Top Ten Things about New Zealand

Lake Wanaka

New Zealand, resides at the bottom of the world and across the Tasman Sea from Australia: most people know very little about this gem of a country. Here's my top ten list of great things about NZ, in no particular order:

• The place is safe. You've got to like a country in which the top national news story is, "Bird Strike Halts flight at Auckland airport" and politicians argue about fish quotas.

• Stable economy. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) recently increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 3.25 percent. They report: 

"New Zealand’s economic expansion has considerable momentum, with GDP estimated to have grown by around 4 percent in the year to June. Global financial conditions remain very accommodative and are reflected in low long-term interest rates and narrow risk spreads. Economic growth among New Zealand’s trading partners is gradually improving and global inflation remains low."

• The people.  NZ was recently ranked fifth in the world for its positive contribution to humanity: the only non-European country to make the top 10 of the Good Country Index, which measures 125 countries on how much they give to the "greater good" of the world.

• Adventure sports. New Zealand is the adventure sports capital of the world: see for yourself.

Queenstown

• Coffee. New Zealanders do not drink "drip" coffee. Coffee houses are plentiful and all menu options (e.g., long black or flat white) are made with espresso. More...

• Beaches. New Zealand has 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) of coastline bordering the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean: 10th in the world. The Dunedin alone is home to more than fifteen beaches, identified below, with numerous opportunities to surf, swim, beachcomb, walk dogs or view wildlife.

• Entrepreneurial Culture. Ninety-seven percent of enterprises in New Zealand are small businesses. NZ is ranked third in the world for "ease of doing business" in the 2014 World Bank Doing Business Report. Only Singapore and Hong Kong are ranked higher than New Zealand, but NZ ranks first in the world for starting a business and investor protection.

• Climate. We enjoy a temperate climate with Dunedin described as having microclimates associated with topology; and modified by its proximity to the ocean. This leads to mild summers and cool winters with high temperatures ranging from about 20 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) in summer and 10 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) in winter. Dunedin receives little snow fall.

• Geography. The geographic diversity of New Zealand is difficult to imaging, with fiordland, Southern Alps, wine country, lake district, the Catlins (temperate rainforest & petrified forest), and Stewart Island. 

• Sports: Rugby and the All Blacks, Cricket and Football (soccer) You've got to love country in which every rugby team has a "top fifteen hooker." It's a position and the hooker leans on a prop.

Why Student Candidates Choose the Otago MBA

New Zealand Adventure

An accepted premise exists concerning why International students choose the Otago MBA.  They either want to experience New Zealand or contemplate remaining in New Zealand after graduation.  A significant number of our students choose to apply for a Graduate Job Search Visa and secure employment in NZ upon completion of our Otago MBA programme: see immigration to NZ below.

We receive the usual responses to our inquiries of student candidates: "Why have you chosen the Otago MBA?"  Some students focus on our global perspective, diversity of students or location in the booming Asia/Pacific region.  We are indeed fortunate to enjoy cultural diversity both in and outside of the classroom.  Others point to our reputation (oldest and only full-time MBA in NZ), the respect our programme enjoys internationally, and the University of Otago's research focus: we're not just a teaching school.

Most candidates appreciate our small class size, personal attention, one-to-one relationships with our educators, emphasis on practical (real business) experiences in the classroom, as well as the desire to know each candidate well in our admissions process.  They describe us as like a family and point to the camaraderie among our students, networking opportunities, as well as our mentor and professional development programmes.  "We enhance career prospects."  Our student candidates recognize that we deliver distinctive value at a reasonable price relative to our competitors.

Still, candidates who choose us almost universally express their desire to study in New Zealand.  "I'm a nature loving guy," they say, or "I'm adventurous."  New Zealand is beautiful, peaceful, and they care about carbon emissions and the environment.  They have beaches and mountains (the Southern Alps), and Dunedin is a college town.  It's an English-speaking country, with a stable economy, entrepreneurial opportunities, and the people are friendly.  I want to try something new, push my boundaries, meet people from diverse cultures, and try outdoor/adventure activities.

A few student candidates express the feeling many may harbor: "I see this as a life changing opportunity," "I want to live in New Zealand," and "I would like to retire in New Zealand."

The Otago MBA's unique competitive advantage may be the opportunity to receive

a world class education in one of the most spectacular places on the planet.  You decide: come

for an education and maybe stay for a lifetime.

David

Immigration to New Zealand:  New Zealand Immigration does not permit the Otago MBA to advise students about matters related to securing residency in the country.  Any candidate interested in pursuing his or her career in NZ should investigate this issue directly through NZ Immigration.

Milford Sound

Please enjoy the photos of Milford Sound taken during a Real Journeys Nature Cruise,

in order: Mitre Peak, Fishing boat approaching waterfall, Fog through

trees, and Inside a waterfall

Cheers,

David

Queenstown Holiday

Sorry for the interruption in blog posts: my family and I are enjoying a week-long

holiday in Queenstown.  Enjoy the photos.

Cheers,

David

Adventure Capital of the World

Sometimes, no explanation is necessary: just watch!

                             Queenstown: Adventure capital of the world - Videos - CBS News
1. ► 4:58► 4:58

   www.cbsnews.com/.../queenstown-adventure-capital-of-the-World, Mar 5, 2013

Let's face it, all work and no play is no fun:

Apply now

David

Getting to know Dunedin, NZ

New Zealanders love their coffee including Starbucks 

Life in Dunedin feels a little like living in a terrarium.  Huge deciduous, evergreen and palm trees, mix with rhododendron hells, flax and ferns.  Giant redwoods grow just a few kilometers from the centre of town in Ross Creek. The downtown area of Dunedin lies at the end of a Otago haba  (a.k.a. harbour) and is relatively flat before rising rapidly to more than 2,300 ft.  I've read that the city lies at the centre of an ancient volcano crater, which explains the circle of hills and peninsula.  The weather varies greatly, with cool cloudy days mixed with sunny summer days with temperatures in the 20s c./70s f.  Dunedin is not nearly as cold or as close to Antarctica as you might think and we get almost no snow
in the winter: just a dusting.  It's pleasant to leave the windows open
on most summer evenings because there are no mosquitos.

Dunedin maintains a vibrant downtown by limiting retail development
in the local neighborhoods, but a variety of small shops, restaurants, bakeries and coffee houses exist close-by, no matter the neighborhood in which you choose to call home.  Some of the shops look like something straight out of the 1950s and the city maintains a small-town feel, even though it is the major metropolis in the Otago-Southland region and draws tourists from around the world.  A Scottish influence prevails and the sounds of bagpipes drift across the eclectic crowds in the Octagon on most weekends. 

Kiwis can come across as unfriendly when you pass them on the streets: many not returning a greeting.  On the other hand, those you meet and with whom you share interests (at the university) can become wonderful friends.  Your ear needs to tune to the speech patterns of the Kiwis, Scots and Brits, so you may only catch about three-quarters of conversations.  I'll leave it to you to learn the meaning of terms such as joiner, sparky, gib stopper, serviette and nibbles.  You will also need to watch out for crazy Kiwi drivers who have the right of way over pedestrians.  Cultural differences exist and you will face real challenges understanding cultural sensitivities, but that's what an international experience is all about.  All in all, life ain't bad living in Dunedin, especially if you're looking for adventure.

Street Cafe on the Octagon, Dunedin, NZ

If you're thinking about pursing an MBA, while gaining an international experience in an (almost) English-speaking country, register your interest now!