It's important to keep in contact with your parents and family at home.  You can do this in a number of ways.

 

Emailing

If you have access to a computer, there are a number of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), for email and internet access) that offer different prices – you can pay either by the minute, or a flat-rate amount each month. NetGuide is a consumer magazine that lists ISPs and their contact details. Go to: www.netguide.co.nz .

 

Large education providers, and some small ones, have computers for students to use for internet and email.  There are cyber/internet cafes in most towns and cities where you can pay to email or use the internet for as little as $1 per 15 minutes. Email and internet services are often available at public libraries as well.

　

Connecting a laptop
To connect a laptop computer, you will need a RJ45 type plug and an adapter with a flat two or three-point power plug to connect to the power supply. The normal power supply is 230 volts 50 hertz alternating current (AC). The wall plugs are the Australian/New Zealand three pin type similar to and compatible with three pin plugs found in China.

 

Posting letters - mail

New Zealand Post, the main postal company, has a very efficient local and overseas posting system. You can buy stamps at New Zealand Post shops, some dairies (small, local convenience stores), bookshops and petrol stations.

 

For most services, the world is divided into two zones and costs and delivery times vary from zone to zone.  For letters, there are two options – International Air or International Economy.  International Air is a faster service, but International Economy is cheaper.  There are three options for parcels - International Express (quickest service), International Air (slightly cheaper but still very fast), International Economy (slower but much cheaper). 

 

For more information about New Zealand Post services phone free on: 0800 501 501 or go to: www.nzpost.co.nz

 

Using a telephone - phone
Most public phones take stored value phone cards, purchased from dairies and newsagents, with a minimum value of NZ$5. Some also accept credit cards, and a few accept coins. Calls to emergency services (dial 111) are free. The emergency services are the Police, Fire and Ambulance.

 

The country code for people calling New Zealand is 64
To call New Zealand from overseas, dial the international dialling code of the country you’re in, followed by 64, followed by the area code and the local number.  Within New Zealand, local phone numbers have seven digits. Area codes are two numbers, the first is 0.  Dial these two numbers before the phone number when calling another region in New Zealand (drop the 0 altogether for people calling from another country).  The area codes for New Zealand regions are:

　

·         Northland/Auckland - 09

·         Waikato/Bay of Plenty - 07

·         Central and southern North Island - 06

·         Wellington/Kapiti - 04

·         South Island and Stewart Island - 03

 

Calls outside of your own area are national toll calls and are charged.  Calls to numbers starting with 0800 or 0508 are free. Calls to numbers starting with 0900 cost, usually by the minute. For calls to another country, dial 00 before the country code.

 

Lists of New Zealand phone numbers are online go to: www.whitepages.co.nz (alphabetical listings) and Yellow Pages www.yellowpages.co.nz (business category listings).  Hard copies of the White Pages (the telephone book) and the Yellow Pages are delivered free to every house and business.  These are usually available in public phone boxes as well. 

 

Calling China from a home phone

To call China from a home phone, dial 00 (international access code) + 86 (the country code for China) followed by the area code and the number.  A cheaper way to call China is by using prepaid international phone cards (refer to ‘Pre-paid International Phone Cards’ on p. 25). 

　

Toll bars
Telecom New Zealand is the main supplier of home phone lines.  Local calls are free. Some houses have a "toll bar" on the phone which means you can't make any non-local calls, or you must enter a PIN first.

 

Mobile phones (cellular phones)
Using a mobile phone (cellular phone) for making calls or sending text messages is very popular. You can use global roaming on a mobile phone from China, buy a pre-pay phone or set up an account with Vodafone (GSM 900 and GSM 1800) or Telecom (CDMA) in New Zealand.  Be sure to read the agreement if you set up an account because most will be for a minimum of one or two years. In New Zealand, the caller pays to call a mobile phone.

 

If you already have a mobile phone

Providing your phone is compatible with the New Zealand mobile network, to get it to work here you will need a "SIM card" from Vodafone. You can either buy a "pre-paid SIM card" for around NZ$35, or set up an account. You should note however, that using the phone you have brought with you from China may not be possible at all.

 

SIM cards are not available from Telecom.

 

To set up an account you will need two forms of ID (including one that has your photo on it), to be over 18 and have a visa for six months or more. You will also have to pay a security deposit, usually around NZ$250. Or, you might want to hire a phone from Vodafone if you are staying in New Zealand for a short period of time.

 

Pre-paid international phone cards
Pre-paid international phone cards (e.g. ChiTel) are available at dairies, petrol stations and newsagents (small kiosks which sell magazines). They are economical and popular, because they allow you to call anywhere in New Zealand or the world, from any phone, by dialling the number on the card. When you've used up the minutes, you just buy another card. Cards are available in a range of denominations, starting from NZ$10.