Travel Tips

If one arrives in New Zealand unprepared for the dialect of English spoken or the local names for common place items known by alternative names in the rest of the world, one could have difficulty in understanding both the spoken and the written word.
Above is an example of the NZ way of pronouncing “Fish and Chips”.

Below is a token gesture to help you understand everyday Kiwi terms.

National animal emblem of New Zealand. Featured on souvenirs. Highly respected little birds. New Zealanders are happy to refer to themselves as "Kiwis".
The Birds.

The People.

The people are an industrious, inventive and adaptive mob who have given the world lots of new stuff and have renamed existing stuff to better promote the product and their country - "bungy jumping" & "kiwi fruit" being two examples.

Of course, Kiwis have strong ties with Aussies forged as allies during war (ANZACs) and rivals in cricket, netball and rugby matches.

The dreaded Jandals.
Anywhere else they are called thongs, flip flops, Japanese riding boots etc etc etc.
flip-flop

Judder Bar.
Not universal throughout NZ but seen often enough to raise the question.???? What the heck is a "Judder Bar"?
equals “Speed Bump”

Trundler = Supermarket Trolley. ie the metal basket on four wheels.
Mention of which leads to ........5. "Superette"

This apparent oxymoron is a combination of the “super” from "supermarket" and the “ette” suffix which means the opposite of “super” ie “small”.
Only in NZ........ It’s a grocery store of modest proportions.

Where I come from a “Dairy” is where cows are milked. Not so in NZ there ‘s one on every second corner and it’s a store selling milk products plus other items. Just like the corner store in the suburbs.....In olden days similar stores in Australia were called Milk Bars but the term is no longer used.

No Exit = this road leads to a dead end.
Equivalent in Australia “No Through Road”