Learning to Drive

Learning to drive can be an exciting and scary experience! But practice makes perfect and helps calm the nerves. By the time you’re ready to go for your restricted licence, you’ll be feeling pretty comfortable with driving.
So what’s the process?

Learner Licence
• Learn the Road Code (which you can buy or access for free online http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/road-code-index.html)
• In preparation for the Learner License’ test (which is comprised of 35 questions from the Road Code book), take practice tests online www.roadcodepractice.co.nz
• Sit your licence test at the Land Transport New Zealand driver licensing agents http://www.nzta.govt.nz/licence/getting/where-to-go/. Make sure you have money to sit the test and take all the right documentation with you when you go get tested. For more details on this process, click here.
You can get your learner licence the easy way - practise the road code online for free for car, motorbike or heavy vehicle. Go to http://www.drivingtests.co.nz/ 

You passed your test? Great!You passed your test? Great! So now what?
Now that you have your learner licence you are legally allowed to start learning to drive on the roads. There are a few rules to remember though, including

• You can’t drive on your own. While you have your learners licence, you must always drive with a supervisor (i.e. someone who has had their full licence for two years) and they must sit in the front seat beside you.
  
• While you are driving, the car must display learner plates.
  
• You must always have your licence on you when you are learning to drive. After you pass your test you will be given a paper licence which acts as a temporary licence until you are sent your actual photo licence about 2 – 3 weeks after you pass your test.
  
• You can’t have any alcohol at all in your system if you are under 20 years old. If you break the above rules, you can be fined, receive demerit points or in some cases, be disqualified from driving!

 If you break the above rules, you can be fined, receive demerit points or in some cases, be disqualified from driving!

Uh- oh... I failed! When can I resit the test?
If you have failed it means that you got more than three questions wrong. No one likes to fail, especially when you have handed over cash to sit the test! Make sure that you study up and know all the answers before you resit the test. The good thing is that you have had a chance to see what the test is like, and will know what to expect the second time around. 

Restricted Licence
After having your Learner licence for at least six months, you are allowed to sit your restricted licence test. You are required to be at least 16 years and 6 months old.
This test is a practical test to determine your driving capabilities, so you will be going out on the roads with an instructor who will tell you where to drive, and ask you questions along the way. 
You will also need to go through the same processes of application as when getting your learner license listed here. 
Your car will be checked before the test by the instructor to make sure it is roadworthy so make sure you have checked your tyres, lights and indicators etc.
Some things they might get you to do are:

• Back around a corner
• Parallel park
• Do a three point turn
• As well as just generally seeing how you follow the speed limit and observe the road rules (ie. stopping at stop signs, giving way, indicating, etc).

The test usually lasts between half an hour to an hour, and at the end the instructor will tell you how you did, and give you some feedback on the mistakes you may have made.

Some things you need to know once you have your restricted:

• You no longer have to drive with a supervisor in the car or drive with learner plates.
• You can drive on your own between 5am and 10pm.
  
  
• You are not allowed to carry passengers unless you have a supervisor with you (though there are some exceptions. Click here to find out what these are).
  
  
• If you sat your restricted test in an automatic car, your licence will state this and you are unable to drive a manual unless you are supervised.
  
  
• You must always carry your licence on you.

What if I fail my restricted?
If you fail the first time, keep practicing! Don’t let it get you down, just make sure that you’re prepared the next time round and take on board the reasons why you failed the first time (they will tell you). Going for long drives with a supervisor until you feel comfortable behind the wheel may help, and asking them to point out anything you are doing that you shouldn’t, will also help you to learn from your mistakes.

Full licenceAfter having had your restricted licence for 18 months (although if you have done a defensive driving course you can apply after 12 months) you are able to apply for your full licence, so long as your are at least 18 years of age. This is a practical test and takes about 30 minutes. 

Your car will be checked before the test by the instructor to make sure it is roadworthy so make sure you have checked your tyres, lights and indicators etc. 

There are three stages to the test:
Basic Driving:The instructor will be looking to see that you have mastered the basic skills involved with driving (indicating, stopping at stop signs, giving way, driving to the speed limit etc.)
Detecting and responding to driving hazards in built-up areas:You will be asked to identify possible hazards while you are driving (e.g. cars backing out of driveways, children playing on the footpath, pedestrians etc).
Detecting and responding to driving hazards in higher speed zones:You will also be taken to a higher speed area (such as a motorway or an open road) and the instructor will ask you to continue to identify hazards whilst observing how you adjust to speed changes, merging and performing a U-turn.

Once you have your full licence you are allowed to drive at all hours and you are allowed to carry passengers.

 

Travel

Making plans to on your O.E. (or Overseas Experience) can be exciting, uplifting, daunting, worrying, confusing and many more emotions! There is so much choice when it comes to travel, including working, volunteering or studying overseas. Here are just a few tips for planning your adventure…

• Ask for advice from others. Ask them about their experience, where they went, how they organised it, how they funded it and what advice they have.

• Talk to a travel agent. Their job is to help people organise their trips and they know all about the best routes and rates. Check out Sta Travel’s O.E. section here

• Make a plan to start saving. Click here for more info on saving and budgeting. While borrowing can be an option, the last thing you want to be in while travelling is debt. Working overseas to pay your way is also an option, but you at least want to have your flights saved up for and a good stash of money to live off while you find a job.

• Check your student loan. Make sure you know whether you will have to pay it and whether it will earn interest while you are gone. Click here for more info.

• Think about your safety. Think about who you might travel with, who you know overseas that can show you around or who you can stay with, look at travel insurance options, think about which countries are safe to travel to at the moment. Check out the government’s Safe Travel website here for these details on staying safe.

• Step out of your comfort zone, but listen to your instincts. Travel is about having brand new experiences, so definitely plan with that frame of mind. However, make sure you listen to your gut and if something feels dodgy, don’t ignore that feeling and take action. 

 

Moving Out of Home

Can you afford it?Check out our budgeting section first to see if you can afford to move out. Keep in mind there are big costs to start with. You’ll need to have money saved for a bond (up to 4 weeks rent) and rent for the first 1-2 weeks (depending on whether you pay rent weekly or fortnightly).
If it’s your first time flatting, it may be cheaper to move into an existing flat. Having flatmates and a good set up (with couches, a fridge and kitchenware) already in place, it will be cheaper for you and ease you into it.
If you’re not moving into an existing flat, you’ll probably have to buy lots of houseware stuff – like pots and pans, a couch, TV, toaster, cutlery, kitchenware and cleaning products. Go second-hand if you can. Often friends and family will have old (but still usable) appliances and furniture that they will be more than happy to get rid of.

Where do I look?Whether you are looking for an existing flat, or searching for a new flatmate - the ads are everywhere including community notice boards, newspapers and online. 

Start by checking out TradeMe: Flatmates, Flatfinder and NZ Flatmates.
If you want to move in with your partner or friends without other flatmates, look for a rental property online, in your local paper, or by visiting a real estate agency and ask for their rental lists. 

Landlord or property manager?
A landlord normally does something else for a living, while making some money from the rental on the side. So, they might be a bit harder to contact than a property manager, who looks after the property for a living. That’s not always the case, though.
Because there’s another salary to pay, dealing with a property manager can be more expensive than a landlord. If you’re looking at renting a property through a particular company, ask friends and family if they’ve had any dealings with that company, as the service from property managers can vary a lot.

Periodic Lease or Fixed-Term Agreements?

Periodic Lease
There is no term that you’ve agreed to stay for, so if all is well, you’ll be able to stay in the flat for as long as you want.
The landlord can end your lease at any time as long as they give you a notice period – so you have to be good tenants!

If you clash with your landlord or flatmate or you and your partner you’re living with break up, then this type of lease gives you the option to leave.

Fixed-Term Lease
It gives you complete security for that you’ll have a place to live for a fixed period of time, as long as you don’t violate any terms of your lease agreement.
At the end of the period of the lease, you can be left without a home with no notice. Be sure that if you take a fixed lease, you are able to renew it with a reasonable period left to run on it.

If you have a horrible experience and want to leave the flat, you’re stuck until the end of the term of the lease, unless the landlord or property manager agrees to release you.
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When checking out a flat, what do I look for?

• How far away is it from your work or training institution?
  
  
• Is it close to a bus/train route or convenient roads?
  
  
• If you have a car, is there a car park or only on-street parking?
  
  
• What comes with the rental? Is there just an oven, or are there other things like a washing machine, fridge or any furniture?
  
  
• Do the bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, or will you have to make space for a standing one?
  
  
• Will it get any sun? Are there big trees or other buildings that will block the sun?
  
  
• Does it have a problem with dampness? Check with the landlord, or ask the previous tenant if they are available. Look for any signs of water damage or mould.
  
  
• Is there an outside area, and if so, what is expected for maintenance?

Should I sign a lease?If you sign the lease to a property that means the place is in your name, even if you have flatmates who pay rent. That means it’s your responsibility to make sure the rent gets paid every week. If people are moving out, you are responsible for organising replacement flatties and may have to pay the extra cost until you do. 

How do I set up utilities?
Power: Before signing anything for your power, check out www.powerswitch.org.nz to find the best deal for you. If you have no idea how much power you’ll use, talk to the provider and then go back to powerswitch after a few months and make sure it’s the right rate for you.
Phone/internet accounts: Internet accounts can be set up without a home phone account. These days, many flatters don’t bother with a home phone as most people have mobile phones.

What should I discuss at a flatmate interview?
Sharing. 
Discuss things like grocery shopping and cooking. Some flats will be quite communal, with everyone sharing a common shopping bill and taking nights to cook flat dinners. Other flats might go as far as having padlocks on cupboards or fridges. A common source of flat stress can sometimes be people thinking someone’s eaten their favourite snack or used their special mayonnaise. Flatting with likeminded people will help ease the tension.
How should we work the money stuff?
Consider setting up a flat account that all flatmates pay money for rent and bills into. Many banks provide a service specifically for flatters. One idea is to set an amount that will cover all rent and bills for the month and set up automatic payments for this fixed amount every fortnight. As long as everyone pays money as they should, everything should run smoothly. You can always just get everyone to pay money as the bills come in but this leaves more opportunities for people to not budget for bills and get caught out.

What are my rights and responsibilities?
​There are some legal details around flatting that you should be aware of – including your rights in renting a property (i.e. what your landlord can/can’t do and what you can expect of them) and your responsibilities as a tenant (e.g. keeping the place in a good condition, reporting any damage etc.)

YouthLaw have put together some good info on this for you – check it out here.   

 

Moving Cities

Moving cities can be really hard. Leaving your friends, school, or family is never easy!
It’s normal to have worries about moving. Some common worries people have about moving away are...
What if I can’t make new friends?

• What if my old friends keep in touch with me?
  
  
• How am I going to stay in touch with family?
  
  
• What if I don’t like it?

Some things to remember...

• Stay in touch. With social networking sites, cheap calling/texting plans and Skype you can keep in touch with people as often as you like!
  
  
• Making new friends can be worrying at first. Check out local Meet Up sites, events and happenings in your area, or volunteer locally are all good ways to meet new friends.

• It’s okay to feel lonely at times. Click here for tips on dealing with loneliness.

• Keep doing what you love. If you used to play sports, do drama or play music, join the local team/group. That way you might meet some people straight off the mark that are interested in the same things as you.

• Know it gets easier. You may find with so many changes at once, that you don’t like your new school, dorm, or classes at university. Firstly, make sure you give it a good go. The first few weeks might be a bit rough as you try to adjust to making friends and settling in, but remember that for most people this phase will pass.
  
  
• Work out what the problem is. If you’re at a new school and still miserable after a few weeks, then try work out what’s making you feel stink, so you can explain how your feeling to your caregiver. Is it the teachers? Is it the other students? Is it the rules of the school? When you can figure this out, you can talk to your parents/guardian who can help you to figure out what your next step might be. Even if it’s not moving schools, simply changing class might fix the problems you’ve been having.