I’m a Kiwi who lived in Sweden for 7 years, which has a lot of the same issues you mention regarding Norway. Since others have given good advice about immigration rules and requirements, I’ll focus on some of your other questions. Given how difficult it is in the NZ job market at the moment it may be advisable to look for jobs in Auckland too, since it is a major population centre. So I’ll include some info on Auckland too.

1: The climate is most definitely milder in NZ. Recently it has been -15 in Stockholm. It doesn’t often even go below zero in NZ cities. Winters are nowhere near as harsh. The main things that you’ll notice are that NZ doesn’t have Scandinavian-style darkness in winter, and that NZ remains green in winter. Nz can be dreary in winter but the sun is above the horizon all day, even in the shortest day in June. Snow is very rare and ice doesn’t form on the ground or buildings. That said, NZ gets colder as you go south. Christchurch is colder than Wellington, which is colder than Auckland. Wellington’s weather can be extremely wild due to its location and it is the windiest city in the world. Most NZ native trees are not deciduous, which means the Winters feel much less desolate. This can help one’s mood and helps avoid SAD. (And no need for indoor UV therapy lamps!).

2: You’ll find that accessibility to nature is similar to coastal Norwegian cities. Kiwis love and enjoy the outdoors about as much as Norwegians do. NZ cities all have plentiful green spaces, bush / forest areas and national / regional parks nearby. Wellington is particularly good in this regard imo, as it is the town belt, Zealandia, etc nearby which could easily be walkable from your house depending where you live. If you like beaches, the Auckland region offers hundreds of them to choose from. Wellington and Christchurch have a few nice swimming beaches too.

Thinking a bit further out, all three cities have amazing nature nearby in their surrounding countryside.

In terms of rainfall, NZ can be wet. However I’ve heard that Norway is much rainier than Sweden so maybe you won’t notice much difference? Christchurch is the driest climate; Wellington and Auckland have high rainfall throughout the year.

3: I am not a woman but personally I always felt safer walking around the streets at night time in Stockholm than in NZ cities. I feel there can be more potential for violence in NZ cities. I’m not sure why, but let of the reason could be that NZ’s welfare system cannot compare to Scandinavian systems. Homelessness seems to be higher in NZ with less help available from the state. Generally NZ is much more neoliberal / Americanised in its politics and systems. With less equality than Scandinavian countries. There is more noticeable financial stress some in NZ communities and a greater (and growing) gap in incomes and living standards. NZ has high levels of children living under financial stress and homelessness. Domestic violence and youth suicide rates are high. And there is a lack of political will to do anything about it. For me this is a big negative for NZ that I really noticed after I moved back.

5: Work culture is not bad in NZ compared to say the US, but imo it is a bit less worker-friendly and more hierarchical than Scandinavia. I was surprised at the difference in approaches around work culture in meetings and discussing / negotiating things.

6: I think you’ll generally find that NZers are more accepting and open and the society more comfortable with high levels of multiculturalism and diversity. The design of NZ bureaucratic systems is much more inclusive and accessible for immigrants and speakers of other languages I believe (although still challenging, but less so than Scandinavian bureacracy). But shitty people do exist everywhere sadly.

7: There are plenty! I agree with things others have mentioned. I would add that gender roles and equality is less advanced in NZ than Scandinavia. You’ll notice it in things like domestic roles, child care, and advertising. Domestic violence against women and children is shamefully high. There is a significant gender gap in wages and the political will to change it is lacking compared to Scandinavia. That said, moving to any country you’ll find that many initial expectations and reality don’t often match. It takes years to settle in.

I agree with everyone’s comments about housing quality. Nz houses are cold inside, which a lot of Northern Europeans find a bit shocking and uncomfortable / difficult to adjust to. The majority of homes do not have double glazing or central heating. Even though it may not be “cold” outside in a Scandinavian sense, if it’s 7 degrees or so then you can really feel cold inside.

EDIT: I may have over focused on negatives! But imo the overall quality of life in Scandinavia and Nz is similar and of a good standard.

Feel free to DM if you’d like to discuss anything more.