AOKYC 2007 - About New Zealand

Weather

Winter - New Zealand’s winter months of June to August bring colder weather to much of the country. Mountain ranges in both islands become snow-covered, providing beautiful vistas and excellent skiing. While the South Island has cooler winter temperatures, some areas of the island experience little rainfall in winter, so this is an excellent time to visit glaciers, mountains, and other areas of scenic beauty.

Temperatures in Christchurch in the winter months can range from 10°c during the day, down to -2°c overnight. Most days in Christchurch have clear sunny skys, the evenings still and calm.

Currency

The currency in New Zealand is the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$). Coins are used for $2, $1, 50c, 20c, and 10c. Notes are used for $5, $10, $20 and larger denominations.

Electricity

The Electricity in New Zealand is 230 volt, 50 Hz. The standard power outlet is similar to an Australian, or New Guinea outlet and looks like this:

Most outlets in New Zealand are grounded and have switches on them for extra safety. The standard New Zealand power plug has two flat pins that form a V-shape, as well as an earthing pin. Though you can use both grounded and ungrounded plugs in those outlets, we still recommend that the plug adapter you take with you is a grounded one, as it can be dangerous to use the grounded plug of one of your appliances into an ungrounded plug adapter.

You may need a transformer to use your electrical device in New Zealand. Many laptops have a multi-country capable power-pack.