Last updated: 20 Jan 2012

Visiting

Business hours

Businesses are usually open between 8.30am-5.00pm, Monday to Friday. Some businesses may be open on Saturday until mid-afternoon.

Shops are open between 9.00am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday and Saturday (hours vary). Supermarkets are open later, with some shopping centres open late night on Thursday or Friday evenings (until 9.00pm). Most malls and supermarkets are also open on Sunday, and several of the large supermarket chains in major towns are open 24 hours.

Cafes and restaurants are plentiful in the main cities and open until late.

Public holidays

January 1/2 – New Year's Holiday
February 6 – Waitangi Day
April 25 – ANZAC Day
June 5 – Queen's Birthday
October 23 – Labour Day
December 25 – Christmas Day
December 26 – Boxing Day

Climate

Average temperatures range from 8^oC in July to 17^oC in January. Peak summertime temperatures can reach the 30's in many inland and eastern regions. The warmest months in New Zealand are January and February with July the coldest.

For weather details in New Zealand, please visit the World Meteorological Organization.

Currency

Oanda currency converter

The currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), which has a floating exchange rate.

Time zones and time differences

New Zealand is two hours ahead of Australian Eastern Standard Time. New Zealand starts daylight saving (one hour) in early October and finishes in early March. Some differences might occur during non-conforming times of daylight savings, for example, where New Zealand is three hours ahead of Queensland.

To find out the current time in Wellington, view the World Clock.

Dialling codes

New Zealand's country code is 64.

For calls to New Zealand from Australia dial: 0011 + 64 + area code + telephone number.

For calls from New Zealand to Australia dial: 00 + 61 + area code + telephone number.

For further information (eg. area codes) please visit the White Pages - international dialling codes.

Electricity and water

New Zealand’s power supply is 240 volts, 50Hz 1, 3 phases, 2, 3, 4 wires, as in Australia, with the same plug configurations.

Links and resources

Travel and tourism

Auckland and Wellington Restaurants – www.menus.co.nz
Dineout – www.dineout.co.nz
Discover Auckland – www.aucklandnz.com
New Zealand Tourism Board – www.newzealand.com/travel/Australia/

Please note: this list of websites and resources is not definitive. Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement by Austrade. The information provided is a guide only.

Top Business Risks

• Bribery of Foreign Officials
• Tariffs and regulations
• Doing business in New Zealand

Christchurch earthquake situation report

Read more detailed information about Christchurch and the latest update.

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

Multinational Enterprises should be aware of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that provide voluntary principles and standards for responsible business behaviour in a variety of areas, consistent with applicable domestic laws. These Guidelines are endorsed and promoted by the Australian Government. For more information, go to the AusNCP website.

APEC Business Travel Card Scheme

Managed by the Department of Immigration, the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme was developed to make travelling within the 21 APEC member countries much simpler and more efficient.

IP Passport fact sheets

These fact sheets outline foreign Intellectual Property (IP) regimes and some of the issues and challenges which may be faced by Australian exporters.

The current fact sheets are available on the IP Australia website.