7 min read
Chances are you rely on mobile phones apps to get where you’re going, and find what you want. When you move to New Zealand, these are some of the local apps to help you get settled in to your new life in Wellington.
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Apps for Getting Around
Just like most of the world, apps like Google Maps will work just fine here in New Zealand. However, as we’re still working on getting data coverage throughout the whole country, you will likely run into spots with no cellular service when travelling outside of the main population centres. Here are a few local apps that can help when you’re learning to navigate your way around Aotearoa.
Metlink
Metlink is your go-to app for bus, train, and ferry schedules in Wellington. It offers real time updates and alerts, ensuring you never miss a ride.
Snapper
If you’re planning on using Wellington’s buses, trains, or ferries, you can either pay with cash or with a Snapper card. The Snapper app is a simple way to top up your card and keep track of your transit costs.
Uber
Uber is widely available in New Zealand’s major cities and offers a convenient and often cost-effective way to get around. Perfect for those times when public transport isn’t quite what you need.
ParkMate
One of three parking apps commonly used across more than 50 Wilson car parks in Wellington, and a further 300 carparks across the whole of New Zealand.
PrimeParking
Prime Parking is the payment system at 3 casual parking carparks, and 18 monthly parking carparks throughout Wellington.
Parkable
There are 26 Parkable carparks throughout Wellington, and many more across the rest of New Zealand and Australia.
Waitomo
Waitomo, a Kiwi company, lets you pay for petrol from your car and collect “moola” to save on your future fuel purchases. There are 5 stations across the Wellington region – Tawa, Johnsonville, Upper Hutt, Petone, and Thorndon. The Petone location also has a car wash.
Z
Z petrol and service stations are known for great coffee and service, plus their 6c per litre Pumped loyalty programme discount. From the app, you can pre-purchase fuel and coffee, charge your EV, and track your coffee and car wash rewards. There are 17 Z service stations throughout the Wellington area.
BPMe
BP Petrol Stations are all over Wellington and New Zealand. The app is great for putting in your coffee order ahead of time so it’s ready for pick up when you arrive. Like others, they also have a pay from your car option. If you link your Everyday Rewards loyalty card, you can also collect points from all purchases at BP. There are 22 BP stations in the Wellington region, excluding truck stops.
Mobile NZ
Pay from your car and earn rewards for each fuel, coffee, and car wash purchase. There are 13 Mobile service stations in the Wellington Region, and some locations are branded as “Challenge!” rather than Mobile.
ChargeNet
If you have an EV or a PHEV, this app shows you where to find high speed charging for your car. There are currently 27 operational charging locations in the Wellington area, with more scheduled to come online.
CamperMate
If you’re looking for a place to park up and spend some time in nature, then CamperMate is a great app to help you find and reserve campsites nearby or where you’re heading. It includes options for both Freedom Camping and paid campsites, as well as useful blogs and reviews.
Local Weather and News
Most weather and news is delivered nationally. Regional radio and cable access channels do exist, but the majority of people get their news from the national news sources.
MetService
Stay ahead of New Zealand’s unpredictable weather with the MetService NZ Weather app. It offers detailed forecasts, severe weather warnings, and live radar images. The heavy rain, gale, and high sea swell warnings are essential for anyone living in Wellington.
Stuff
Stuff is the leading source of news in Wellington that provides the latest updates on national and international news, sports, and entertainment. It’s perfect for staying informed about current events.
NZ Herald
Another great option for news is the NZ Herald app. Even though it is more Auckland-centric, it offers a different perspective to Stuff and is a favourite of many Wellingtonians.
RNZ (Radio New Zealand)
The Radio New Zealand app is a great place to listen to your favourite programmes from RNZ National including the latest news and weather, and special channels like RNZ Concert and RNZ Pacific. It’s your go-to during the day if you missed Morning Report, and where to catch up on the evening commute programme, Checkpoint.
TVNZ On Demand
Watch live or recorded programming, including the latest news and special interest shows including Breakfast, and One News at Six, Te Karere, Seven Sharp, and Q&A
Rova
The Rova app connects you to local radio stations from across New Zealand. You can listen to your favourite tunes or talkback radio from anywhere on the Rova app.
Groceries
Grocer
The Grocer app is a frugal shoppers best friend. In this app you can select your local shops and price compare products in one place.
MyCountdown
Countdown (currently rebranding back to Woolworths) is one of New Zealand’s 2 big supermarket chains. The app allows you to shop online for either click and collect or delivery, check weekly specials, and manage your shopping lists. You can also connect your Everyday Rewards loyalty card and earn points as your shop.
Milkrun
Is a grocery delivery service that sources goods from Woolworths owned shops including Countdown, Fresh Choice and SuperValue. Milkrun is continuing to expand to more suburbs and currently serves most within Wellington City.
New World
The New World app allows you to create lists, order groceries for pick up or delivery, and is the place where you’ll find your Club Card to track your loyalty points. It’s also a great way to see which items have “bonus stickers” when New World runs their very popular annual promotional campaigns.
Pak’nSave
Like their corporate sister company New World, the Pak’nSave app offers online shopping, special deals, and store locator features, making grocery shopping a breeze. They do not offer delivery, but you can order ahead for click and collect.
Ordering Food
Foodprint
Foodprint is on a unique mission to rescue food from cafes and eateries that is destined for the dumpster. Use the app to find food nearby that is in need of rescue (at a discounted price), place your order, and pick it up. Foodprint helps minimise food waste, and is a great option for anyone looking for a good deal on good food.
Deliver Easy
If you prefer eating in, Deliver Easy is a locally based go-to for food delivery services. It offers a wide range of cuisines and restaurants, delivering right to your door.
Uber Eats
Around the world, Uber Eats is a great choice for those just too weary to cook or go shopping. They will bring you food from a wide variety of eateries.
Shopping
PriceSpy
New Zealanders love a good deal, and many will first look at PriceSpy before making a purchase. PriceSpy works best when you know exactly what it is you want to purchase (brand, model, type etc), and will price compare all retailers in New Zealand that sell the product. Make sure you always check PriceSpy before buying and you’ll be sure to get the best price possible.
GrabOne
GrabOne offers daily deals on dining, shopping, and activities. It’s a great way to save money while exploring new places and trying new things.
Health and Safety
GeoNet
Living in a country prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity makes Geonet essential. It provides real-time alerts and information about seismic, volcanic, and tsunami activity across New Zealand. In addition, if you feel an earthquake, you can let GeoNet know by selecting “Felt it?” and selecting how strong the shaking was that you felt.
Healthline NZ
Healthline NZ provides reliable health information and advice. The app allows you to check symptoms, find health services, and get guidance on medical conditions
Manage My Health
If you have access to public healthcare in New Zealand, there’s a good chance that you can access your medical records through the Manage My Health app. With this app you can order repeat prescriptions, schedule appointments, view lab results, record your own health notes and track your wellbeing.
Entertainment
TVNZ On Demand
Even though this was already listed under “Local Weather and News”, TVNZ OnDemand is a free streaming and on-demand service that allows you to catch up on your favourite TVNZ shows, offering a wide range of local and international content.
NEON
Neon is another great streaming and on-demand service in New Zealand, providing a vast library of movies, TV series, and exclusive content. This paid service is where you’ll find many titles that play on Hulu in the United States.
EventFinda
While not an app (it’s a website), Eventfinda is your ticket to discovering events happening all around New Zealand, from concerts and festivals to theatre and community events.
Work and Housing
Seek
Seek is a leading job search app in New Zealand, offering thousands of job listings across various industries. It also provides career advice, company reviews, and advice on how to structure your CV for a New Zealand job market.
TradeMe Jobs & TradeMe Property
Trade Me is New Zealand’s largest online marketplace, perfect for buying and selling everything from furniture to cars. It also has dedicated apps for search (Jobs) and property search (Property), including both for rental and purchase.
Book a Bach
If you’re looking for a New Zealand based alternative to Airbnb, Book a Bach is for you. A ‘bach’ (short for “bachelor pad”) was traditionally a small beach cottage where families spend the lazy days of summer. But now, but now you can book everything from a cottage to a grand lux home for your next holiday.
RealEstate.co.nz
For those looking to buy a home, Realestate.co.nz offers comprehensive property listings, market insights, and tools to help you find your dream home.
OneRoof
Much like Realestate.co.nz, OneRoof provides property details and insights for properties across New Zealand. It’s good to compare what you see on OneRoof to the other sites as they sometimes have slightly different information available.
Roomies
Roomies helps you find the perfect flatmate or share accommodation. It’s especially useful if you’re new to Wellington and looking for a place to stay.
Conclusion
That’s a LOT of apps! And yes, there are a lot more that we didn’t include, such as shopping apps for many of our electronics and home goods retailers and local apps used by small cafes and coffee shops, but we plan to have another article on that in the near future.
Hopefully this will give you a head start on setting up your phone for living here in Wellington and even further afield in Aotearoa New Zealand.
