Fri 26 Nov 2004
As a born and bred New Zealander I can understand when Canadians in New Zealand get annoyed at being called Americans. While they are from continental North America, the assumption by many that they are from the USA can be considered and insult. Likewise, when I was in Australia recently, I was mistaken by Canadians/Americans/Britons for an Australian.
Like most people of European ethnicity in Oceania that have been here for more that five generations, somewhere along the line there were relatives that were sentenced to ‘transportation’ by the British courts (i.e. convicts sent to Australia, forging a cheque for £7 in my case) so there are Australian links. It doesn’t worry me that I sound Australian to someone from the other side of the world.
I’m not a linguist or specialist on this topic, but I just want to note some observations of how kiwis talk, particularly with regard to accents. Over the years I have noticed a few things:
- There is a definite transition in accents as you go from one end of the country to the other (of course the Southland ‘r’ is well known)
- Auckland accent is becoming increasingly a ‘mid-Tasman’ accent
- There are distinct city/country differences
- Wellington has its own accent (particularly noticible by me as I live away from the city)
- There is an East Coast accent (Wairarapa to East Cape)
Of couse, I don’t have an accent at all: everyone else does 
I have to admit, I’ve not noticed a difference between Auckland and Wellington accents – and I’ve lived in both cities. Can you give some examples?
Of course I can only generalise, but Wellingtonians tend to have more of a ‘plum in the mouth’ way of talking. Maybe it’s more to do with mannerisms than accents, but a room full of Wellingtonians definitely sound different than a room full of Aucklanders. The other thing about going to Aus was that I found myself talking like an Australian after only a few days.
I asked my wife. She said there are a lot of prats it Wellingtons. Maybe that’s where it comes from :p