A little bit of me

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I live in the USA and am married to my wife who is American and my two stepdaughters. They haven't had the opportunity to experience my homeland of New Zealand so I would love to take this opportunity to share some of the wonderful things about New Zealand and perhaps share some of the hidden gems that aren't known by typical tourists There will be some basic facts and things along the way. I was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and moved to the United States in 2017 to be with my wife of 6 years. New Zealand is a very diverse country and is often mistaken by a lot of Americans as part of Australia or just forgotten altogether. New Zealand is a very Multicultural country and almost every religion in some form can be found there. Population is about 5 million with 4 million of that in the North Island. Auckland is the largest city with a population of 1.34 million people calling it home. New Zealand is known as the Shaky Isles because of the number of earthquakes recorded every year which is over 25000 with about 100 of those at a level that can be felt. New Zealand is a member of the British Commonwealth along with about 35 other countries. New Zealand's head of state is the British Monarch that currently King Charles III, It is governed by a Mix Member parliamentary system and a general election is held once every 3 years. Government New Zealand Government is made up of both party seats and local representation The leader of the largest party in government(the one with the most seats) is the Prime Minister of New Zealand which is currently Chris Hipkiss who is the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. To govern in New Zealand your party or coalition of parties must have 61 seats of the 120-seat House of Representatives. The current government is made up of 3 parties New Zealand Labour Party, New Zealand Green Party, and the New Zealand Maori Party. The opposition makes up the remaining seats in the house, currently, that is the New Zealand National Party and the New Zealand ACT Party. The colors of these parties are Labour (red) Green (Dark Green) National (dark Blue) Act (Teal Blue and Yellow) At The general election residents and citizens over the age of 18 are given the opportunity to elect their leaders There are 2 votes the first is for the party you want as a government which will make up a percentage of the first 60 seats based on their percentage share of the vote, a party must get at least 5% of the vote to get a seat in the house on that vote The second vote is for the individual whom you wish to represent your constituency in the house, for example, Christchurch Central is made up of the remaining 60 seats of the house and the representative is on a ranking vote, not the popular vote ie the person who receives the most first preference is elected to represent that seat until the next general election. New Zealand politics is highly regulated by the electoral commission which regulates both the elections and rules around funding depending on their representation in the current parliament. There is a Fund of money allocated for each election and each party that is represented in the current house receives funds for their campaign For example, if the party has 20 percent of the seats including constituency seats then that party receives 20% of the funding. Climate : New Zealand is a very diverse climate being close to the Southern Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Tasman Sea. North Island Summers are mild but often wet Winters are again windy but wet and it's often the time for winter storms South Island East Cost Summers are very Hot and dry - people tend to get very sweaty and hot like they have been in a sauna West Coast Is very Wet and like a rainy summer, there isn't the heat but the bugs are out to party make sure to take the bug spray with you. Wintertime is again very diverse East Coast temperatures can get below Minus 45 Celcius at night as the nights are usually clear but frosty. However sometimes day temperatures can feel like spring and lull you into a false sense of security so if you are traveling take a raincoat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and umbrella. Roads, The standard speed limit on most highways and motorways in New Zealand is 100KM, suburban areas except for school zones is usually 50KM School Zones are 40KM no matter if schools are in or not. Built-up areas near the Central Bussiness District (CBD) are usually 30 km or less depending on the area. The rules around Speeding are strictly enforced and you will likely face stiff penalties for exceeding the speed limit and generally, there is no leeway. If the speed limit is 50 km and you do 51 and are caught by a speed camera expect to see a speeding ticket in the mail. Ignorance of the Law isn't a defense, be sure to read up and follow the laws of New Zealand of you might find yourself being sent back on the next plane home instead of enjoying your time in New Zealand. If you are using Public transport in New Zealand it is common practice to say thank you to the driver of the bus, taxi, or even your Uber driver. Yes, they are providing you with a service they aren't your slaves. TIPPING : TIPPING in New Zealand is a massive NO NO don't do it. Kiwis are paid well by their employers to provide you with the service that you are receiving and you are paying for the product, not the service. For example, wait staff will provide you with service of your meal and drinks and the price on the bill is for the food and taxes not for the staff's wages. DO NOT TIP a simple thank you is more than enough. Gas stations In New Zealand, many service stations especially the ones with Z energy will provide a service of filling your tank, washing your windows, checking oil levels, and even checking your tyre pressure. If you want this wonderful service and want to experience this first hand go into ANY Z energy gas station any day of the week between 10 am -5 pm and you can expect this service with a smile every time. In New Zealand, the roads in winter are commonly covered in black ice which is almost impossible to see. It is home to roughly 30 million sheep and about 15 million cows, and also has a very large wine industry that has many famous vineyards that produce some of the best wines in the world. Auckland - the city of sales is the largest city located in the top third of New Zealand and home to approximately a third of the country's population The provincial Sport is the Auckland Blues, The New Zealand Warriors just to name a couple. Waikato - The main industry here is Dairy and home to the city of Hamilton with a population of about 45000 people Wellington - this is the capital city of New Zealand and home to the national archives, Central government and Wellington Zoo and internationally recognised Te Papa Museum Christchurch - the 2nd largest city of New Zealand home to about 450,000 people in the greater area It is where many events that have shaped New Zealand have happened it is New Zealand Oldest City but also in some ways New Zealand's Newest city too. in 2011 and 2012 Christchurch was hit with devastating earthquakes that damaged parts of the city beyond repair and required substantial resources from the central government to get the city back on its feet. Christchurch is home to the Canterbury Crusaders and Canterbury Flames and the Canterbury red devils just to name a few of the provincial sporting codes. Christchurch is also world-renowned for its year-round festivals and events held at many venues around the city. Such events as the World Buskers Festival, the Festival of Flowers, the Festival of Lights (every 2 years) Track and Show Week and other major party events. Christchurch is known as the Garden City and in some corners of the world it is known as the London of the south pacific because of its similarities to the city of London. Its also is home to 2 world-recognised wildlife reserves, Orana Park, and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. Closeness to both the beach and the ski fields makes this an ideal location for outdoor-minded people at all times of the year. I would love to share more but this post is already way too long. Im signing off for now. Until next time