Hi everyone, and thanks for the information:
@John Turner - I've checked previously in NZ, the only bank we have here which is an international (i.e.: Outside of Australia & NZ), is HSBC. But they've been of little use and apparently cannot help - an HSBC account in the USA will have no relationship with a NZ account. Thanks for the suggestion.
@Kevin Estey - So to confirm - Wells Fargo didn't require you to be present in the USA to setup the account?
@Bill Hamilton - All of my banking will be online, so using a Hawaiian bank could be an option - if as @Daniel Lee mentions, their technology is up to the task. No American banks have branches here in NZ< though that may change with new regulations regarding trading which appear to be coming in, in the next few months. But I suspect it'll still take a couple of years for a new bank to setup it's business here.
Daniel - Thanks for the info - it'd be a much better solution to use a Hawaiian bank, I may call to make sure their online facilities are in line with our requirements. Your comments regarding BoA, Chase and Wells Fargo are correct - low fee's (especially for online transactions and wires etc), a great online site and 24/7 helpdesk are the features I'm looking for. I may call my Title Company to see how they'd react if I have an account in Hawaii !
Appreciate your comments as always, and if anyone else has additional information, I'd be grateful to receive it!
Thanks Guys.