Hi Englishmouse
Great thread and an interesting read.
Having lived in New Zealand my whole life (I was born here) and having been a recruiter across various industries for 4 years and now being a career coach...I feel I can probably answer your questions. Just like in England (or anywhere else in the world for that matter) it all comes down to the effort you put into looking for jobs. If you are scrolling down the Trademe and Seek job adverts hoping for something to come up, you are far less likely to find a job than someone who is actively ringing employers in their chosen field. I am not saying that your friends were lazy, at all! Sometimes it is just best to remember that in New Zealand employers are really friendly (mostly) and therefore you can ring them with no troubles.
For you personally I would contact someone from the New Zealand film festival, the movie theaters, photography businesses to ask if they need an assistant, and the Department of Conservation or (DOC). They have an internal recruitment team who will be more than happy to help you.
Get a LinkedIn profile! If you don't have one already, get online. All employers in NZ will stalk you on social media and it's another great way to make a first impression.
The surfing community won't care if your partner can write very well in English, plus he would pick it up really quickly I'm sure, especially if he is bi lingual. What is important is the quality of his resume. Why not make a short video of him doing surfing and talking about his passion and why he does it and why he is awesome!
What I am really trying to say is that getting the job you want is easy. You just need to think outside the box, be bold, be creative and take what you want, or someone else will.
All the best!