Lewis finds an easy trick to convert the New Zealand dollar!

Famous people are on the front of the New Zealand $5, $10 and $20 notes

The back of the notes show New Zealand wildlife

Converting the New Zealand dollar was a nice, easy one for Lewis the Lion as it was simply double the pound. So, for instance, £1 = NZ$2.

Or if you prefer, half the New Zealand dollar was a pound, so, for example,
NZ$4 = £2.

Easy-peasy if you’re good at doubling and halving!

Why don’t you try to practise converting some amounts between the New Zealand dollar and the pound with a friend?

However, what did surprise Lewis the Lion about the New Zealand currency, or the lack of it, were single unit coins.

Because New Zealanders use the dollar, that means there are 100 cents in the dollar. However, the coins that they have in their currency are the following:
$2,
$1 (which has a cute kiwi on it!),
50 cents
20 cents and
10 cents.
There are no unit coins!

The $2, $1, 50 cents and 10 cents New Zealand coins

Lewis the Lion then wondered what happened to his change the first time he went to the supermarket and was told that ‘Swedish rounding’ takes place. ( Why do they call it ‘Swedish?’ he doesn’t know! Maybe you can find out?).
In other words, rounding takes place either up or down to the base unit of ten as you can see in these receipts.

Receipts show ‘Swedish rounding’

Rounding up or down?

Lewis the Lion wants you to imagine that you are in New Zealand and in the shops your bill comes to these following amounts.

Would you round up or round down?

How much would you pay in total?

1. $4.23

2. $2.97

3. $9.86

4. $6.52

5. $10.95

About Helen Molloy

Helen Molloy has been a Primary Learning and Teaching Consultant, leading on the introduction of Primary Languages in the City of Stoke-on-Trent for the past 5 and a half years. She is passionate about language learning and inspiring children into developing a curiosity and awareness of other people's languages and cultures.
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