New Zealand Rules & Etiquette

Rules & Etiquette

English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of New Zealand. English is by far the major language spoken and is written with Commonwealth ("British") spelling, but being a liberal land, American spelling is also accepted, in Auckland East, Singlish and Maglish count too. New Zealand English is considered one of the major varieties of English and is different enough from other forms of English to justify it being classed as a separate dialect, as represented by the publication of the Oxford New Zealand English dictionary. A (seldom-used) expression for New Zealand English is Newzild. Word usage may also differ occasionally, in potentially embarrassing ways for the traveller. Several words that some other English speaking cultures may consider offensive, or have euphemisms for, are considered acceptable usage. For example: A New Zealand bathroom refers to a room containing a bath while the other facilities that an American might refer to as a bathroom or washroom are known as a toilet. The American habit of "bleeping" swear words from broadcasts is considered quaint and rarely done in local programming. The New Zealand broadcasting media is unusually tolerant of swear words when used in context. The New Zealand accent is somewhat nasalised with flattened vowel sounds and vowel shifting. New Zealanders consider their accent to be markedly different from the Australian one and are often mildly offended when mistaken for or confused with Australians. New Zealand terminology and slang are also markedly different from Australian language. Americans find New Zealand accents easy to understand, so do Australians. English and European dialects find it slightly harder and Asians may find it rather hard to understand, New Zealanders are quite happy however to repeat what they just said if necessary. Maori is actively spoken by a minority of both Maori and language learners. Maori is available as a language to study in, instead of English, at many educational institutes. The Maori language is spoken by some, but not all, Maori and a few non-Maori. Many place names are in Maori and for the traveller some knowledge of Maori pronunciation is very useful. Most New Zealanders speak English but if anyone knows Maori, you can get around just as easy. New Zealand Sign language was given status in 2005 as an official language of the country. Maori culture Maori cultural experiences are popular tourist attractions enjoyed by many, but as with any two cultures encountering one another, there is room for misunderstanding. Some tourists have found themselves more confronted than they expected by ceremonial challenges and welcomes. These are serious occasions, and chatter and laughing during rituals is not recommended. There will be plenty of time to relax later when the hangi is lifted. Maori and Pakeha New Zealanders are generally on good terms, but from time to time there have been frayed relationships between the two. Enter discussion about this with politeness and caution, or, of course, not at all. Remember also, that New Zealand is still a very young nation by many standards and it's identity is still being formulated. Commenting that New Zealand is a subservient to the United Kingdom is generally frowned upon, and although New Zealand coinage is adorned with British royal figures New Zealand is still an independent member of the Commonwealth and saying that New Zealand is almost identical can not only be offensive but is foolish, as underneath the two nations are quite different in a number of ways. Relationship with Australia While Australia and New Zealand have close foreign policy ties, considerable inter-immigration, and cultures that overlap, saying New Zealanders are basically Australians will not gain you any New Zealander friends (or Aussie ones). Although Australians and New Zealanders may seem the same to you they do not consider themselves similar at all. It is pretty much the same relationship as with Canadians and people from the United States. Some Australians may joke about New Zealand being another state of Australia, but that doesn't make it one. An inferiority complex with Australia still persists in some circles. Some New Zealanders seriously believe that Australians hate them, when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Although, in many ways Australia and New Zealand have a similar outlook towards the other, with the same cliched jokes being made. (A common, if uncouth joke oft made by Australians is that Kiwis enjoy intimate relations with livestock. New Zealanders have been known to make the same joke about Australians). Sir Robert Muldoon, National Prime Minister in the early 1980's, is famous for, when responding to a question about the movement of New Zealanders to Australia, saying: "New Zealanders moving to Australia has the effect of raising the IQ on both sides of the Tasman." Despite the jokes about New Zealand, many Australians have a genuine affection for the country. This can be traced back to the participation in two world wars Gallipoli, Timor, Solomons, etc. In recent times there has been an increasing divide in politics between NZ and Australia with New Zealand passing civil union bills (akin to gay marriage) and refusing to join US led invasion of Iraq, both of which oppose the policies of Australia. Despite this the two nations do still agree on many things and the relationship remains in good shape. Tipping In accommodation places, restaurants and bars the prices charged include the services provided and tips are not expected, though the practice is known of in some establishments that cater for tourists. However, do not be surprised if you receive bemused looks in some situations. Also do not be offended if your tip is initially refused or questioned, as most New Zealanders rarely encounter tipping, except from tourists. New Zealanders' unfamiliarity with tipping makes many of them very ill-at-ease with it when travelling in countries where it is practised. It is viewed very negatively by New Zealanders as an alien vulgarity, being made to 'pay twice', or as a form of bribery. Staff in some establishments may risk their job in accepting a tip. In the major cities, tipping tends to be embraced by workers, especially over the summer when students wait tables for part-time work, but a source of annoyance to older kiwis. Tipjars may be placed on counters, but these are for loose change and you are not expected to place coins in them.