The latest from New Zealand (including some great news!)

March 2022

We are thrilled to share that the New Zealand border re-opening is moving forward ahead of schedule, and we are hopeful that this trend will continue so that we can welcome you to Aotearoa. Be aware that timelines and restrictions can change rapidly. We have the latest (at time of publishing) below, and feel free to reach out if you have questions or uncertainty. We're here to make your journey smoother and less stressful.

This month, we're sharing:

Immigration & Border Updates
What's it like to have a baby in New Zealand?
Latest Move to New Zealand Resources
Under Rated New Zealand
The New Zealand Food Scene
Word of the Month: Mahi

IMMIGRATION & BORDER UPDATES

NEW (More here on the announcement):

Vaccinated travellers entering New Zealand from Australia will no longer need to self-isolate from 11.59pm on Wednesday 2 March NZT.
Step two of the government's border reopening plan (allowing New Zealanders and other eligible critical workers from the rest of the world) will also begin earlier than previously planned, from this 11.59pm Friday 4 March NZT.
All travellers need to take a rapid antigen test (RAT) within the first 24 hours of arrival in New Zealand and on day 5/6 after arrival.
Any traveller with a positive RAT result must get a further PCR test to confirm.
Pre-departure testing is still required for all incoming travellers.
Unvaccinated travellers will still need to enter MIQ.

For more on vaccine and testing requirements, isolation arrangements, who can enter New Zealand, and the plan to move forward, check out the government's Covid website.

What's it like to have a baby in New Zealand?

We recently spoke with Mobile client, Liza, who welcomed her second son in Auckland in August 2021, just about a year after moving to New Zealand. She graciously shared how her New Zealand pregnancy and birth experience varied from her US one.

Much of the prenatal care was similar to what she experienced in the US with a few notable differences:

There is more choice of provider in NZ with OB and midwifery options in both the public and private systems (Note: the extent of private options does depend on where you are based in New Zealand and all hospital births take place in the public system);

In Auckland, the imaging and blood work are done through separate offices to the OB/midwife (with imaging carrying its own costs) while regular protein tests are done by the patient at the OB’s office;

Provider/patient communication is more direct in NZ, including text messaging with the OB during and after pregnancy.

During delivery (with that stunning view of Rangitoto shown above), she felt her care team was equally as open to intervention as the one in the US while her NZ delivery was more welcoming of her partner, involved less paperwork, and offered a birthing tub in every room.

It was the postpartum care that really impressed Liza.

A few hours after delivery, she and the baby were able to leave the hospital to relocate to a birth centre, where they stayed for three days. All of her and the baby’s providers came to them, as did food and other necessities. She described it being like a hotel with medical care and room service. Most of the amenities come standard with options to pay a supplement for things like a private room.

Care didn’t stop there. Once Liza and the baby were home, they were under the care of a Plunket midwife who came to her - not just the house but the bedside - for her and her baby’s routine follow-up care. The midwife went beyond basic medical care to make sure mum’s wellbeing was being tended and noted special little milestones in the baby’s Tamariki Ora book. Liza says it was like having a friend, lactation consultant, paediatrician, therapist, and midwife making the weekly house call in those critical first 6 weeks after birth.

Once through those early days, as is standard in NZ, care for mum and baby have returned to the GP, who can refer them to an OB/GYN or paediatrician if necessary. Plunket will also serve a role in carrying out well checks through age five.

Liza’s words of wisdom to other expat mothers who grow their families in New Zealand are to pick a provider who you really like and be prepared to adjust to things that are a bit different than what you’re used to.

Under Rated New Zealand

Whether you grew up in New Zealand, have visited often, or have never stepped foot on our motu, you probably know that Aotearoa has a strong reputation for kind people, breathtaking natural scenery, and a lovely slow lifestyle.

Let me share some outstanding parts of life in New Zealand that you won’t find in any travel magazine:

Home improvement stores have an incredible range of products to support the famous Kiwi Number 8 wire mentality. If you can dream it, chances are that you can find the parts at your local home improvement store.

Anything can become a delicious fritter. Take a food, batter it, deep fry it, and you have a fritter. If you’re near a coast (ok, you’re pretty much always near a coast in New Zealand) or river, you might check out a paua or whitebait fritter. On the sweeter end, maybe you’d enjoy a banana or pineapple (my favourite, especially when tossed in cinnamon and sugar) fritter. Where do you get a fritter or any other fried side (see options and ratings for sides here)? At the local fish and chippie - a small shop serving up so much more than just fish and chips - found in pretty much every neighbourhood.

You need a flexi tub. For $5 and a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colours, this tub is such a versatile tool for Kiwi living. I’ve personally seen them used to haul concrete, store toys, gather yard clippings, bathe children, carry beach toys, and soak gear. They are the unsung Kiwi hero. And, yes, you can find them at any of the home improvement chains.

Public toilets are plentiful, maintained, and well supplied virtually everywhere. You’ll find public toilets in places that you might hope, like along the beach and at trail heads. You’ll also find public toilets regularly available along state highways and at parks. No matter how remote, they’re magically almost always clean and stocked with toilet paper and soap.

New Zealand's Food Scene

Although I don’t know the official stat, Aotearoa must be above average in the area of outstanding restaurants per capita. Both Auckland and Wellington have thriving food scenes (that we’re all rooting to make it through this era), but they’re not alone. Virtually every region of the country has travel-worthy restaurants.

Lovely Mobile client, Jennifer, recently compiled the Cuisine Magazine ratings into this handy spreadsheet. So, what are you waiting for? Where are you going to explore first?

As for our recommendations for a starting point, Amanda’s top five favourites are (in no particular order) Homeland, Hello Beasty, Highwater, and, for an extra special occasion, Sid’s at the French Cafe and Kazuya. Bridget’s top five favourites are Floriditas in Wellington, Yum Cha at Grand Park Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Auckland, Amisfield in Queenstown, Azabu in Auckland, and The Batch on Waiheke Island.