What do I need to consider before moving to New Zealand?

Hello all! I am thinking of visiting New Zealand for a short holiday (maybe 1 or 2 months) and then perhaps considering a longer stay (1 to 2 years) if I find it to my liking. I don't particularly like where I come from (Singapore) and apartment/house rentals are incredibly expensive here as well, making New Zealand an attractive destination for me. However, I'd like to know more about the country before I do anything, considering that I have never visited it before and do not know anyone from NZ either. :) Hence my post! I do hope you can help me out here. 1) Will being a foreigner pose any problems in renting a property? So far I have been using this site (http://www.realestate.co.nz) to source for possible rentals and I have a few promising choices lined up. Can all the necessary paperwork can be done outside the country? 2) Is it possible to live in NZ without being able to drive? I think this might be my number one concern. From research on the Net it seems that most major cities are well-served with public transport, but given my budget I may not be able to rent a room in a central city. (I've put aside 400 a month for rental, 500-600 maximum) As I work from home and am able to cook I do not really need to be able to move around on short notice, but it would be nice to not have to walk 10-15 minutes to get to the nearest bus station! It would also be a hindrance to meeting people, buying groceries etc if public transport was not readily accessible. If having a car is an absolute necessity, would it be possible for a foreigner to learn how to drive in NZ? I know that the license will only be valid in NZ, which is not a problem for me. 3) Are goods and services very expensive? According to what I've learned from Google searches and the like, it shouldn't be that much more expensive that Australia or any other first-world country, right? 4) Anything else I should look out for? The above are my primary concerns (especially transport!) but I welcome any and all advice and suggestions.