Travel Information

On this page:
Travel, visas, arriving in NZ, weather, power, money, tourism, travel awards

Travel
A number of airlines fly to New Zealand, and Air New Zealand is our preferred provider.

Visas
US nationals do not require a visa to enter New Zealand for a period of less than 3 months. However you can obtain up-to-date information on immigration and visas here.

Arriving in NZ
Participants should plan to fly to Wellington International Airport (WLG) but, unless travelling via Australia, will probably arrive in New Zealand at either Auckland (AKL) or Christchurch (CHC) International Airports and transfer there to a domestic flight. At Auckland a free shuttle is available between the international and domestic terminals or transferring passengers can take the short 10-minute walk, which is clearly marked. Christchurch and Wellington have single terminals catering for international and domestic flights. Alternatively you may want to travel the scenic routes to Wellington by car, bus, train and/or ferry. In that case you should allow two days for comfort. Cars can be hired for around NZ$50-80 per day, depending on vehicle and length of hire.

At Wellington Airport, taxi stands are located directly outside the ground floor entrance of the terminal, on the same level as baggage claim. A taxi from the airport to the city will cost between NZ$25-NZ$35, and will take around 20 minutes, though it may take longer during Wellington's rush hours (weekdays between 8.00-9.00am and 4:30-5:30 p.m.). A number of companies run door-to-door shuttle services from the airport to Wellington city. Shuttles are located on the ground floor level at the southern end of the terminal. The airport-to-city trip costs around NZ$15, although couples or groups may qualify for discounts. The trip to the city should take around 30 minutes, depending on where passengers are dropped off. The Airport Flyer is a bus service between the airport, Wellington City, and the Hutt Valley. The bus stop is on the ground floor level at the southern end of the terminal. Buses depart approximately every 30 minutes, but hourly in the early morning and at night during weekends. The fare from the airport to Wellington city is NZ$4.50 for adults and NZ$2 for children. The Stagecoach Flyer makes a number of stops including all bus stops through the city center. The trip to the city takes about 45 minutes.

Weather
July is early winter in New Zealand. In Wellington, typical winter daytime maximum air temperatures range from 10°C to 14°C.   Due to Wellington's exposure to disturbed weather systems from the Tasman Sea it can get windy. Southerly winds can be quite cold, bringing colder air from Antarctica. Follow the link for more about Wellington weather.

Power Supply
The electrical standard in New Zealand is 230 volts AC at 50 Hz. Power sockets use a 3-pin plug and are compatible with Australian power sockets so electrical equipment from US or Europe is likely to require an adaptor plug. See here or here for diagrams. Please check before you plug in any appliance or equipment that you bring with you that it can operate safely with 230V AC/50Hz power. Power adaptors for laptops will almost certainly be able to handle the supply.

Money matters
The cost of living is reasonable. Petrol is around $1.50 a litre, coffee is typically $3 for a long black, or latte, a loaf of bread is $2-3, a filled roll $4-5. Exchange rates at 28 August 2007: NZ$1 = US$0.71 or €0.52. See XE.com currency converter for up-to-date values.

Tipping
New Zealanders do not generally follow the custom of giving a tip to waiters, porters and other service people, such as taxi drivers, hairdressers etc. However, tipping is appropriate in the more expensive restaurants and hotels - particularly if you have received unusually good service. A tip of between five and ten percent of the total bill is appropriate.

See New Zealand tourism online and WellingtonNZ for more information.

Travel Awards

The Linguistics Program of the USA's National Science Foundation has recommended funding for a grant to assist ten USA-based early-career researchers in coming to the Eleventh Conference on Laboratory Phonology in Wellington, New Zealand (LabPhon11). The Conference Organizing Committee thanks Benjamin Munson for submitting the successful application. The awards will be administered through the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences at University of Minnesota. These travel grants will be limited to early-career researchers, defined as graduate students and scholars within five years of receiving their terminal degree.

Each travel grant will support airfare to the conference, up to $1,500.  Because the support comes from the US Government, attendees must fly U.S. Flagship Carriers, as described in the Fly America Act (http://www.tvlon.com/resources/FlyAct.html).  (This includes code-shares with other airlines, such as Air New Zealand, who code-share with United and US Airways.)

Individuals who are interested in receiving a travel grant should submit an application to phonolab@umn.edu, containing the following information:

1. Name
2. Title
3. Institutional Affiliation
4. Presentation Title, Authors, and Format
5. Brief (no more than 2 page) curriculum vitae, including publications and previous presentations.
6. A brief statement from your adviser or department head confirming that there is at least a $1500 shortfall with respect to your airfare, that is not being covered by other funding sources.
7. An airfare cost estimate.

Applications can be submitted in .pdf format.  Electronic signatures are acceptable. 

Travel grant applicants will be evaluated by a committee.  The following criteria will be used to judge travel grant applications:

1. The nature of the Presenter's role in the conference.  Preference will be given to first authors.
2. Whether the researcher has other means of support.  Preference will be given to those who do not have support to attend LabPhon11.
3. Whether the researcher has presented previously at a LabPhon conference.  Preference will be given to new presenters.

The travel grants will be evaluated by a committee.  Notification will be given shortly after conference notifications have been made.