American travelling in New Zealand confused by Kiwi phrase

The American tourist was confused by the common Kiwi turn of phrase. Photo / 123rf

This article was one of Herald Travel’s best-read stories of 2023

An American traveller said one unusual Kiwi phrase has tripped her up while road-tripping around the country.

Carly Koemptgen was the lucky winner of a job that involves travelling around New Zealand and Australia for six months in a campervan, making social media content.

During her travels, the American said many things have surprised her about New Zealand, including a particular phrase she had never heard used a certain way before.

After talking about an experience with a local, they asked her ‘How did you find it?’. At first, Koemptgen took the question at face value and thought it was an oddly specific thing to ask.

“I said, ‘Well, the internet, I found it on the internet’,” she told Herald.

It was only after the person further explained, she realised the alternate meaning. As, in New Zealand, people ask ‘How did you find it’ when they wish to know someone’s opinion about an experience.

This wasn’t the only thing that surprised the American when she came to New Zealand; the lifestyle and environment were also a shock.

“I’ve had New Zealand on my like on the top of my travel list for a very long time because I like outdoor activities, I love being in the mountains and outside and like that is totally New Zealand,” she said.

After arriving, Koemptgen realised the picture she had in her mind was a little different to reality.

“When I got here, I mean, it was just like 10 times more than what I expected,” she said, describing how the pictures and videos she’d seen online didn’t begin to capture the true beauty.

The thing that most surprised her, however, was how Kiwis approached day-to-day life.

“The one thing I’ve noticed that I love the most about New Zealand is the laid-back lifestyle,” Koemptgen said.

“Everyone is so chill, like not really pressed about much.”

This article was originally published on May 23, 2023