Are people of New Zealand nice? Tourists pleasantly surprised by kind Kiwis

Tourists have shared what pleasantly surprised them about New Zealand. Photo / Mike Scott

Hundreds of tourists have shared things that surprised them during their travels to New Zealand.

Pristine toilets, good-smelling air, a lack of small talk and polite Auckland drivers are just some of the things tourists said pleasantly surprised them during travels to Aotearoa.

“What was one thing that pleasantly surprised you about New Zealand? Something perhaps you weren’t expecting,” read a question posed on January 2 to New Zealand Travel Tips (NZTT), a private Facebook group.

Scrolling through the 441 comments left by some of NZTT’s 130,253 members, a few key themes emerged.

First, many said Kiwis’ kindness and friendliness exceeded expectations.

“The absolute friendliness of nearly everyone we met,” one person answered. “How genuine conversations are,” another added, saying Kiwis seemed honestly interested in chatting rather than schmoozing.

“No one is making small talk for tips, they just genuinely love what they do and want to share experiences,” they said.

Another traveller said they held back tears after a kind policeman helped them at a Nelson bakery.

“I’d bought pies for the family not realising they didn’t have paywave. I only had $20 cash and we were $6 short. I asked to put 2 back and only get them for our teenage sons. He paid the remainder,” they wrote.

Another said their group was caught in heavy rain while buying groceries in Te Anau. They asked a passing local woman if there were taxis or Ubers in the area but were shocked when the lady said no but offered them a drive to their accommodation.

Visitors praised Kiwis' genuine nature, particularly within the tourism industry. Photo / Tourism NZ

One common theme Kiwis may be surprised by was our polite and considerate drivers.

One called out “the politeness of Auckland drivers”, saying drivers slowed so they could quickly lane-change when the GPS gave a delayed instruction.

“There is NO WAY that would happen in Melbourne or Sydney,” they wrote.

Others agreed. “Everywhere we drove people let us in, stopped and let us cross the road” another Aussie added, saying Australian drivers were riskier and less courteous.

A Singaporean tourist said New Zealand was “one of the best experiences so far driving in overseas” because of people’s driving etiquette.

Several tourists said drivers in New Zealand, and Auckland specifically, were very considerate. Photo / Hayden Woodward   

Less surprising were people’s comments about New Zealand’s conservation efforts and natural scenery. One visitor was surprised by “how blue the ocean was and how white the light,” while another said their “jaw dropped” when they saw the Remarkables mountain range while landing in Queenstown.

A parent said their teenager described the air as “delicious”. Another agreed, writing: “Most places smell so nice, like a tree, or plant, fruit or flower.”

“Their conservation efforts are impressive, so good to visit a country that cares about their nature and wildlife, especially compared to Australia,” one Aussie said, adding they were considering a move to New Zealand.

An American also noted the lack of plastic and styrofoam products compared to America. “It has made me even more aware of my consumption since I have been home,” they wrote.

Sunset view of Cooks Beach from Shakespeare Cliff Lookout at Coromandel Peninsula, North Island, New Zealand. Photo / 123rf

Many also appreciated New Zealand’s “cultural sensitivity” and “respect for indigenous peoples”.

“It has been so amazing to see how much Māori culture is embedded into life. Australia has a long way to go,” one Aussie wrote.

“I loved how Māori as a language was celebrated and shared (even by non-Māori New Zealanders),” an Irish tourist added. Several others commented on the visibility and emphasis of Māori culture.

Many tourists enjoyed the prevalence of Maori culture in Aotearoa. Photo / Tourism NZ

Other visitors praised the pristine public toilets, free airport luggage carts and how “crazy cheap” the country was. Some called out specific locations such as Hobbiton, the Catlins, Huka Falls, and Piha, which someone described as “breathtaking”.

“Compared to European prices everything [almost] is more affordable. Even chains that exist in Europe as well,” one traveller wrote.

“In general, we are very pleasantly surprised with prices,” they added but admitted cigarettes and beer were pricier than in Europe.

They weren’t the only ones surprised by the affordability.

“I was surprised at how far my money went, New Zealand was not the expensive destination I expected,” another wrote.

Tourists appeared mixed on whether Aotearoa was a cheap or expensive place to visit. Photo / File

Not everyone shared pleasant surprises. One traveller remarked on how expensive groceries are while another bemoaned shops closing at 5pm.

This isn’t the first time travellers have been surprised by Aotearoa.

An American tourist gained attention after praising an attraction many Kiwis use daily without thinking.

In previous social media threads, tourists have commented on the abundance of traffic cones, plug outlets with switches and the quality of pies.