So as it turns out at the start of the year, the nations bailiff numbers were slashed in half…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/better-business/64746709/ministry-confirms-cuts-to-bailiff-numbers.html, http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/63538417/Bailiff-cuts-could-put-kids-at-risk/

Last year I was served papers that My ex had filed the following day, This year, im guessing either because of the reduction in bailiffs or because I am a Male, my papers that the court kindly said they would serve on my ex, took 2 1/2 weeks. I filed the papers on the 30th of November, and as of the 18th of December the Family court had still not received affidavit of service from the Bailiffs, however I had received confirmation that she had being served on the 16th of December from the lawyer for child. Given the past history of the family court, and their “allowable” evidence, maybe we should be at a point where service can be made by the applicant, with just an affidavit stating that you have made that service.