New Zealand Families
New Zealand people and families are friendly, warm and welcoming. As New Zealand has a small population our country has a unique and friendly atmosphere. Becoming part of a New Zealand family is a good reason in itself to become an Au Pair in our beautiful country.
A typical New Zealand family has 2 to 3 children. Most New Zealand families live in urban areas with over half of New Zealand’s total population living in the cities of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. New Zealand’s population and families are multicultural. Most New Zealand families are of European descent with indigenous Maori, Pacific Islander and Asian minorities. English is the major official language and nearly all New Zealand families speak English.
New Zealanders are known as friendly, casual and sharing people. It is the New Zealand sense of Whanau (or extended family) that help makes New Zealanders so welcoming and friendly. A strong sporting culture gives New Zealanders a sense of fair play and teamwork – they are almost always happy to help those in need.
New Zealand people are fondly known as Kiwis (named after New Zealand’s rare flightless bird called the Kiwi). However, Kiwi people are not flightless and are in fact usually very well travelled. New Zealanders are an educated people with a keen interest in other cultures.