’s led a fierce campaign which ultimately resulted in women being given the right to vote in September 1893. This was almost a decade before any other country caught up. In fact the face of one of the leading suffragetes; Kate Sheppard, is on every NZ$10 note.
• New Zealand is home to a lot of sheep! Amazingly, it’s estimated that there is a ratio of around one person to six sheep, bringing the total number of sheep to around 30 million.
• The country lay undiscovered and untouched by human hand for quite some time. New Zealand was one of the last countries to be discovered. The discovery was made by East Polynesians who then became the indigenous New Zealanders; the Māori. It was around three hundred years later that the white men arrived.
• New Zealand is also home to the town with the longest name in the world. It’s name is: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. When translated into Maori, it’s thought to mean something like this: “The place where Tamatea, the man on the big knees who slipped, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as the land eater, he played the flute to his loved one.”
• A New Zealander’s most popular drink of choice- something known as L&P. This stands for lemon and Paeroa and is a very popular soft drink that you can get all over the country. It is literally carbonated mineral water (originally this was from the town of Paeroa) and lemon. It may seem like a glorified lemonade but it remains ever popular in New Zealand.
• Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand is home to the steepest road in the world. Famed in the Guinness Book of Records, Baldwin Street has a slope of 19 degrees.
• New Zealanders are characteristically laid back and in fact it’s not an unusual practice for people to walk around outside, going about their daily business bare foot. This also taps into the Māori belief that you’re closer to nature if you’re barefoot.
• As a country, it’s well known for its extensive greenery and vegetation. A third of it is considered as a protected national reserve.
• It has been crowned the ‘shaky isles’ as New Zealand experiences around 14,000 earth quakes per year. However, it’s thought that only around 100-150 of them are actually palpable by its human inhabitants.
• New Zealand has provided inspiring back drops for some iconic films from King Kong to The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They take their hobbits seriously! Not only can you visit Hobbiton in New Zealand, you’ll also find hobbits on the country’s legal tender.

If you’re planning a future move to New Zealand, as an international moving company our International Shipping department are on hand to discuss how we can help with the movement of household goods and/ or vehicles into and out of the country and can also arrange a free, pre-move survey on 01902 714555 or sales@burkebros.co.uk.