Tramping in New Zealand & other Kiwi phrases you may not have heard of

31 Jul 2017

When tramping in New Zealand, heading into the wilderness with a guide is a good idea. At least you’re assured not to find yourself in the wop-wops! At Trips & Tramps we run some sweet tours and know some top spots to enjoy your cuppa. Join us in Fiordland, at the bottom of the world and it will be sweet as mate!

If our English sounds a bit odd to you, have a squiz at our list of Kiwi slang to get you up to speed with the local language here in En Zed. And this is not even a lesson in accents where you need to get your head around what we’re really saying when we ask for a pen, six, or when we call someone Ben!

Tramping in New Zealand

Is the same as Hiking in New Zealand. It’s a pretty amazing thing to do in this part of the world and it’s what sets us apart from many others.

More Kiwi Phrases

Crib. When you hear an adult saying they’re headed to the crib around here, don’t be too surprised. They’re headed to a holiday home in South Island, not a baby’s bed! In the North Island, we call it a batch.

She’ll be right. This pretty much sums up the Kiwi attitude to life. It means ‘don’t worry, the chances of something bad happening aren’t that high, and even if something bad does happen, it’s nothing we can’t handle; it’ll all turn out all right in the end’. So don’t stress.

Knackered. Extremely tired.

Cuppa. A cup of tea or coffee.

Crook. Feeling sick.

Hard case. Someone who has a big personality, may do unusual things but basically is a real laugh.

Wop-wops. Middle of nowhere. The boonies or out in the sticks or the back country would be other terms for this slang referring to a remote location.

Chocka. Full or over-flowing. Also called chok-a-block.

No worries or no wakas means no problem.

Mate. Friend … Cheers mate.

Munted. Broken or not right. Also called bung.

Dairy. Nah, doesn’t mean milk products. We mean the corner shop or general store!

Choice. Awesome or really good.

Chur. Cheers or thanks, often followed by bro, as in ‘chur bro’.

Eh/Aye . Compulsory addition to the end of a rhetorical question... "Last night was bloody good, eh?"

Scroggin. Also known as trail mix, a collection of nuts and raisins used as a snack for a tramp/hike.

Yeah-nah. Technically means no, in a vague sort of manner though!

Long Drop. Outdoor toilet, very literal in its name, and there is plenty of these in the great NZ outdoors (and we can show you one on any of our trips or tramps)!

Tiki tour. Take a long scenic route to get to your destination.

Wee (as in "that's a wee one") Small or early (up until the wee hours)

We speak fast. We sound funny – sometimes. And the above list gives you an idea of what you’re in for. But tell ya what mate, it’s totally worth it. This land is a beauty with some seriously good tales. Of course you need a local to show you the best, i.e. us. Just brush up on the lingo before you come tramping in New Zealand and you’ll be sweet as!