students, workers & explorers going to New Zealand & travelling from New Zealand.
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InsurancesafeNZ provides three different travel insurance policy categories: Studentsafe, Workersafe and Explorersafe. This means that if you’re travelling to New Zealand, travelling within New Zealand or temporarily leaving New Zealand, we have something to offer you. Use the Policy Finder to narrow your policy search and get a quote. Our website is also packed with great information on how to keep safe, how to make the most of your time abroad and how to understand your travel insurance policy better. If you need further assistance contact one of our friendly staff on our toll-free number 0800 486 004 (within NZ) or +64 9 488 1638 (outside of NZ).
Studying in New Zealand is an adventure of a lifetime, which is why a range of unexpected bumps and accidents are covered under Studentsafe policies.
But when it comes to certain medical conditions, you may not be automatically covered. That’s why it’s important to disclose any medical conditions you want cover for.
The term “Pre-existing Medical Conditions” is commonly used when applying for insurance. This refers to your medical history and the full definition can be found on
Being in good health is key to embarking on an exciting study adventure in New Zealand.
Anyone planning to study in New Zealand for more than three months is required to apply for a student visa.
When applying for a new or to renew a visa, you may need to provide New Zealand Immigration with medical information to demonstrate an acceptable level of health.
Studentsafe policies do not cover medical costs for your visa application.
Studentsafe policies are desig
Your wellbeing is important which is why Studentsafe provides cover for medical and related expenses.
But before you make an appointment for check-ups related to your health, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered under your policy.
Studentsafe does not provide cover for certain medical tests listed as Exclusions under Section 1: Medical and Related Expenses as set out below:
9. Health screening, medical and dentals reviews or vaccinations.
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Staying healthy plays a vital role in making the most of your study adventure. If you have been prescribed medication and are looking to make a claim, it’s important to understand what is and isn’t covered under your policy.
Just because a certain medication has been prescribed by your doctor, it does not mean that it is automatically covered.
Studentsafe does not provide cover for certain medical tests listed as Exclusions u
Keeping mentally well is important to make the most of your study adventure.
While studying away from home is an exciting life experience, there are times you may feel overwhelmed or experience loneliness, stress, anxiety and depression.
During these challenging times, it’s important to recognise the pressures you may be under, whether it’s adjusting to a new environment or the added load of assignments and exams.
If you need professional help, you can feel assured knowi
If you’re reading this article, you’ve already made a sensible choice. If you’re in a new relationship, or thinking about starting to date, it’s important to think about how you can ensure that you and your partner stay safe when you’re having a little extra ‘fun’.
So read on to learn more about what steps you should be taking to keep safe. The consequences can range from irritating to life-threatening – and that isn’t a gamble anyone should take.
Any new culture will have customs that you will start to learn very quickly as soon as you arrive! To give you a head start on your time in New Zealand, we’ve got a few key bits of information about Kiwi culture – and a whole lot of detail about speaking like a local!
When you’re walking the streets of New Zealand – or even when you’re still at the airport and navigating escalators – it’s good to remember that we drive on the left, not the righ
Unless you’re really into skiing, winter in New Zealand isn’t really the most exciting time of year. It’s not cold enough for there to be pretty snow falling in the cities, but it’s still cold enough that you don’t want to spend time outside unless you have to. Instead of snow, we mostly get rain and wind. It’s certainly not terrible – but it does give you a good excuse to go somewhere sunny if you have the time and budge
Adjusting to a new workplace comes with challenges wherever you are in the world – and if you're in a new country as well as a new workplace, those changes can be even more extreme. New Zealand culture is quite friendly and informal, and this extends to many workplaces. But it can be difficult at times to understand where the limit is – how casual is too casual and what will make you look unprofessional? How formal is too formal and what will make you look too unapproachable?
Some of
Everyone experiences periods of stress in certain situations – perhaps exams are coming up, or you’ve spent a little more than you intended to at dinner and pay day is still a couple of days away. That’s a normal part of life, and most of the time, it goes away fairly quickly when the source of the stress comes and goes. You pass your exam, you check your bank account and ther
A healthy worker is a more productive worker. It seems like an obvious statement to make, but in today’s working world, many workers feel that they have keep pushing and pushing to get results – even at the expense of their health and wellbeing. Workplaces need to be more supportive of their staff to make sure that they feel they are able to take time to get healthy if they are unwell, or to express their concerns if they are overburdened with stress.
Ask any adult what their student years were like, and there will almost always be two things that everyone has in common – lots of fun, and hardly any money! But if you’re new to a city or even a country, it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to finding social activities that you can do on a student budget.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of our top tips for free and cheap things to do in New Zealand’s main student cities and towns to get you started!
Flatting doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a number of ways you can set up a flat on a budget without losing out on quality and the occasional treat. To make sure that you get the best experience possible no matter what your income may be, we’ve brought together a few of our favourite tips and t
When you’re away from your family and community that feeling of homesickness can feel very overwhelming. Making friends and keeping busy are the easiest ways to prevent homesickness – but you need to put the effort in. If you sit at your computer looking over your soci
When you’re planning adventures overseas, there’s so much excitement that it can be easy to forget about the parts of travel that are a little less glamorous. Organising travel insurance may not be as thrilling as planning your routes and researching the major attraction
For many people, the shift from university study to the working world is one of the biggest changes they will ever experience. Life until that point is focused on formal education – sitting in class, doing homework, taking notes… and then all of a sudden, it’s time to step out into
No matter where you go in the world, someone will tell you to keep safe and often there’s a good reason for it. When travelling or moving somewhere new it can be tempting to step outside of your comfort zone and give everything a go. While this is a great attitude it’s important to explore your new surrou
Relocating to a new country for work is hugely exciting. Getting a new job and home and navigating new cultures, practices and languages is an immersive experience and can be incredibly consuming.
An “out with the old, in with the new” approach can be tempting – after all, you’re making a
In general, the younger your children are the easier it will be for them to pick u
For many of us, our pets are part of the family. For expats intending to move overseas with their pet, planning and research before the move is essential. It is crucial to ensure the welfare of your beloved pet during and after transit, and that regulation surrounding the importation and exportation of pets is complied with.
Research animal import regulations for your new country of residence, to determine what conditions must be met for your pet to be allowed en
Unless you’re really into skiing, winter in New Zealand isn’t really the most exciting time of year. It’s not cold enough for there to be pretty snow falling in the cities, but it’s still cold enough that you don’t want to spend time outside unless you have to. Instead of snow, we mostly get rain and wind. It’s certainly not terrible – but it does give you a good excuse to go somewhere sunny if you have the time and budget for it!
The good thing about being in the South Pacific is that we are nearby to so many beautiful places that seem like a far-off land to people from other parts of the world. Fiji might seem remote and magical to people in Europe or North America – but to people here in New Zealand, it’s one of the most affordable places to go on an international holiday!
So here is your introduction to some amazing places in Polynesia and Melanesia, as well as along Australia’s eastern coastline, that are just a flight away from Auckland. Get exploring, and chase that sun!
For travellers on a budget who want to enjoy a moment of island time, Fiji is the obvious answer. There really is something for everyone – whether your version of an island holiday means rest and relaxation in the pool and on the beach, or exploring the water from above and below, or being introduced to traditional village customs… you really can pick exactly what you will enjoy the most.
Whether you pick one of the more remote island groups for a secret getaway, or stick to the ‘mainland’ options on Viti Levu, you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time. It’s very, very tourist-friendly, which yes, sometimes means that you have to go out of your way to find a truly authentic local experience, but it also means that even the cheapest package deals will ensure you have an amazing time.
If you do want somewhere a little different from the laid-back resort experience while you’re on Viti Levu, take a bus around to Suva. This bustling city might not be large on a global scale, but it’s the largest city in the tropical South Pacific, and it’s home to people from all kinds of walks of life – from students of the University of the South Pacific to businessmen meeting up for coffee, one in a suit and one in a traditional sulu or wrap skirt.
The Gold Coast is a hugely popular spot for New Zealanders – families and solo travellers alike, as well as a large population of former Kiwis who now call the city home. Known as the ‘GC’ to locals, this stretch of Queensland coast is just as beautiful as it is action-packed! And action is certainly something that the GC knows how to do, with Australia’s biggest theme parks all found in and around the city.
Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World and Wet’n’Wild are all places every school-aged New Zealander hoped would be on their next family trip. We just don’t get theme parks of that size on this side of the Tasman Sea – but on the Gold Coast, they are the experts. Movie World, Sea World and Wet’n’Wild are all owned by the same company, so you can even get a pass that lets you into all three of them – but Dreamworld is the biggest of all, so you’ll want to make sure you head there too if you want the adrenaline rush!
But outside of the theme parks, the best part of the Gold Coast is right there in its name – the coast. Think wide beaches with beautiful golden sand and great surf conditions. While not as hot as spots further up the Queensland coast like Cairns, the GC has a lovely subtropical climate, with most winter days still in the high teens or early twenties for temperature.
If you can handle the tropical heat and you want to see the biggest natural wonder of the world, Cairns is a must. Around 1700 kilometres north of the Gold Coast, Cairns is proper tropical wonderland, and is considered to be the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
Cairns has a tropical monsoon climate, but the Southern Hemisphere winter is in the dry season, so while you might experience an occasional shower, you won’t have to deal with serious heavy monsoon rains if you’re visiting in winter. So bring your favourite summery clothing and enjoy your winter away!
There are many tours out to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns, from multi-day voyages to day-trips in glass-bottomed boats. Be sure to pick a well-reviewed tour provider, though – tourism has an impact on the reef, so you want to make sure that you go with a company that is responsible. After all, you don’t want to visit once, fall in love, and not be able to visit again in ten years because irresponsible tourism has ruined the reef for everyone.
But you don’t have to be keen on the ocean to have an amazing time in Cairns. If you’re more interested in jungle and forests, the Wet Tropics of Queensland are right nearby. This tropical forest is full of all kinds of unique plant life, with many species not found anywhere else in the world. It’s the perfect adventure for any budding botanist.
The Cook Islands, or Kuki Airani as they’re known in the local language, are a group of fifteen small islands. While they are spread across over two million square kilometres of ocean, the total land area of the islands is less than 250 square kilometres.
The Cook Islands is a ‘self-governing country in free association with New Zealand’. The main thing this means for most Cook Islanders is that they are New Zealand citizens, and the main thing this means for most visitors from New Zealand is that it’s easy to visit because they use the New Zealand dollar.
Rarotonga is the largest of the islands and home of the capital ‘city’, Avarua. This small volcanic island is surrounded by a lagoon reaching out to coral reef – making it perfect for swimming and snorkelling. The green mountain and the blue ocean, with the white sands in between... it’s really an incredible place – so it’s no wonder most tourists arrive in Raro and stay there!
But other islands in the group are beautiful spots to visit too. Aitutaki has one of the most stunning lagoons you could imagine, all light blue water and white. Or for somewhere completely different, visit Mangaia, an island with fascinating geography from coral terraces to underground caves as well as some of the best coconuts around. Geologists estimate that Mangaia is at least 18 million years old – which makes it the oldest island in the Pacific!
Looking for the unexpected? Vanuatu is the place to go. While we are familiar with a lot of Polynesian culture here in New Zealand, Melanesian cultures like those in Vanuatu’s islands is less familiar – making a trip here a little more mysterious for travellers from New Zealand. But with places like Champagne Beach and the Mele Cascades to enjoy and explore, you’ll soon be wishing you could stay forever.
The place you really can’t miss out on, though, is the Millennium Cave, on the island of Espiritu Santo. This is Vanuatu’s largest cave, and a visit here is something you’ll remember forever. Travel through tropical forest, clamber over boulders and rocks and end it all with a refreshing swim in the river. A final climb to Funaspef Village, where the tour begins, is well worth the effort, with fresh tropical fruit and local coffee ready and waiting for you.
While in many Pacific nations there may be one main local language – Samoan, Cook Island Māori, Tongan – in Vanuatu, as in other parts of Melanesia, there are many different local languages, over one hundred, in fact!
So instead of learning your equivalent of Talofa lava, Kia orana or Malo leilei, you’ll want to look at learning a few Bislama phrases. Bislama is a creole language that’s related to Tok Pisin from Papua New Guinea and Pijin from the Solomon Islands, and it blends English-based words with Melanesian grammar and pronunciation. So instead of Hello and Thank you, you would say Halo and Tangkiu.
The local tourist organisation brands itself as ‘Beautiful Samoa’, and it’s a very accurate name. Halfway between New Zealand and Hawaiʻi, Samoa is made up of 10 islands, but the main two are Savaiʻi and Upolu.
While Upolu is where most tourists arrive and spend their time, Savaiʻi is a nature fan’s dream, full of everything from rainforests to lava fields to beautiful local birds and creatures. It’s also on the large side, compared to many of the other island groups in Polynesia – in fact, after the North Island and South Island, and Hawaiʻi’s ‘Big Island’ and Maui, it’s the next largest island in Polynesia! Don’t miss the amazing Alofaaga Blowholes on the coastline and the picturesque Afu Aau Falls, where you’ll want to grab a photo as well as go for a swim.
But if you like your tropical holidays to have a bit more people power, Upolu is the place for you. It’s where you’ll find the nation’s capital city, Apia, and you’ll have the chance to get to know the island vibe and more importantly, learn about Faʻa Samoa – the Samoan way of life. Get up early and check out the amazing markets – you’ll need to be early to get the best fruit of the day, then enjoy your day of getting to know the island and its beauty. But save enough energy for the evening – Apia’s nightlife is spectacular too!
Tropical vacations aren’t only for people who feel like lying in the sand sipping a coconut. No matter what sort of a holiday you enjoy, if you want to head somewhere warm this winter, the South Pacific is ready to welcome you with open arms.