The most stupid aspect of all this is that at least when I did mine, the NZ IR test was far harder and more involved than the UK one- I did DME arcs, enroute and terminal holds, and a VOR approach as well. Why the CAA insist on not recognising licences from countries like NZ is completely beyond me. The NZ system has always been based on the British one- when PPSC started seling their books in NZ for the NZ exams, all they had to change was the covers, and some details in the Met book (they didn't bother with Law). The syllabus was identical.
This whole business of recognition is totally out of order.