One of the most beloved nations in the Pacific Ocean to visit is New Zealand
as it’s known as a friendly, clean and prosperous island that welcomes visitors
from all over the world. The country is basically divided into two islands,
known as the North Island and South Island. The most popular cities to visit are
the capital of Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch, and Auckland, the country’s
largest centre.
There are several smaller islands that make up New Zealand and these include
the Chatham Islands and Sewart Island/Rakiura. The Cook Islands also belong to
the Realm of New Zealand as does Niue. New Zealand itself is located about 1200
miles to the southeast of Australia.
You’ll have no problem at all conversing with people in English as it’s the
official language, with some people able to speak Maori. The natives are known
as New Zealanders, and also as Kiwis, which is a friendly term. There is a
lot of British influence in the country of just over four million people as it
was tied politically to the UK until gaining independence in 1947. Cars are
driven on the left hand side of the road, so take note when you’re crossing the
street to look in the proper direction. The currency used there is the New
Zealand dollar.
When visiting, remember the seasons are reversed from
countries in the Northern Hemisphere and their summer runs from
September to April. The climate is mild and temperate, meaning
it rarely falls below freezing and gets any hotter than about 90
degrees Fahrenheit.
New Zealand is actually one of the newer countries to be
discovered historically as the first settlers were Eastern
Polynesian who arrived around 1250. Over the years, these people
developed the distinct culture that’s known as Maori. British
explorer James Cook visited the country in 1769 and mapped its
9000-mile coastline. The nation then became a popular place with
Europeans for sealing, whaling and trading. It then became
recognized as a nation in 1840.
The country has a very varied and dramatic landscape which
makes it popular with visitors who are looking for intriguing
scenery. The snow-capped Southern Alps contain 18 peaks that are
over 9,800 feet in height, with Aoraki/Mount Cook coming in at
12,316 feet. The South Island also features forests in the
Kahurangi and several more national parks, while Fiordland is a
region of high mountains and steep fjords. The North Island
doesn’t have as many mountains, but is home to a few volcanoes,
especially in the Taupo volcanic zone, and also has the
country’s largest lake in Lake Taupo.
New Zealand has also been influenced culturally by Polynesia,
America, Asia, and Australia, and it is home to the world's
biggest Polynesian festival, Pasifika, which is held annually in
Auckland. The country’s cultural links to the UK are still
maintained and this is evident in the religion, music and
cuisine. However, the Maori culture is still strong with its
traditional arts such as song and dance, weaving, and carving,
the architecture, and outrigger canoe racing.
The film industry is quite big as are other sports such as
rugby, cricket, soccer, horseracing, netball, golf, motorsports,
tennis, softball, cycling, sailing, and swimming, with the
country’s All Blacks rugby team being one of the best national
squads in the world. Extreme sports and adventure tourism are
quite popular, especially with mountain climbers.
New Zealand offers an abundance of activities as well as some
tremendous scenery and modern cities to make a visit there a
very interesting one.
