Service details

Home stay is a great way to learn about New Zealand culture. New Zealand host families are carefully chosen for you to stay with. Your family will provide you with a single bedroom, two meals per day during the week (three per day in the weekend) and clean bed linen and towels at least once a week.

Accommodation

There is a wide range of accomodation options in New Zealand. We have detailed a few of them for you below.

Homestay

Living with a new family for the first time can be challenging for students and host families. It takes time and effort. However, living with a family is one of the best ways to experience a country and its culture. It will also help you with your English.

Remember the following when in a homestay:

• Being hosted by a family means becoming part of the family. The homestay rate is set to allow you to spend most of your time studying, but you are expected to help around the house doing things such as the dishes or helping to prepare a meal. Talk with your host family and ask if you can help. Your homestay is not a hotel!
• Communication - talk to your host family and let them know what you are doing and, if you are going out, tell them an approximate time when you will be home. Talk to everyone over dinner: you could share things from your home country. This not only helps you to settle, but you start building a friendship with your host family.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions about New Zealand and things that you see or do every day.
• Don't compare host families - just as everyone is different in your home country, do not expect that all host families will be the same in New Zealand.
• Whitireia guarantees to arrange your homestay accommodation, if required. We strongly advise that you choose home stays that Whitireia has approved.

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