nedincredible:
I am currently in Dunedin and have just discovered I can’t get class 5 work until I have converted my license.
Strictly speaking, you can drive on a UK licence in New Zealand for a year after arrival, in the equivalent classes of the entitlements you hold in the UK. Therefore if you have Class 1 (C+E) you can drive Class 5 in NZ.
However, any safety-conscious employer will probably expect you to convert your licence before starting work. The logic seems to be that, were you to have an accident, questions would be asked about what steps your employer took to ensure you were safe on NZ roads if you had not converted your licence. That seems fair enough. It came as an unpleasant surprise to me, since I was expecting to be able to leave the driving test until after I had settled in.
The theory test is similar to the UK, but the questions are more technical and less idiot-friendly. There are websites and apps available to take you through nearly all the official questions, so once you have memorised all the answers you should be able to get the 33 out of 35 required for the truck licence.
Booking a test is fairly simple. Just wander into an AA shop that does testing, pay your money and wait for the next available slot at the computer. If things are quiet, it can be within an hour. If you fail, you can pay again and re-sit the test straight away without any waiting time restrictions.
If you have held your UK C+E licence for long enough (3 years I think) you don’t have to do the practical test, only the theory.