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students, workers & explorers going to New Zealand & travelling from New Zealand.
Answer our simple questions to get started
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).
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.
If you’ve spent a while in New Zealand, you might be feeling like it’s time to try somewhere else for a little holiday. Rather than just heading home, or visiting somewhere close by, why not make it a real adventure and trek to the other side of the world – Europe?
Some people chase summer, avoiding the colder months of the year. Other people – mostly skiers and snowboarders – will go anywhere in the world there’s snow. Pick your time of year depending on wha
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!
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
There’s an old saying “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer” and we wholeheartedly agree. Do you want to travel, but don’t have a lot of money? Don’t worry – while flights, accommodation and activities do add up, international travel on a budget can be easier than you may think.
Planning & scanning
Check the websites of travel companies and airlines frequently and follow as many as you can on social media. Many airlines and travel companies advertise great specials where you can get flights, accommodation and more at heavily reduced rates. However, these often arise at short notice, sell out quickly, or only allow potential customers a few days to claim a deal before it’s no longer available, so it’s worth checking in regularly.
If you have a particular destination in mind, find out when off-peak season is (the season in which people are less likely to travel to that particular area). Often, off-peak travel is much cheaper than booking during popular holiday seasons. The weather may not be as good, but you are likely to save a lot, meaning you’ll have more budget for food and activities. Travelling at off peak times also means that accommodation and activity providers need to compete more for business, as there are less people in need of their services. As a customer this puts you in a strong position as you are more likely to be able to negotiate competitive prices.
Once you’ve settled on a destination, it pays to book your accommodation and internal travel in advance, at least for the first few days after you arrive. In most countries, you will be able to arrange travel and accommodation as you go relatively easily, but having accommodation booked for when you arrive means you’re guaranteed somewhere safe to go when you land and won’t have to think about finding a bed for the night while navigating a new city, different language, local customs and jetlag.
Do your research and find a backpackers or hostel offering a good rate. Sites like TripAdvisor and Hostelworld are extremely valuable – you can compare prices, read user reviews and book accommodation and activities, all in one place. Many of these sites also have corresponding apps, which are invaluable for travellers on the go. Keep an eye out for places that offer free breakfast with each night booked. Many hostels and backpackers will offer some kind of breakfast, even if it’s just cereal and a hot drink to cater for hungry travellers. It may not be glamourous, but it’ll allow you to load up on free fuel to keep you going throughout the day, meaning you’ll have more to spend on lunch and dinner!
While perhaps not the most comfortable night you’ll spend away, travelling overnight on a sleeper train is also a great way to save accommodation costs. You won’t have to pay for a bed for the night and you’ll wake up at your next destination! Just make sure when booking that you select a train that has a proper dining carriage, so you can have dinner and breakfast too.
Smart snacking
Many budget airlines like Jetstar and Virgin don’t include meals in their flights. Generally, food is easily available for purchase with a credit card while on flights, but it can be overpriced. If you don’t need comfort food, it’s worth excluding the airline food add-on, unless it’s free.
Most border control rules will allow food to leave the country, so long as it’s packaged. Depending on how long your flights are, you can often bring your own pre-packed snacks. Nuts are a great source of protein and will keep you nice and full for a long time. Individually wrapped snacks like muesli bars, beef jerky and rice crackers are also great ways to keep you going. These might not constitute a full meal, but on a flight you don’t expend much energy meaning you won’t need the same amount of food as you might ordinarily. Being prepared to rough it a little means you won’t need to buy expensive in-flight food.
One of the most important things to remember when flying is keeping hydrated. Planes are temperature and moisture controlled, meaning you can become dehydrated quickly if you don’t drink enough water.
While most people will automatically pack a bottle of water in their carry-on luggage, getting it on to a plane can be difficult. Security requirements often mean water can’t be brought onto a plane from a flight lounge. The problem here is that most airports won’t allow water through their security gates either, meaning people will drain or throw out their bottles before going through security, expecting to be able to fill them up on the other side.
Every airport has different rules and there’s often no way of knowing where you will or will not be allowed water. Stay hydrated, but save yourself from buying new bottles each time by ensuring your water bottle is always empty when passing through security gates or boarding a plane. You can always find a drinking fountain or ask a flight attendant to fill your bottle up once you’re seated.
Gather memories, not things
Once you’ve made it to your destination it’s time to think about what you’d like to do while you’re there. Saving money while you’re travelling is great, but find a balance – don’t save so much that you don’t do anything! If you’ve gone to the effort of travelling to a different country, you may as well make the most of it.
It’s the amazing experiences you have while away that you’ll remember the most so we recommend setting aside a significant portion of your budget for activities and things to do. The more insight activities give you into the culture and history of a place, the better. Do some research and see if you can find fun, interesting things to do that really allow you a glimpse into the reality of life in your destination.
Googling your destination and “activities” is a great way to start – many cities will have a dedicated tourist information site with information on great things to do. Many cities, particularly in Europe, offer free walking tours around local attractions. These utilise the knowledge of local guides, giving you an insider’s perspective and allowing you to explore sites on foot, allowing you to see much more than tours by car or bus.
New Zealand ecommerce site GrabOne offers specials and two-for-one deals on local attractions and activities, as well as restaurant and dining specials. To claim deals, you will need to pay and book in advance, but it’s worth looking through what’s on offer to find fun, exciting activities for a reduced rate.
Know what it’s worth
Navigating foreign currency can be difficult, meaning it’s easy to misjudge the value of things while travelling. Some things may appear cheap, but once you calculate conversion rates, you may find that the price is not as good as you first thought. And while souvenirs are tempting, it’s worth considering what you’d actually pay for something of a similar nature back home.
To avoid shopping mishaps, familiarise yourself with the local currency and conversion rates for your home currency. For the first few days after you arrive, you may find it useful to carry a calculator or you can use a currency converter app. XE is easy to use and offers currency conversion as well as live exchange rates. Once you load a currency into the app, it can also be used offline, which is helpful for travellers on the go.
After you’ve been in a country a few days and have become familiar with the currency used, you can then switch your thinking over to the local currency. Consider prices for food, activities, shopping and accommodation in terms of the local currency and compare and contrast prices that way rather than working out what things would cost in your home currency. Thinking like a local will help you to understand what things are worth and find better prices. It’s also a lot less confusing!
Familiarising yourself with shopping customs can also help you find better prices although this generally only applies to shopping for goods as opposed to travel, activities or food. In many Asian countries people bargain frequently and it will be expected that travellers do so too. Customs differ from region to region so again do a bit of research first. You can also talk to hostel or backpackers staff, tour guides or local people to get some insider info. As a rule goods displayed without a price attached are able to be bargained for, but those displayed with a price are generally fixed. Food, travel and accommodation prices are also generally fixed. If you are looking to bargain, be polite and offer a price that you would be realistically willing to pay. Research a few tips on how to bargain effectively and respectfully to help you prepare.
Travel opens the mind, delights the senses and creates lifelong memories, so it’s worth doing often, and well. Prioritise experiences over things and plan your time and budget in advance. With a bit of foresight, research and planning you’ll be able to get the most from your travel budget to allow you to go further for longer.
InsurancesafeNZ travel insurance is issued and managed by AWP Services New Zealand Limited trading as Allianz Partners and underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 (Incorporated in Australia) trading as Allianz New Zealand. You should consider the Policy Wording before making any decisions about this travel insurance policy.
Allianz Australia Insurance Limited - Financial Strength Rating and Overseas Policyholder Preference Disclosure Notice
Allianz Australia Insurance Limited has an AA- insurer financial strength rating given by Standard & Poor's (Australia) Pty Limited.
The rating scale* in summary form is:
Plus (+) or minus (-): Ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standings within the major rating categories.
*A full description of the rating scale is available via www.allianz.co.nz/insurer-rating.
An overseas policyholder preference applies. Under Australian law, if Allianz Australia Insurance Limited is wound up, its assets in Australia must be applied to its Australian liabilities before they can be applied to overseas liabilities. To this extent, New Zealand policyholders may not be able to rely on Allianz Australia Insurance Limited's Australian assets to satisfy New Zealand liabilities.
