Taking Money to NZ

I take Nzd$100 in cash. and the rest sits in two different cards, but then I don't spend a lot of time per trip, mine is very short, a long story.
You could take along Nzd$500 in several denominations, keep them safe, ... but realistically, the best way, is use a bank account card from home, (UK is it where you are from), and then take funds out when and as you need it.
No one knows your PIN, except you, you can also have another card, I read that some banks allow two cards in the the same name, to access the same bank account. One here, in your deepest pocket, and another secreted somewhere else.
Loosing cash is easy, oops, I drooped it, oops someone took/stole/"borrowed" it, but a bank card needs a PIN to access it.
Some banks are in an alliance, thereby where you pay minimum or no ATM fees to use it worldwide, your card at any ATM in the world.
Nzd$ cash notes are plastic, so you don't worry about them getting wet or wrinkled...
Coins are different sized.
Getting some notes and coins or notes only will get you used to the colour of them.

Hopefully, you are with Barclays in the UK, guessing, if not, pity, if yes, lucky.
Westpac NZ has a lot of branches around NZ, you don't have to open an account with them, but if you are Barclays in the UK, you can use your BC in NZ for minimum fees, ie, just pay forex, and no ATM fees.
This is the only one that I could find, international banking ATM alliance.
Ask your home bank, if not BC, if they have an alliance where no ATM fees are charged if you use your card within the alliance.

In short, to summarise the first two posts, just use your ATM card from home until you have a local NZ account.

That will probably incur charges but if you have online banking at home and online banking in NZ, then simply transfer online between the two accounts. With my Lloyds account it costs £25 from amounts of 0 to £10,000 (no idea the charge for over that!!!). If you are charged for using your card, only do it until you have banking set up. If you aren't charged then fine. You will still get currency fluctuations of course.

Thanks all for quick responses.

I think in that case, I will get some money exchanged.

I am with HSBC in the UK, so at your suggestions will pop in to talk to them at my local branch and see what they say about using my UK debit card until I have set up my bank account in NZ. If it sounds okay and reasonable charges, I will go with that idea. Otherwise, I may continue to investigate pre-paid cards.

Thank you all again!!

You can preset up a bank account before you go. Just have a look at the banks and decide what you need. ANZ and ASB issue debit cards routinely with everyday accounts and both have accounts that incur a $5 month fee but more if you use ATMs of another bank. There are accounts which dont have a fee but their conditions probably wont suit.

You could if you wanted to, get a generic prepaid visa or mastercard debit card, not linked to bank account, as another source of money, (just in case) but personally, I think cold hard cash and a bank account debit card is enough.
In the end, its up to you, as to how much you want to pay, in buying the prepaid visa or mastercard card from the post office, and how much you want to put into it. Just note too, that some of those cards will have commissions, or fees per withdrawal.
An analogy, yes, I know WW hates this: But on my second last trip to NZ, I thought I was smart, and took two pocket wifi devices on my trip to NZ, both fully charged (batteries). In the two days I was there, somewhere in Auckland or Christchurch or even Sydney on the way back to Adelaide, yep, you guessed right, I lost of them things... Could have fallen out of my bag or pocket somewhere!
Which ever way you decide to bring along cash for spending on the way, or card/s, just make sure they are in a spot hard for it to get lost and hard for thieves to get to.
Also, some places have body scanning, Sydney international has, and for these, your pockets must have nothing in them. Everything has to xrayed, your bag and you.
NZ incoming you don't have to worry about this, unless you decide to stop in Australia for a few days, (get a eVisitors if you want to stop over here (in Australia)), or do an Australian WHV as well as the NZ one.

Hi,

Thanks for your further comments - more to consider. I thought that one could not open a bank account in NZ prior to arrival if they do not have an IRD number, which I currently don't... Had a look at ANZ out of interest and they have a 'Go' account - does anyone use this account? Sounds fee free, with no monthly account fee, if all banking is carried out electronically. What are the pros and cons to this - is it restrictive?

Have also noticed that there is a HSBC New Zealand, which may be beneficial to me since I bank with them in the UK. Am definitely going to speak to someone in HSBC about my options with them.

Thanks again all, really helpful stuff.
Bethen.

As far as I can see, the only hitch with ANZ's "Go account" is that is costs you $10 for a debit card, and $3 every time you use it to withdraw from an ATM. You can pay online free of costs. I bank with ANZ and find it generally helpful.