Moving to New Zealand for my exchange was something I had been looking forward to for months, but even with all the planning beforehand, I didn’t really know what to expect. I was leaving Germany to spend a year studying in Hamilton, on the other side of the world, in a country I had never been to before. I had sorted out the important things like my flights, visa and accommodation, but there were still plenty of things I only learned after actually arriving and living there.
Some were small practical things that would have made preparing for the exchange easier. Others changed the way I travelled, spent my money or approached my time in New Zealand altogether. And then there were things I simply couldn’t have known before experiencing the country for myself.
After a year of studying, living and travelling around New Zealand, these are the 10 things I wish I had known before I moved there.
1. New Zealand is more expensive than you might expect
Before moving to New Zealand, I already knew that it wasn’t going to be a cheap country to live in. Still, I underestimated just how quickly everyday expenses would add up. Accommodation will likely take up the biggest part of your budget, but groceries, eating out, transport and even fairly normal activities can be surprisingly expensive compared to what you might be used to in Europe.
What really makes a difference, however, is travelling. As an exchange student, you’ll probably want to use your free weekends and semester breaks to actually explore the country, and costs for fuel, accommodation, rental cars, activities and food can add up very quickly. At the same time, this was also where I personally didn’t want to save too much. There is little point in travelling all the way to New Zealand only to miss out on experiences because you didn’t plan enough money for them.
Cooking at home, comparing supermarket prices and travelling with friends helped me keep costs under control. Sharing fuel, accommodation and rental cars can make trips significantly cheaper.
I would therefore recommend having two separate budgets: one for your normal monthly living expenses and another specifically for travelling, activities and unexpected opportunities.
2. Having access to a car makes a massive difference
One thing I didn’t fully realise before moving to New Zealand was how useful having a car would be. You can definitely get around without one, especially if you live in one of the bigger cities, but public transport between smaller towns and more remote places is much more limited than what you might be used to in Europe. And unfortunately, many of the places that make New Zealand so special are exactly those that are difficult to reach without a car.
Living in Hamilton made this particularly noticeable. Having a car meant that places like Raglan, Bridal Veil Falls, Rotorua or Taupō could easily become spontaneous day or weekend trips. It also gives you much more freedom when travelling, as you’re not tied to bus schedules and can stop at viewpoints, beaches or hiking trails along the way.
If you’re staying for a full semester or longer, buying a cheap used car can be worth considering. Just remember to budget for more than the purchase price. Fuel, insurance, registration, maintenance and the Warrant of Fitness can all add up.
Alternatively, finding a group of friends and sharing a car or rental costs can work just as well. Either way, having access to a car will make exploring New Zealand considerably easier.
3. Distances are more deceptive than they look on a map
When you first look at New Zealand on a map, travelling around the country can seem relatively easy. The country isn’t particularly large compared to places like Australia or the United States, and many destinations look quite close to each other. In reality, getting around often takes much longer than you might expect.
Outside the main highways, you’ll regularly find narrow and winding roads, especially when travelling through mountainous or rural areas. This means that a distance that would take two hours to drive in Europe might take considerably longer in New Zealand. Add stops at viewpoints, beaches or small towns along the way, and a seemingly short drive can easily turn into most of your day.
This is especially important when planning road trips. I would avoid trying to fit as many destinations as possible into a short amount of time. Spending every day driving several hours just to tick another place off your list can quickly become exhausting.
Instead, give yourself some extra time between destinations. The drive itself is often part of the experience in New Zealand, and some of the best stops are the ones you didn’t originally plan for.
4. The weather deserves more respect than you think
Before coming to New Zealand, I mostly associated the country with green landscapes, beaches and relatively mild weather. While you definitely get all of that, I wasn’t quite prepared for how quickly the conditions can change. You can start your day with sunshine and blue skies and find yourself standing in rain and strong winds only a few hours later.
This becomes particularly important when you’re travelling or hiking. Weather conditions in mountainous areas can be very different from those in the nearest town, and temperatures can drop surprisingly quickly. Even during summer, it’s worth having an extra layer and a rain jacket with you.
Another thing I underestimated was how different the climate can feel depending on where you are in the country. The weather you experience on the North Island isn’t necessarily what you’ll find further south, so packing only for the season isn’t always enough.
My advice is to bring clothes you can easily layer and always keep a waterproof jacket nearby. Most importantly, check the local forecast before hikes and outdoor activities rather than relying on what the weather looks like when you leave in the morning.
5. Don’t underestimate how much travelling you’ll actually want to do
One of the best parts about studying in New Zealand is that travelling quickly becomes part of your everyday life. There is always another place you want to see, another hike someone recommends, or another weekend where a friend suddenly suggests going somewhere.
And you don’t need to wait for semester breaks to explore. Some of my favourite experiences came from relatively spontaneous weekend trips with friends. A free weekend can easily turn into a trip to the beach, a hike, a night somewhere new or a small road trip before heading back to university.
Because of that, it’s worth considering travel when organising your semester. If you have some flexibility when choosing courses, a timetable with one free weekday can make longer weekend trips much easier. I would also set aside a separate travel budget so you don’t have to reconsider every trip because of money.
Most importantly, don’t keep putting things off until later. A semester or even a full year sounds like a long time, but it passes surprisingly quickly. Studying is obviously the reason you’re there, but exploring the country and sharing those experiences with the people you meet will likely become just as important a part of your exchange.
6. Hamilton is a much better base than people give it credit for
Hamilton probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you picture an exchange in New Zealand. It doesn’t have Auckland’s big-city atmosphere or the dramatic scenery of Queenstown, and as a tourist destination on its own, there are definitely more exciting places. But as a place to actually live and study, I found its location to be one of its biggest advantages.
You’re right in the middle of the North Island, with plenty of great destinations within reach. Raglan and the west coast are about an hour away, while Rotorua, Taupō and Auckland are all realistic options for day or weekend trips. There are also plenty of smaller places, hikes, waterfalls and viewpoints nearby that you probably wouldn’t discover on a typical NZ holiday.
Hamilton itself is also relatively easy to get around and doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large. Once you’ve settled in and found your group of people, it quickly starts to feel familiar.
I probably wouldn’t recommend Hamilton as the main destination for a New Zealand holiday. But for an exchange student looking for a convenient base to explore the North Island from, it works surprisingly well.
7. Making friends early matters more than having everything perfectly organised
The first few weeks of an exchange are probably the easiest time you’ll ever have to meet new people. Almost every other exchange student has just arrived, barely knows anyone and is looking for people to spend time with. Take advantage of that, even if introducing yourself to complete strangers isn’t usually your thing.
Go to orientation events, join group activities and say yes when someone suggests grabbing food, going out or doing something on the weekend. Even better, be the person who suggests something yourself. You don’t need to wait until you know people well before asking if they want to go to the beach or plan a weekend trip together.
The groups you form early on can have a huge influence on your entire experience. They become the people you travel with, study with and spend normal everyday evenings with when you’re not exploring the country.
At the same time, don’t limit yourself to other international students. Getting to know Kiwis and people outside the typical exchange bubble gives you a much better sense of what actually living in New Zealand is like.
You won’t connect with everyone you meet, and that’s completely fine. Just put yourself in situations where friendships actually have the chance to develop.
8. Kiwi culture feels familiar at first, but there are differences
At first, everyday life in New Zealand can feel surprisingly familiar, especially if you’re coming from Europe. There isn’t necessarily a huge culture shock. People speak English, daily routines aren’t completely different, and you’ll probably settle in fairly quickly. But the longer you stay, the more small differences you start to notice.
One thing that stood out to me was how relaxed and approachable many people were. Conversations often felt more informal than what I was used to in Germany, and I found Kiwis generally very friendly and willing to help. There is also a strong connection to the outdoors, which makes sense when you consider how much nature surrounds everyday life in New Zealand.
Māori culture is another important part of understanding the country. You’ll regularly come across Māori words, traditions and concepts such as whānau, as well as a much stronger emphasis on community, ancestry and connection to the land than I was used to.
Take some time to learn about these aspects rather than treating them as something purely tourist-related. You don’t need to become an expert, but showing genuine interest will help you understand New Zealand and the people you meet much better.
9. A year sounds incredibly long until you’re actually there
When you first arrive, having an entire semester or even a full year ahead of you feels like an incredible amount of time. It’s easy to look at all the places you want to visit and think that you’ll get around to them eventually. But once university, assignments, everyday life and plans with friends start filling your weeks, time passes much faster than you’d expect.
There will always be another weekend, until suddenly there aren’t that many left. Bad weather might cancel a trip, friends might be busy, or something you planned simply won’t work out. That’s why I wouldn’t keep postponing the things you really want to experience.
Take the weekend trip, go rafting, try skiing, do the hike or drive somewhere just to watch the sunset. You don’t have to turn your exchange into a checklist or spend money every weekend, but make the most of the opportunities that matter to you.
Some of the experiences you’ll remember most won’t even be the big attractions. They’ll be spontaneous trips, random evenings and ordinary moments with people who were complete strangers only a few months earlier. So enjoy having time ahead of you, but don’t assume it will last forever.
10. New Zealand might change what you want afterwards
An exchange can end up having a much bigger impact on you than simply giving you the chance to study in another country for a while. Spending months somewhere completely new, building a life there and meeting people you would otherwise never have known can change what you value and how you think about what comes next.
For me, New Zealand made me appreciate nature much more than I had before. I became more open and social, and I realised how quickly a completely unfamiliar place can start to feel like home. By the end of my time there, New Zealand wasn’t just the country where I had gone for my exchange anymore. I had my routines, favourite places, friendships and a normal everyday life there.
That’s also why leaving can be much harder than you expect. You might return home excited to see everyone again while simultaneously missing the life you just left behind.
And you may find yourself thinking about New Zealand long after your exchange is over. Maybe you’ll want to return for another trip, work there for a while, or even come back to study again. Whatever happens, don’t be surprised if the experience influences what you want your life to look like afterwards.
So, should you do an exchange in New Zealand?
If you’re considering an exchange in New Zealand and have the opportunity to do it, I would absolutely recommend it. It won’t always be perfect. Things will go wrong, you’ll probably spend more money than expected, and there will be moments when you miss home or wonder why you decided to move to the other side of the world in the first place. But that’s also part of the experience.
For me, the best memories weren’t only the famous places or big activities. They were also spontaneous road trips, evenings with friends, discovering places I hadn’t planned on visiting and the everyday moments that slowly made New Zealand feel like home.
Prepare properly, save enough money and take care of the important things before you leave, but don’t try to plan your entire exchange in advance. Leave enough room for unexpected opportunities and for your plans to change along the way.
Most importantly, make the most of the time you have there. Meet people, explore as much as you can, try things you wouldn’t normally do and don’t keep waiting for the perfect moment.
New Zealand has a lot to offer. Give yourself the chance to actually experience it.
Keen for More of New Zealand? Keen for another 10 Essential Things?
Whether you’re planning your exchange, getting ready for a trip or already exploring New Zealand yourself, there’s always more to discover. I’ve put together more guides, practical tips and personal experiences from my time living, studying and travelling around the country to help you make the most of your own adventure.
From student life and everyday tips to road trips, hidden spots and some of my favourite places across Aotearoa, there’s plenty more waiting for you.