Language
English is the everyday language of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multicultural society and you may hear many other languages spoken, including Maori, which is also an official language of New Zealand.
Local time
New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the new day, 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Business hours are:
Offices: 08:30 to 17:00
Monday to Friday
Banks: 09:30 to 16:30
Monday to Friday
Banks are closed on weekends. Automated teller machines (ATM) are widely available at banks and shopping malls. International credit cards and ATM cards will work as long as they have a four-digit PIN encoded. Check with your bank before leaving home.
Shopping malls are open seven days a week from 09:00 to 16:00.
Supermarkets generally are open every day from 08:00 to 20:00.
Local products include indigenous jade (greenstone), paua (abalone) jewellery, Maori arts and crafts, woollen goods, potteryand wood products. Crafts tend to be of good quality and value. Shoppers will find that most goods in New Zealand are reasonably priced.