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Hello, a kiwi here, I just wanted to comment on the phrase “back packing”, we use that phrase, but not for walking in the bush/forest/wilderness (kiwi’s call that tramping). Back parking refers to an extended period of time where you live out of your back pack. Most commonly we would go back packing through Asia or Europe on an adventure.

I think the "New Zealand is empty: there are only 5 million people" bit often misses the important context that New Zealand is actually pretty big, which exaggerates the sheer emptiness of it. If you placed NZ's two main islands over the continental US with the top of the North Island near New York, the bottom of the South Island would be around the same latitude as Tampa, Florida. It's quite a bit bigger than most people imagine (bigger in land area than the UK by about 10%, and smaller than Italy by about 10%).

EFTPOS as mentioned, weird name = Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale. New Zealand is a highly modern western country - an island(s), small population = great place to trial something new as a closed system. EFTPOS was one of those ideas to try out in the world here first and there was no name for it yet, so they went with the acronym and brand names came out elsewhere.

Another great video. It's always interesting to hear what outsiders think of us and our country. We prounounce EFTPOS "eff-poss" with the "poss" part rhyming with "toss". I'm 71 (and a 3rd gen kiwi) and we always called the school breaks "play time" not "recess". I'm not sure if that's changed or not. Maybe someone can enlighten me?

Wait! What! You DON'T like Marmite? Blasphemy! You don't like Wattie's Tomatoe Sauce? Heresy!

In England we use the word marmite as an adjective to describe things people either love or loathe because we English seem to love or loathe marmite with no-one halfway

We say 'there's a sting in the sun today'. There are just certain days where you can actually feel the sting. Those are the extra sunscreen days :) Also, the hotter the day, the more likely we are to wear shoes. Concrete and sand can really burn your feet. Those are 'dont walk your dog' days!!

In the north of Australia, shoes are optional, but futher south they are the norm. I don't remember the last time I saw someone shoe-less, apart from a beach! I really like Vegemite. We are brought up on it so we are used to it. Like Marmite, it is made from Yeast Extract, a by-product of beer production. They had to find a way to use the vast amounts of yeast extract the brewers were creating. Thank you for the video!

Just got back from NZ, hunting and sightseeing. Loved it! More then living in America, no. But it is a truly special place. Two things I noticed the most. While in Wellington, I never saw a cop, no foot patrol, no car or bike patrol. Second, bike riders and runners will not move over on the road, especially by the water, you have to drive around them, crazy!

Marmite and lettuce thank you! My 2nd favourite lunch memory from primary school.

Marmite and chicken chips roll(and butter)was my go to in my primary school days.. Don't forget to slip slop slap during the kiwi summer 😉

I absolutely loved the south Island when i was there visiting my sister in 2001 who is married to a kiwi & has 3kids, they both live back in Western Australia now. New Zealand is magical and beautiful.

The sun can be terrible in NZ the other day i was walking in the rain and yet you could still feel the heat above the black clouds

The Wearable Arts show was started by Suzie Moncrieff in what was originally a run down cob cottage built in 1849, now the William Higgins Gallery at Spring Grove just south of Nelson. This happened during the time I was living down there in the late 1980's, and was soon moved to the city's Trafalgar Centre, which it eventually outgrew. It was moved up to Wellington in 2005, where it has become a major yearly event.

When we were there in 2015 we noticed that the sky was amazingly blue! Can't wait to see it again in October!!! Also in regards to using debit cards. We noticed in a few places when making a purchase, we asked if we could get cash back and received strange looks. After explaining what we wanted they replied "Oh! You want cash out!

In the UK lemonade is also a sparkling sort of sprite, it just tastes slightly more like lemon (very slightly). And there are also 4 seasons in a day: sunny and warm, then clouds come out and it's chilly, then it will rain, then again sunny... Also, in England you can camp freely out in nature.

My parents came here from England. It wasnt until I went to kindergarten when I experienced tomato sauce on hot chips because we only had salt and vinegar on them. Major yum for me! Often I now have salt sauce and vinegar 😊

Thanks for the videos, keep it up. A tip for you - making the effort to learn local language basics (Te Reo vowel sounds) goes a long way towards being respectful and you will be encouraged and forgiven any fumbles you may have along the way. This comment is an offering to you and not a critique and I hope you benefit from it :)

Here is my favorite Aussie/New Zealand joke... A heroic Aussie motorcycle rider bravely saved four nuns and twenty kids from a orphanage fire. Upon witnessing this, God, was so impressed and decided to grant the rider with a wish... The rider gave it some thought and then said "I have ridden every square inch of Australia, but I have never ridden my motorcycle around New Zealand. I would like you to create a traffic bridge that connects the two countries." God scratched his head and eventually said..."Hmm, It's not impossible, but I'm pretty sure it would have consequences. Including immigration problems and environmental issues. The Kiwis would be mortified, if I built a way for every snake, spider and other unwanted Australian pest to access their shores. No, it can't be done. Think of something else." So, after a few minutes of deep pondering, the rider said.. " OK, I want you to give me the ability to have long and meaningful conversations with women. I want to be able to completely understand their wants and needs and be able to do all that, without getting into an argument!" God took a while to comprehend the rider's wish and then replied... "So, will a two lane bridge be OK?"

New Zealand is the 1st in the world to give a river Human Rights status. It's the Whanganui River.

I can't work our why the Sprite vs Lemonade thing is an issue. Sprite is a brand, but the liquid is lemonade.

just stumbled onto your videos... I arrive in NZ (north island) next week partly for work and partly for adventure. will be there a total of 20 days and these tips feel very helpful/relevant! thanks!

Trick with Marmite is to spread it lightly on butter. It is salty so you only need a little bit unless you like it thicker. I used to dunk marmite toast in my tea. Sweet and salty haha

I suspect that when foreigners try Vegemite/Marmite they put it on too thick! Less is often more 😉 P.S. I'm kiwi through and through and have never said maccas, and never will (maybe it's the younger ones who say it 🤔 As for it being normal to have bare feet - No one I know would do that, perhaps mainly children and hippies?

We had the eftpos experience haha luckaly they saw we were visiting and explained, such nice people here

Another enjoyable video, sounds like you're getting closer to being one of us, knowing the futility of umbrellas in Welly. You just need to get those shoes off now!! By the way, blame those Aussies for Vegemite and the English for Marmite.

I'm an exception - a New Zealander who's not really into tomato sauce. I reckon it ruins the taste of fish and chips. If I need something on them, a sprinkle of vinegar is great but I usually don't even have that. One exception - tomato sauce is fine with sausages! As for Marmite - it's ok - I can take it or leave it.

Great video, as usual. Waiting for you to cover baches and cribs 😀. We used to have a bach on the Coromandel in the North Island.

As a Kiwi about to turn 31, I've never once heard the term "Wearable Arts" lol. Also the barefoot thing, a lot of people say it but I barely ever see anyone walking barefoot in stores. You certainly won't see anyone barefoot in a restaurant (maybe fast food). Sandals at the worst lol. About the "nobody here" thing, we tend to have all the main cities, then outside of that you get the handful of little towns, then nothing for miles and miles. You can definitely find beaches with no one on them but you've probably got to go out of your way to find them, if you're in a hot spot area, there will be people. And yes, 5 million isn't that much but Auckland itself is huge. If you put Auckland in the USA, it would be the 6th largest city by population. Sounds pretty big to me.

Please be aware you go tramping on trails anytime. Safety is your own responsibility but you should stop by the nearest visitor centre and let people know your plans. To use the huts you need in most cases to buy a cheap ticket from Department of Conservation before you go.

Aloha from Kauai! I have been enjoying your videos. We will be in Wellington on Saturday -looking forward to exploring your beautiful country.

Actually interesting hearing this perspective for so many things we take for granted

World of Wearable Art! My wife is a finalist in the show this year and we will be coming to the country to see it!

Other things to note, a pie is small meat pastry with various fillings, such as steak and mushroom, or mince and cheese; they are not a pizza. Also local fast food cuisine can vary, with places like Invercargill adoring the cheese roll. While McDonalds, KFC, Subway and Dominoes etc are common, the biggest fast foods in NZ are the classic fish and chip shop, closely followed by sushi which Kiwis will queue around the block for. On the footpath (sidewalk), Kiwis tend to observe the road rules as if driving a car, thus they keep to the left (right-hand drive cars).

I can finally relate to this after being here for almost two months!

Surprised this clip didn't cover no tipping. Thats what i found hardest about visiting the USA - having to tip so it must be strange when they come here eh.

This was a great video!!

Tara…huge thanks for the plug for Air New Zealand …..gotta love that. BB

I'd have to disagree with the comment that people in NZ are slow and inefficient. Unhurried? Yes. But they are also efficient. In contrast, Americans can be (not true everywhere) frantic and impatient, but they are uniformly inefficient. Just check out the public hospitals, immigration clearance at the airports and the DMV!! I know it's a cliche but it is also very true. I could have sworn that Douglas Adams modelled the Vogons in H2G2 after DMV officers..

I prefer vegemite..... on cheese yum!

Another great video!

Only half way through video and have to say… most kiwi’s I know don’t even like Vegemite or marmite. We actually have about 8-10 different spreads in the cupboard! Golden syrup is the bees knees for sheez! Secondly Maccas is used a little but not a lot in my circles. Tell it straight sister! Love the vlogs though.

Try Tui's "Tuimato Sauce" in place of Watties. Even better than Heinz Ketchup. ❤

I loved this , you have me in tears laughing as you explain the cute and cool querkyness that is NZ 😁

Due to clean air, sun is strong. Hence, native bush is very dark green, due to magenta tint as natural sunscreen

Heinz owns Watties so it does not matter which is preferred.

Yes! Marmite, vegemite, T sauce you name it tara. We kiwi love it. Peanut butter? Too dry.

I was wondering what Waddies was, but I think you meant Watties tomato sauce. It's the nectar of the gods, ketchup is naff.

I don't know if the point about island time is fair. Maybe some things are done more slowly in NZ (than, say, in the US), but maybe priorities are just different. For example, NZ ranked 1st in the world (ahead of the US, which ranked 6th) in the most recent World Bank Doing Business ranking, which takes into account things such as how quickly bureaucrats do their job.

Toast with vegemite and poached eggs my favourite meal.

You've not been told how to eat Marmite properly Tara, you have to smother your toast with butter, put it on thick then add a little Marmite. I add Tomatoes to mine,and a slice of cheese now and then.

We use to call mcdonalds as the golden arches

Have you had cheesymite scrolls though? And marmite is an excellent addition for to a dark gravy

I've often thought that there needs to be a proper Marmite "induction" for kiwi visitors. Not letting them discover it...

It's not as weird as how some Americans call all sodas "Coke". Apparently in the USA, tomato sauce means something else. Like a pasta sauce.

I learned most of this after 3 days in Oz.

Do you find the portion sizes small? When I went to the US everything including the food servings were huge.

well done video!

2:37 yeah, because sprite is a brand of lemonade lol. So is 7up. I remember asking for a lemonade on a US airline once and they looked at me funny and said they didn't have it... Was very pissed off when I saw a can of sprite later in the flight!

Marmite is New Zaland, Vegemite is Australian, nowhere near so good

ive never heard fizzy drink in 65yrs, ist more likely we call them softdrinks and if you ask someone what they would like to drink they usually tell you brand and selection, as for lemonade you still ask of brand it doesnt mean just sprite

I'm so glad you like our little 'slice of heaven' down here. I was born in a smaller city approx 55,000 - 65,000 Napier, still here, in the Hawkes Bay about four away from Wellington. That's something I like about living in a smaller country travelling to another city doesn't take all that long even in a car. So do you see yourself ever moving out of NZ? Yes marmite is ours vegemite is Australian, that's why marmite is better lol. I'm sure you know about us & Australia we give each other sh*t but we are best of mates. America & Canada same isn't it? But yeah NZ is a really laid back, I'll do it tomorrow sort of country with quite a bit of freedom, healthcare not the worst in the world, education again okay but needs work. Now this is just my opinion but I find our police quite relaxed and even joke with us that has been my experience with them. Politicians well they the same no matter what country your in, corrupt all about the money. The best thing for me is like you mentioned the clean air and NZ in general is a pretty clean country. So again, even though it's seven years late, welcome and I hope you're enjoying the move.

This is cool and humorous ❤😅

I brought Watties home for my son to try, and Pics for my daughter. I kinda liked the Watties. My son prefers Heinz. 😂

I love Marmite. That is one thing we brought to the States! Yummy!!!

Lol Can't comment for the North Island, but some business places in the South Island have signs telling you to take off your work boots, so you'll see people in their socks in restaurants or cafes and muddy boots lined up at the door.

Dunno about barefoot when I was young (long time ago,) didn't see it, except for the beach and local shop/store. Hmmm, very occasionally I remember now, but it stood out. (Nasty things could be on the footpath/sidewalk!)

mmmmmmm....marmite & tomato on toast or cheese & marmite sammies. Worth trying!!!

If you don't carry/use a debit card, and wish to use a credit card, do you nod and smile at the EFTPOS question and swipe your CC and get on your way? or does the cashier need to make some kind of distinction in the register if you choose to use CC vs Debit? In the US they ask us which we are using.

As a Kiwi, happy to agree that Heinz is definitely better.

What else do you recommend

I love New Zealand. Am from Australia. How easy is it to get citizenship

No, tramping means day walks in bush. Backpacking is camping out over long term.

Geez? Don't forget the potato chips? OR crisps? More crunch😊 with Marmite. 😊

5:15 you're saying it weird lol it's Macca's like "mackers" (and not with an American rolled r) or "mackiz"... The second "a" is not like the first one

When is the best time to visit Wellington?

Marmite and Chip sandwich!

😂😂 you are so right. No one loves marmite like us kiwi. And our Watties tomato sauce 👍😉

"Soda" sounds a bit weird for a fizzy drink, but it's an Americanism. Most people in the UK, Ireland, and other parts of the English-speaking world know what a fizzy drink is. Do you think that Americans have limited exposure to the rest of the world?

I wish my two kiwi boys would eat vegemite or Marmite; I love it, sadly I couldn't get my two boys to eat it.

I’m about to travel Hawaiian airlines there 😅

Love your content ❤️❤️. What happened to your finger 🙃

6:41 argh EFTPOS like "eft-poss", rhymes with toss... Does not rhyme with "pose" :P

Marmite and potatoe chips sandwiches

1.I absolutely hate Vegemite and Marmite, be aware that it should be spread really lightly. 2. Always pack for four seasons in one day, NZ is notorious with our weather changing rapidly in one day 3. Yes the sun burns, it's like thousands of needles pricking at ur skin every time

Woohoo props to you for your pronunciation of Tomato... you're one of us now! Mwa ha ha

My daughter has Jam on her sammies. Son will have nothing but marimite 😅

As a kiwi mum, tomato sauce is banned from my house

Reese's Peanut butter cups on special at Pack & Save Lower Hutt, $1.50 today, 23/5/23 or american 5/23/23

New Zealand is about 270000 miles

I tried sooooo hard to like Vegemite. I just cant do it 😂

What we don't tell visitors means to keep it as a surprise or keep you in suspense and let you and your own thoughts 🤔🙄 decide

And to many Americans

Whitlocks Chutney Tomato Sauce is the Best .. over Heinz and Watties as both are yuck. Not all go to school with vegemite / marmite sandwiches lol.. ham n salad mate. Just check weather forecast for the day in advance - end of news broadcast

Chur bro got the 4 seasons in a day licked!

It seems like there is nobody around because there isn't in lot of places. Of course if NZ becomes the go to place for all and sundry to move to, it will soon be like the states and UK and Europe etc. Happily I will not be around then, I am 71, 3rd generation Kiwi, love the lack of people out of the big cities which I avoid like the plague.

Must be confusing visiting a place like NZ that does not use miles on the road or pounds and ounces in the shops.

I don't recall seeing people walking around barefoot when I lived in Wellington. Most of the year it was too cold anyway.

😊 yess but tell people that these tramping huts are thier because they save lives 😊 u don't want to get caught out because of 4 seasons in 1 day 😊 yess alot get caught out and tell people be prepared u can take clothing off but if u dont have enough u might freeze to death 😊 JAKX