New Zealand with Kids: Our Nine Months at Milford Sound, Plus Costs, Visas and Where to Live (2026)

Nine Months at Milford Sound Lodge

About 12 years ago, before Louie and Leo came along, Marty and I lived and worked at Milford Sound Lodge for nine months, through the busy spring and summer seasons. I worked on reception and in the kitchen as a cook, and Marty was on the housekeeping team.

We worked 10 days on and 4 days off, and those days off were golden. We went hiking, found lakes and waterfalls, wandered around little towns like Te Anau, and sometimes headed to Queenstown for the weekend. On one trip, we explored the Catlins and watched sea lions lounging on the beach in their natural habitat. 🦭 Another day off took us to Doubtful Sound, which was every bit as beautiful as Milford.

Meals were the heart of it all. The staff took turns cooking for the team, so several times a month it was my turn to feed around 20 people. Every night, we sat down together around one big table.

The community at Milford was my favourite part. I met so many special people there, and we still share a bond over a place we all fell in love with. The kea were cheeky too, always up to something around the cars and bags.

The internet? Basically non-existent. It was a proper digital detox, and we loved it. That may have changed since, but it taught us how little we really need to feel happy.

We haven’t been back as a family yet. This guide combines what we learned living there with research on what family life in New Zealand looks like today.

The short answer:

• New Zealand suits families who love the outdoors, want safety and English-language schools, and can handle high costs.
• Visitors can work remotely for overseas employers. Since April 2026, stays of up to 275 days in 18 months generally won’t create New Zealand tax.
• EU citizens get three months visa-free with an NZeTA, and up to nine months in 18 with a visitor visa. Australians can live and work there indefinitely.

Where to Base Your Family in Aotearoa

New Zealand’s two main islands feel very different. The North Island is warmer and more populated, with Māori cultural heartlands. The South Island is wilder, quieter and more dramatic.

For schools and connections, look at Auckland and Wellington. Outdoor lovers lean towards Queenstown and Wānaka. Nelson offers sunshine and a slower pace, while Christchurch gives you more space for your money, with mountains and sea close by.

🌆 Auckland: Schools, Flights and Beaches

Auckland is New Zealand’s largest and most multicultural city. Beaches, islands and volcanic cones sit close to the centre, and Waiheke Island is a short ferry ride away. Rangitoto makes a good family hike, with lava caves near the summit.

It’s the practical pick when schooling or flights matter most. You’ll find the widest choice of schools, including IB options, and the main international airport.

Rent is the catch, and traffic can eat into family time.

🎭 Wellington: Walkable and Wind-Blown

The capital packs a lot into a small space. Most of the centre is walkable, with green hills wrapped around the harbour. Te Papa, the national museum, is a brilliant rainy-day worldschooling stop.

Families who settle in Wellington tend to love its libraries, museums and day trips to the Wairarapa and Kāpiti Coast.

The wind is the honest drawback. Pack proper layers, and check how sheltered a rental is before you sign.

🌿 Christchurch: Space, Gardens and Value

Christchurch rebuilt after the 2011 earthquakes. The centre now mixes laneway cafés, public art and green spaces. Family homes with gardens cost less here than in Auckland or Wellington, although Canterbury rents hit a record high in 2026.

Tūranga, the central library, makes a great free base for homeschooling days. Kaikōura, Akaroa and Arthur’s Pass all work as weekend trips.

Winters are frosty, so heating and insulation matter.

🏔 Queenstown: Adventure at a Price

Life in Queenstown revolves around Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables: skiing in winter, and hiking, biking and lake swims in summer. On our days off from Milford Sound, a weekend in Queenstown always felt like a treat.

Glenorchy, Central Otago and Fiordland are all within driving distance.

It’s also expensive. Otago, which includes Queenstown, is now New Zealand’s priciest region to rent, and school choice is limited.

🌞 Nelson: Sunshine and a Slower Pace

Between mountains and the Tasman coast, Nelson is known for its sunny climate. Weekend markets, art studios and Abel Tasman National Park shape daily life.

Rents are lower than in the main cities. Golden Bay and the Marlborough Sounds are close enough for weekends away.

Work options are thinner, with few coworking spaces. International flights connect through Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.

🏔 Wānaka: Lake Life, Fewer Crowds

About an hour from Queenstown over the Crown Range, Wānaka has similar lakes and mountains with more of a small-town feel. Cardrona and Treble Cone ski fields are close by, and Roys Peak and Mount Aspiring National Park are on the doorstep.

Schools and coworking are limited, so the town suits homeschooling and worldschooling families best. Rents follow the Queenstown Lakes market, so it isn’t a cheap alternative.

🦜 Milford Sound and Fiordland: Visit, Don’t Base

Fiordland isn’t a practical base for a remote working family. The road to Milford Sound ends at the fiord: there’s no town, no school and very little internet.

For a road trip, though, it’s worth every kilometre. Stay a night or two, walk to the waterfalls, and keep an eye on your bags, because the kea will too. 🦜

If you can, add Doubtful Sound. It’s quieter and harder to reach: a boat across Lake Manapōuri, then a bus over Wilmot Pass.

Te Anau, about two hours from Milford, is the closest town and a good base for Fiordland’s lakes and walks.

Family Life in New Zealand

Outdoors First

Afternoons outside aren’t a luxury in New Zealand, they’re normal. Children roam, swim and climb with a freedom that can surprise parents from busier cities.

Food

Farmers’ markets are a weekend ritual in most towns, with seasonal produce, bread and local cheese. Vegetarian food is easy to find in the cities and increasingly in smaller towns.

🏡 Renting a Family Home in New Zealand

Rentals in New Zealand are advertised by the week, not the month, which catches many newcomers out. To get a monthly figure, multiply the weekly rent by 4.33.

In August 2026, Trade Me’s Rental Price Index put the national median at NZ$625 a week. Three-bedroom family homes usually cost more than the median.

Rough monthly rents for an unfurnished three-bedroom home on a long lease (checked 03-10-2026, indicative only):

• Queenstown: roughly €2,000 to €2,500
• Auckland: roughly €1,650 to €1,950
• Wellington: roughly €1,550 to €1,750
• Christchurch and Nelson: roughly €1,350 to €1,600
• Wānaka: closer to Queenstown prices than to Nelson’s

Furnished homes and mid-term holiday rentals usually cost more, especially over summer and ski season.

Before You Sign

• Bond: landlords can ask for up to four weeks’ rent, which is lodged with Tenancy Services.
• Healthy Homes Standards: rentals must meet minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and draughts. Older homes can still feel cold and damp, so ask about heating and look for mould. This matters if anyone in your family has asthma or reacts to mould.
• Fixed terms: fixed-term leases are common, so ask about flexibility if you might move on early.

Trade Me Property is the main rental site. For finding family-friendly stays anywhere, see our accommodation guide for travelling families.

💻 Internet and Working Remotely

City internet is fast, with fibre widely available in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Nelson. Once you leave the main towns and highways, coverage drops quickly. When we lived at Milford Sound, internet was basically non-existent.

The main cities all have coworking spaces, and public libraries are good free alternatives. For rural stays, test the connection before you commit, and consider satellite internet as a backup. Our internet speed guide compares family bases worldwide.

Time zones take planning. New Zealand is 10 to 12 hours ahead of the Netherlands, depending on the time of year, so European calls mean early mornings or late evenings. Brisbane is two to three hours behind.

Setting up your work for life on the move? See our guide to remote work for families.

🎒 Education and Childcare

Schools

Public schools in New Zealand are child-centred, with a strong focus on outdoor learning and curiosity. The school year runs in four terms, from about early February to mid-December, with the long break over summer.

Public school is free for domestic students. That includes New Zealand citizens, residents and Australian citizens. Other visiting children usually pay international student fees, which vary by school. In our family, Louie’s Australian passport would make him a domestic student.

IB options include Kristin School and St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland, Scots College and Queen Margaret College in Wellington, and St Margaret’s College and Selwyn House School (IB Primary Years, girls) in Christchurch. Check current programmes and fees directly.

Homeschooling and Worldschooling

Families living in New Zealand can apply to the Ministry of Education for an exemption to homeschool, and approved families may receive a supervision allowance. If you settle there with a child who counts as a domestic student, enrolment or an exemption may be required from age six, so check with the Ministry.

Visiting families usually continue their own home-country or online programme. See how we handle it in homeschooling while travelling, our worldschooling guide and our worldschooling legal guide by country.

The country makes a rich classroom: geothermal science in Rotorua, marine life in Kaikōura and Akaroa, alpine landscapes, Māori culture and conservation projects.

Childcare

Early childhood education is widely available. Government-funded hours for three to five-year-olds apply to eligible families, so check whether yours qualifies.

Weighing up school, online learning and childcare? Our education and childcare guide covers the options.

🧘 Health and Wellness

Public healthcare mainly covers residents, so visiting families need comprehensive health insurance. Private GPs and clinics in the cities see international patients. Compare options in our guide to health insurance for nomad families.

One unusual benefit: ACC, New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme, covers treatment for accidental injuries for everyone in the country, including visitors. It doesn’t cover illness, so you still need insurance.

Things to Do with Kids

Walks and Hikes

Great Walks such as the Routeburn, Milford and Abel Tasman tracks suit experienced families, and most have shorter day sections for younger children. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing suits fit older kids.

Rotorua

Geothermal parks, bubbling mud pools and Māori cultural performances make Rotorua a favourite for curious kids. The Waitomo glowworm caves are within driving distance.

Wildlife

Cheeky kea on South Island mountain roads, Hector’s dolphins in Akaroa, yellow-eyed penguins in Otago and sea lions on the Catlins coast. Seeing those sea lions was one of our favourite moments. Read why we love wildlife travel for worldschooling.

Road Trips

The drive from Christchurch to Queenstown past Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki is one of the most scenic in the country. The road from Te Anau to Milford Sound is another. Check our month-by-month travel guide for timing.

Cost of Living in New Zealand

New Zealand isn’t cheap. These are our estimates for a family of four: two adults, a primary-school child and a toddler. They assume an unfurnished three-bedroom rental outside the city centre and one car.

Rents come from Trade Me’s August 2026 data. Everyday costs are our estimates, in line with our 50-destination cost comparison. They’re not what we’ve spent ourselves. Checked 03-10-2026, at €1 = about NZ$1.96 and A$1.62.

Health insurance and schooling aren’t included, because they vary too much between families for one figure to be useful.

Markets, longer leases, home cooking and free outdoor days all bring costs down. National park tracks and wildlife beaches cost nothing. For building your own family budget, see what it really costs to live abroad with kids.

Visas, Remote Work and Tax in New Zealand

Checked 03-10-2026 against Immigration New Zealand and Inland Revenue. Rules change, so always check before you travel.

Visa-Waiver Visitors and the NZeTA

Citizens of visa-waiver countries, including the Netherlands and the rest of the EU, can visit for up to three months without a visa. UK citizens can stay up to six months.

Before you fly, every traveller, including children, needs an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority). Each traveller also pays the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), currently NZ$100 per person. Allow up to 72 hours for processing.

Australians

Australian citizens don’t apply for anything in advance. You’re granted a resident visa on arrival, which lets you live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely.

What This Looks Like in a Mixed-Passport Family

Our family shows how messy this can get. I’m Australian, and so is Louie. Marty is Dutch, and so is Leo, at least until we apply for his Australian citizenship in 2027.

If we fly into Auckland together, two of us walk through on resident visas. The other two need an NZeTA, the levy and a three-month limit.

If your family is similar, plan around the most restricted passport, not the most generous one. If the Australian parent moves to live in New Zealand, partner and dependent child visas may open up for everyone else. Check eligibility with Immigration New Zealand.

How Long Can You Stay?

Visitors can stay a maximum of nine months in any 18-month period. To stay beyond the first three months, apply for a visitor visa before your visa-waiver period ends. Longer-term options include work, residence and Working Holiday visas.

Can You Work Remotely?

Since 27 January 2025, visitors can work remotely for overseas employers or clients. You can’t work for a New Zealand business, sell goods or services to people in New Zealand, or need to be at a New Zealand workplace. Work also has to sit alongside your visit, not be its main purpose. Read Immigration New Zealand’s remote work rules.

Tax for Remote Workers

New “non-resident visitor” tax rules started on 1 April 2026. To qualify, you need to:

• stay 275 days or less in any 18-month period
• remain tax resident in another country
• work only for overseas employers or clients

If you qualify, your income is generally exempt from New Zealand tax. Your home country may still tax it, so speak to an adviser who knows both systems. See Inland Revenue’s tax residency guidance.

Comparing passports across your family? Our family visa guide lets you check each one side by side.

Community and Networking

New Zealand doesn’t have a big digital nomad scene like Bali or Chiang Mai. Most families find their people through school gates, playgroups, libraries and outdoor clubs.

• Auckland and Wellington: the biggest pool of international families, through schools, coworking spaces and library programmes.
• Christchurch and Queenstown: communities that grow around sport and the outdoors.
• Smaller towns: search for local homeschooling groups on Facebook before you arrive, and check how active they are.

At Milford, we learned that a small community can feel like family surprisingly fast. More ideas in how nomad families find community.

Practical Tips for Living in New Zealand

• Drive on the left. Australians adjust instantly; Europeans take a few days. Allow extra time on gravel and mountain roads.
• Plan on a car. Outside central Auckland and Wellington, public transport won’t get you to trailheads and beaches. On longer stays, many families buy a used car and sell it before they leave.
• Pack for four seasons in a day. Carry a rain jacket, a warm layer and sunscreen on every outdoor day, especially in the South Island.
• Declare food and clean your boots. Biosecurity rules are strict, and undeclared risk items can mean an instant NZ$400 fine.
• Get a local SIM. Spark, One NZ and 2degrees cover the towns, but coverage drops quickly in the countryside.
• Visit the farmers’ markets. Saturday mornings are market time in most towns.
• Think twice about bringing pets. Importing cats and dogs is strict, slow and expensive, so check MPI’s rules early.
• Respect the parks. Stay on tracks, take rubbish home, and never feed the kea, however much they ask.
• Learn some te reo Māori. Start with “kia ora” (hello) and try to say place names correctly.

⚠️ Challenges of Living in New Zealand

The Cost Is Real

Housing, groceries and childcare are expensive, especially in Queenstown and Auckland.

It’s a Long Way from Everywhere

Flights to the Netherlands usually take 24 hours or more, with at least one stop, and calls with Europe mean early mornings or late nights.

Changeable Weather

Mountain weather can turn quickly. Check forecasts and track conditions before every hike.

Rural Internet

Outside the towns, internet can be slow or missing. Test your connection before committing to a rural rental.

School Places

Popular schools in Auckland and Wellington can be full, so apply early and stay flexible.

Comparing options? See our Pacific and Oceania overview, or our guides to Australia and Fiji.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we work remotely on a New Zealand visitor visa?

Yes, for overseas employers or clients, as long as work isn’t the main purpose of your visit.

Will we pay New Zealand tax?

Generally not, under the April 2026 rules. You must stay 275 days or less in 18 months, stay tax resident elsewhere and work only for overseas clients or employers. Get personal advice.

How long can a family stay as visitors?

Three months on an NZeTA (six for UK citizens), and up to nine months in any 18-month period with a visitor visa.

Do Australians need a visa?

No advance application is needed. Australians get a resident visa on arrival.

Can visiting children go to school?

Australian citizens count as domestic students, so public school is free for them. Most other visiting children pay international student fees, so check with each school.

How much does it cost for a family?

Our estimate is €3,200 to €4,700 a month for a family of four, before insurance and schooling. Queenstown costs more.

Do we need a car?

Most families do, unless they live centrally in Auckland or Wellington.

Which city is best for families?

Auckland or Wellington for schools and services, Christchurch or Nelson for value, and Queenstown or Wānaka for outdoor life.

Is healthcare covered for visitors?

ACC covers accident treatment for everyone in New Zealand, but not illness, so visitors still need health insurance.

Is Milford Sound a good base for families?

Not for living, as there’s no town or school and little internet. It’s well worth a road trip, though.

Our Takeaways

New Zealand isn’t cheap, and it’s a long way from almost everywhere. But the people we met, the meals around that big staff table and the months without internet gave us something we still carry with us.

We’d love to go back with Louie and Leo, drive the road to Milford Sound, and show them the place where so many of our friendships began. 🇳🇿

Last updated 03-10-2026. Visa rules, tax rules and costs change, so always check current details before you travel.