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• The term ‘Māori’ is used to refer to an individual, as well as a collective group. Therefore, the plural form of the term is ‘Māori’, not ‘Māoris’.
• New Zealanders are renowned for their friendliness. However, this general outward demeanour is often mistaken by newcomers as friendship. Foreigners in New Zealand report that they find it difficult to get past the polite, surface friendliness and build deeper friendships with New Zealanders. It is best to explicitly indicate to a person that you are interested in forming a friendship with them.
• Tall Poppy Syndrome is a cultural phenomenon, ascribed particularly to New Zealand and Australia, where those who openly flaunt their success or material possessions are criticised. People may be resented if it is perceived that their success has not been fairly earned. It is appropriate to talk openly about achievements, qualifications and ambitions, but bragging should be avoided.
• New Zealand has some noise restrictions; for example, in some cities it is illegal to honk a car horn from 10:30 pm to 7:30 am. In the same manner, people strongly dislike being disturbed in their own home by their neighbours’ loud music or voices.
• New Zealanders take their biosecurity laws very seriously. Any food, wood or biological specimens must be declared at the airport when entering the country.
• Most European New Zealanders trust the police. However, significant distrust for the police is common among ethnic minorities who have experienced police discrimination, e.g. Māori, Pasifika, low socioeconomic groups and younger generations. Children are told if in trouble they can approach a police officer for help.

Pakeha

White New Zealanders may be referred to as Pākehā. This is a Māori-language term for New Zealanders of primarily European descent, but may refer to any light-skinned non-Polynesian New Zealander. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no legal definition in New Zealand law. Rather, Māori people are most likely to use it casually in a neutral manner to identify a person as non-Māori (e.g. “My mother is Pākehā, but my father is Māori”).¹

Historical debate and misinformation over the meaning and use of ‘Pākehā’ has often explained the word’s origin to be offensive, leading to claims the term carries insulting racial implications.² Therefore, some white New Zealanders may interpret being labelled ‘Pākehā’ to be derogatory. Others may object to its use on the basis that it is not reflective of their personal identity (e.g. people who migrated from a non-European country) or because it is often taken to refer to people whose ancestors colonised New Zealand.³ However, the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study found Māori preference for the term Pākehā to other descriptions (such as 'New Zealand European', 'Kiwi', or 'New Zealander') is related to how much they identify with being Māori and does not correspond with personal attitudes toward New Zealanders of European descent.^{4, 5}

Overall, the last few decades have seen an increasing mainstream acceptability of the word, as well as growing support for the use of Te Reo Māori in New Zealand.⁶ New Zealanders of European ancestry vary in their attitudes toward the word Pākehā when applied to themselves. It has become increasingly common for white New Zealanders to self-identify as ‘Pākehā’ to show respect or express an affinity for Māori people and culture.⁶