Calling all New Zealanders! (and exchange students)

[Signe]

(Dunno if I posted this in the right Place, but Education and Career seemed like my best option)

Hiya folks!
Next year is (probably, I don't know for sure yet (but very probably)) going to be a very exiting year for me, as I'm going to be an exchange student! I will be going to literally the other side of planet earth, New Zealand, and though I do not look forward to the journey (Google estimates 21 hours with plane Dx), I do look forward to spending my year in the country of the long white clouds!
As I don't know anything about New Zealand other than that they filmed Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit there, I hoped there were some New Zealanders here who would be so kind to take me up as an apprentice and teach me about your country and stuff.... and maybe I'll be a little more prepared than I am now :P

I'll leave Norway in the middle of July and I'll be staying close to Wellington (I have literally no idea how to pronounce the place I'm going to live, that's one of the many things I wish to learn), and I'll stay there for a year.

If any New Zealanders are so kind to help me I'll be most grateful :D or others who've been exchange students, I'm grateful for every bit of intel ^-^

Thanks!
Signe

[SubEruanna]

i was born in new zealand, but i only lived there for a cople of months. it is a truly beutiful place.
most people are pretty friendly there.
wellington is pronounced Well (as in wishing well) ing (as in singing or dancing) ton ( as in tonne which is 1000kilos i think.
other tricky pronounciations are anything with "wh" in it is meant to be pronounced as an "f" sound, wierd i know.
the "i" (as in igloo) sound is also pronounced "uh" eg "fish and chips" reads aloud as "fush and chups"

Another good rule for pronouncing is that the syllable ends after a vowel.

So Wanaka is Wa-na-ka, Kaikoura is Kai-kou-ra, Ho-ki-ti-ka, Ro-to-rua and so on.

Enjoy your trip

here's one you can test yourself on.
Waikikamukau
cover up the bottom part of this answer until you've guessed it or given up








it's said why-kick-a-moo-cow

there's a boat at my yatch club with that name, makes for a funny anouncement whenever it gets a place, and the anouncers always stumble on it. :)

Double post merged, please use the 'edit' button next time. ~ Xander.