New Zealand facts
New Zealand is a country of stunning and diverse natural beauty: jagged mountains, rolling pasture land, steep fjords, pristine trout-filled lakes, raging rivers, scenic beaches, and active volcanic zones.
It is the adventure capital of the world. Hiking, skydiving, caving, bungy jumping, skiing — everything here is geared towards getting you outside and doing something good.
New Zealand is sometimes known, both in the indigenous Māori language and by Pakeha, as Aotearoa, translated as the long white cloud.
When you think of New Zealand, a few things immediately spring to mind: The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the fact they’re pretty good at rugby, Sauvignon Blanc wine from Marlborough and lots of sheep.
New Zealanders speak English (with a ‘kiwi’ accent). If English is not the first language, thet are a friendly country and most people will be patient communicating with you.
Apart from English, New Zealand has two other official languages: Māori and New Zealand sign language.
New Zealand is the fifth largest wholly island nation on earth, its land area surpassed only by Australia, Indonesia, Japan and the Phillipines.
Of New Zealand’s four million people, about 260,000 identify themselves as Polynesian, and most live in Auckland.
Kiwis love icecream and claim Tip Top ice cream is the best in the southern hemisphere, and hokey pokey (it’s a flavour) is far and away the biggest seller (five million litres annually).
Kiwis are just as obsessed with coffee as we are and will debate the merits of various cafes.
A Kiwi from Invercargill apparently invented instant coffee, and they also claim to have devised the world’s first flat white. Either way, you can get great coffee here.
New Zealand’s ‘Pacific Rim’ cuisine style takes its inspiration from Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Polynesia, Japan and Vietnam.
This unique blend of influences has created a mouthwatering range of flavours and food available from cafes and restaurants nationwide.
While the main cities support a few elegant, silver-service restaurants, the trend is towards more relaxed cafe-bar dining.
Weather
New Zealand’s climate is mild, and ranges from subtropical in the north to temperate in the south.
The north of New Zealand is subtropical and the south temperate. The warmest months are December, January and February, and the coldest June, July and August.
In summer a light jacket or sweater should be included in your luggage should the weather turn cooler or you visit the high country.
November, February and April are recommended as the best months to travel in New Zealand.
