Nah I'd agree with dragonfly, Hamilton is a nice enough town but it doesn't have a large centre and therefore has a limited number of places to go on a night out. Nine months is a long time to spend in Outback. Even Coyote's got a bit average after the tenth visit. There isn't a great deal to do nearby so you need time and money on your side to head out further afield and do other things on the weekends. If I had my chance again I'd spend more time in the South Island.
One of the lads on my course had his gf out there for about 4 months. She found casual work fairly easy to find but she did admit she got a bit bored hanging around RAF Peachgrove and often their plans for a weekend away were destroyed by the flying schedule. Personally I left the Mrs behind in the UK and took the hit on phone cards!
For those about to head out to NZ I must warn you if you haven't already heard, Kiwi beer is "different" - I'm being diplomatic there. My personal favourite was Speights, but I'd stear clear of Tui. Just a suggestion.
Enjoy, and Good Luck.
