A couple of cautionary notes on NZ.

[randomness]

Many restaurants advertise that they are open "until late". E.g., "Open for dinner 6PM until late". This does not mean what it does in New York. "Late" in this context can be as early as 9PM, as I discovered to my cost when I tried to eat at Ebisu, in Christchurch, at 9:30PM. (It's a shame, as it looked worth trying.)

Prepare for sticker shock. NZ prices were cheap when the exchange rate was NZ$2 = US$1, obviously, but at 66 cents US, not so much. Most things are still reasonable (though not wildly cheap) but occasionally you get an unpleasant surprise.