New Zealand

New Zealand is Australia's nearest neighbour, measured from Sydney and Melbourne. if you live on the east coast of Australia, New Zealand is a travel option quicker and cheaper than Darwin and Perth. Flying from Sydney to Aukland takes little more time than flying from Sydney to Adelaide and in some seasons, the air fare is less. The New Zealand South Island has better skiing.

Skiing

New Zealand has ski fields on the North and South islands. The North Islands are equivalent to the ski fields in Australia in terms of short seasons and unreliable snow. The South island has bigger better ski fields for longer.

Driving

You drive on the same side of the road in New Zealand. You use similar cars, similar money, similar everything. Travel time is slower because you are always going over hills, similar to Tasmania and parts of Victoria. Traveling from Sydney, you could pland a week or two in Tasmania then switch to either the North or South Island in New Zealand with a similar schedule and cost.

Weather

The northern end of New Zealand has weather equivalant to somewhere north of Sydney and the southern end has weather equivalent to the southern end of Tasmania.

New Zealand has some other comparisons to Tasmania. They both have cold wet wind blowing in from the west. You would not waste time visiting the west coast of either in Winter. Both have nicer beaches on the east side because you can enjoy the sun without the wind.

Both Tasmania and New Zealand have high mountains to protect you from the cold winter wind when you are in the valleys. On a sunny windy day, you will sweat when walking in the sunny windless valleys then freeze in the icy wind at the top of a hill. Carry a windproof jacket with a hood for those moments when you step out into the wind.

Money

The money is similar. The new Zealand dollar is usually within ten percent of the Australia dollar and a lot of New Zealand businesses accept Australian money. A New Zealand $50 note is exactly the same size and colour as an Australian $5 note, leading to New Zelanders recieving a $50 when they ask an Australian for $5.

Some coins are similar and some are different. New Zealand uses a better range of smaller coins, something Australia could copy.

Language

You hear jokes about new Zealanders eating fush instead of fish. I find it rare except among New Zealanders in Australia who want to show off an accent. New Zelanders watch the same American television shows and movies, buy the same international brands, and pick up the same junk expressions from the international media as Australians. In Aukland, as in Sydney, you are more likely to be served in a shop by a backpacker from Europe or an Asian student studying at one of the universities.

Further reading