Social groups in New Zealand tend to be centred around a shared interest such as a sport or cultural activity, so getting involved in a club or society means you’ll be interacting socially with like-minded people. International service organisations like Lions and Rotary are popular, with hundreds of clubs throughout the country. Contact www.lionsclubs.org.nz or 04 384 7559, or www.rotary.org.nz or 0800 4ROTARY. If you want to sharpen your public-speaking skills, you’ll find more than 200 toastmasters clubs around the country (visit www.toastmasters.org.nz or call 0800 736 753).

If you would like to get together with people of the same ethnic background, the website of the government’s office of ethnic affairs is the place to browse. The extensive online community directory has contact details for hundreds of ethnic organisations, from Al Mujaddid Islamic newspaper to the Zionist Federation of New Zealand (www.ethnicaffairs.govt.nz, 09 362 7968 for Auckland, 04 495 7200 for Wellington, 03 353 8312 for Christchurch).

If you want company without actually leaving the house, you can join the virtual world at www.socialise.co.nz. But if you want the real thing, try joining The Group (www.thegroup.co.nz, 09 373 3796 for Auckland, 04 499 3309 for Wellington), which organises social events through its branches in Auckland and Wellington.