Yes EMS I have flown a few hundred hrs in NZ and I used a map pencil, rule and a watch (bit old fashioned eh)..... What an awsome country to see from a helicopter.
Kiwis I have worked with have told me that when you learn to fly in the area that you have been living in all your life , and have more than likley flown around before with friends or family, your instructor can only assume that you can navigate.(is that right?)
As i mentioned there are some schools in OZ that should be avoided. I find it unsettling meeting low hour (but qualified CPL), pilots who show little knowledge of the basics.The worst example i have heard recently was a CPL with nearly 500hrs and he didn't know what a knot was. He could not work out simple calcs like @ 100kts, how long would it take to fly 150nm...he lost his wizz wheel but was given the answer three days later!
This guy is now taking your mum on a joy flight....scary huh!!