Live & Travel in New Zealand
Living in New Zealand
All International students live with a Long Bay College approved homestay family or in our boarding accommodation, unless living with their natural parents or a member of their family (a designated caregiver). Students are not allowed to live independently.
Homestay Accommodation
When you are away from home, living with a locally based family is a great way to settle in, feel at home, make new friends and experience New Zealand student life to the full. The homestay accommodation offers a supportive family environment. All families are checked by our Homestay Coordinator before hosting a student, and careful monitoring is undertaken throughout each student’s stay. All students have their own bedroom and are expected to live as a part of the family.
Looking after the wellbeing of a student is a high priority. Our Homestay Coordinator is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm for all Homestay issues.
THE LONG BAY LOCAL AREA
- We are around 25 minutes’ drive from Auckland CBD and 45 minutes from Auckland Airport.
- It is a quiet family residential area with beautiful parks and beaches close by. There are bus and train services to the city centre, to local shops and restaurants, and to the popular, modern Albany shopping mall (with an international food court and cinema). You can use your student ID to get reduced bus fares.
- If you need to get a bus to school, your homestay will help you with this on the first day.
- The area in and around Long Bay is an area of choice; people of many different nationalities live locally.
- There are local libraries in nearby Browns Bay and Albany. Massey University library is also open to all students.
- Weather here is usually moderate. There are few extremes of hot and cold, but it can be very changeable. In summer it can get to 27C (December – March), and in winter (July – August) it can be quite wet with average temperatures around 12C. New Zealanders tend to prefer to put on an extra layer of warm clothes in winter, rather than use heating – so bring warm clothes for winter, in case you find our houses cold.
Long Bay Beach
Travel in New Zealand
New Zealand boasts some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Students are encouraged to travel and explore the breathtaking landscapes. During the school holidays, many international students choose to travel and see more of New Zealand by joining an approved organised trip with a recommended tour operator. Students enjoy travelling around both the North and South Islands with their diverse natural beauty and leisure opportunities. There are also weekend trips to the Bay of Islands, Rotorua and the Coromandel, as well as snow trips and the Tongariro Crossing. Day trips to places like Hobbiton and the Kiwi House or even horse riding and surfing trips are very popular too.
In addition, at the end of the year, students are invited on a range of trips to enjoy the unique culture, heritage, sights and scenery in New Zealand. A ‘Kiwi-style’ camp is also organised, which offers the opportunity to go tramping through the Waitakere Ranges, develop survival skills with fun activities on West Coast, and sleep under the stars!
Top 10 Things to do While you Study in New Zealand:
- Go swimming with the dolphins in the Bay of Islands
- Go snorkelling and glass-bottom kayaking at Goat Island
- Get your adrenaline pumping and try extreme sports in picturesque Queenstown
- Hike over the Tongariro Crossing
- See glow worms at the Waitomo Caves
- Visit the natural hot springs in Rotorua
- Climb to the top of Rangitoto Island, home of New Zealand’s youngest volcano
- Take a trip to Hobbiton
- Tour New Zealand’s two very diverse islands with one of our recommended tour operators
- Try out some of the many activities Auckland itself has to offer – sail, kayak or go stand-up paddle boarding off local beaches; bungy jump off the Sky Tower; surf in Piha; enjoy high-wire adventures among the tree-tops and the many hiking/biking trails around Woodhill Park; ferry over to Waiheke Island; discover some of New Zealand’s unique wildlife at Tiritiri Matangi; go jet-boating around the Harbour; or climb the Harbour Bridge itself.
Coromandel
Hobbiton, Matamata
Queenstown
GENERAL POINTS TO REMEMBER IN NEW ZEALAND
- In New Zealand, it is illegal to smoke or buy cigarettes under the age of 18 years. You cannot smoke in any enclosed public place.
- In New Zealand, it is illegal to drink alcohol under 18 years.
- In NZ the emergency telephone number for ambulance, police or fire is 111.
- If you need to see a doctor, you must pay. You can claim the cost back on your insurance. We can usually help you make the claims.
- We do not allow any of our Long Bay College International Students to drive or ride a motor vehicle whilst in New Zealand. This includes learning to drive.
- International students over 16 who want to work part-time in New Zealand during the summer holidays only must apply for an amendment to their visa first. This will incur an additional cost. You are entitled to the same Employment Rights as a New Zealander. For further information, please see: Working on a student visa and Know your employment rights
- For Emergencies out of school hours, please phone 0800 528 437. During school hours, you can also contact Jayne Jones (Deputy Principal International) on 027 473 2555.
