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Please read the comment section of this article. If I'm only planning on working there seasonally on a working holiday visa do I have anything to worry about? Will I be treated poorly just for being American? There's a fair amount of negative comments on there about living there as an American plus some other things. BTW I would be living on the South Island most likely away from any of the bigger cities.
I'm a NZer with an American husband, currently living in the US but spent 9 years there with him as well. It pains me to say it, but I agree with probably 80% of the article and comments and that's a large part of why I mostly live here and not there. But it also doesn't really address the things that are good about New Zealand. The lack of pretension. The "No. 8" wire approach (yes, it's both a positive and a negative). The willingness to just enjoy "being" (which some of the commentators may see as being lazy). Despite it's problems, there is much that is right with the place.
I think you will have a great time there because you are travelling, not living there, and NZers are pretty friendly to travelers. Many people have travelled overseas and been in a similar position on working holidays - and it's usually just the people actually living there that we seem to pick on. Also you'll be in the South Island which I find to be a bit more chilled out, and they are used to/welcoming of working holiday travelers in places like Queenstown and Blenheim (vineyards and fruit picking). People may make the odd crack about loud Americans but generally I think you'll find they'll just be very interested in you and will go out of their way to help you out should you need it.
There is probably some truth to parts of it, but $1600 for four weeks rent for a 3bd unit is not a huge chunk of change in LA, Manhattan, or Chicago. It is only a lot to money to someone who cannot afford it. If you don't want to pay that much, do not rent it. Like any other place in the world, if you do not have the funds it support yourself while you look for work, stay home with mommy and live in the basement until you can.
Moving, any time, whether it is to a place fifty miles from where you live today or across the world, there is always challenge, and culture shock when you land. Look at it as a page in your life journey and embrace it, or live in the past and complain how IT isn't anything like you had. It you are a whiner (like I expect the original author is) stay home, enjoy your cheese with the whine, and be happy.
I'm an American who has lived in a few countries in Europe, Asia, currently in NZ. While some of the issues mentioned in the article are correct, the key to living in any different country is your own perception. Don't assume/expect everything to be exactly like it is in your home country. If you want to live exactly like you do in the US, then why did/do you leave in the first place? Realize that different places have different ways of living, and people in those places do fine (mostly) living that way. And yes, sometimes the different lifestyle may not be for you -- and it may take living somewhere for a while to realize that.
For instance, the lack of ambition/drive is something I've noticed. Sometimes I find it a bit stifling, but at the same time, I realize it also results in the laid-back lifestyle that I do like. Where people value things other than career progression and material gains. Not being able to buy whatever I want whenever I want via Amazon was a bit tough in the beginning, but I got used to it -- now I don't miss it. Yes, many retail items are expensive, so you learn to be more selective -- either think hard about if you really need it, or figure out a makeshift/homemade solution (the No. 8 wire approach!).
Auckland is very different from the rest of the country. AKL is similar to any other large city anywhere else in the world (crowded, expensive - relative to NZ of course!). The rest of NZ less so (although rural Canterbury can feel like the American Midwest). If you're working seasonally in a place like Queenstown or Wanaka, it may not feel very NZ-like. Queenstown feels like any other holiday resort town anywhere else; I used to live in a ski town in Colorado, and Queenstown reminded me a lot of that.
As some of the other posters have said, a lot of your experience will depend on how you approach it. My wife and I have never had anyone be rude or aggressive to us on finding we're American. Typically they're interested in knowing what brought us to NZ, how we find it, etc. Yes, a lot of boasting about how the US is better than NZ will probably not endear yourselves to many Kiwis, but I suspect that's the same anywhere. One Kiwi explained it like this -- it's okay to have a lot of accomplishments, but talking about them is considered bad form.
NZ can feel quite isolated from the rest of the world. Can be good because it's far away from much of the effects of global geopolitical turmoil. Can be bad if you want/like to travel the world a lot.
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