New Zealand [1] is a temperate to sub-tropical island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. A former British colony, the majority of the population is of European descent, with a sizeable indigenous Maori minority and smaller minorities of various Polynesian and other groups. A modern but sparsely populated country, it boasts natural beauty and a wide range of outdoor and adventure activities.
Regions
Map of New ZealandNew Zealand consists of two main islands and a number of smaller ones. The regions are listed roughly north to south. These regions are not necessarily official local government Regions.
The North Island — warm, with scenery ranging from sandy beaches, through rolling farmland and forests to active volcanic peaks.
Northland
Auckland Region
Waikato
Coromandel
Bay of Plenty
Volcanic Plateau
East Cape
Hawkes Bay
Taranaki
Wanganui
Manawatu
Wairarapa
Wellington
The South Island — spectacular alps and fiords, large beech forests, beautiful beaches.
Marlborough
Nelson
Golden Bay
Buller
Westland
Canterbury
Otago
Southland
Stewart Island — heavily forested, a wilderness paradise for hikers and hunters.
Chatham Islands
Sub-Antarctic Islands
Other islands
[edit] Cities
From north to south:
North Island:
Whangarei - Whangarei is the largest urban area in the Northland region of the North Island, two hours north of Auckland.
Auckland — "The City of Sails." The largest and most populated city, with over a million in the metropolitan area, making it the largest city in Polynesia.
Hamilton — The city in the Waikato is an hour and a half south of Auckland.
Tauranga — In the Bay of Plenty, and about two hours south-east of Auckland.
Gisborne — the easternmost city, in the Eastland region. Gisborne sees each day's light first in the world.
Rotorua — Famous for geysers, hot pools, that funny sulphuric smell (smells like rotten eggs!), and Maori culture.
Hastings, Havelock North and Napier — Art Deco, food and wine in sunny Hawkes Bay.
New Plymouth — the port and main city in the Taranaki region on the west coast.
Wanganui — a river city, bloom events and filming spot for the movie "River Queen".
Palmerston North — a city in the Manawatu-Wanganui region. It is the eighth largest urban area.
Wellington — the national capital — home of the Parliament and the Beehive. "The Windy City".
South Island:
Nelson — Sunny, with New Zealand's highest sunshine hours. Nelson is the geographic centre of the country.
Christchurch — The Garden City. Where the famous 'Wizard' lives and appears every week, by the cathedral, in the square!
Queenstown — Home to adventure sports.
Dunedin — the Edinburgh of the South. Proud of its Scots heritage, chocolate factory, and its wonderful tramping tracks within a short drive from the CDB.
Invercargill — the southernmost city.
[edit] Other destinations
Bay of Islands — North Island, nice scenery.
Kerikeri — Charming historic town in the Bay of Islands. Bring your camera.
Lake Taupo, Mount Ruapehu and Tongariro National Park.
Havelock North, a great base for exploring the Hawkes Bay wineries. and home to Te Mata peak.
Hokianga - wild, beautiful, bi-cultural
Elsthorpe - in Hawkes Bay is a beautiful country settlement
Feilding - voted New Zealand's most beautiful town 12 times in a row
Opiki - potato capital of New Zealand
Kaikoura - great for whale watching.
The West Coast of the South Island and Westland National Park
The Southern Alps stretch the length of the South Island.
Aoraki/Mount Cook — New Zealand's highest mountain.
Omarama — World famous gliding destination. Scenic alpine glider flights and pilot training
Queenstown — Adventure capital of the world… skydive, bungee-jump, thrill yourself to your hearts content.
Milford Sound and Fiordland.
[edit] Understand
It was named god's own country and 'paradise of the pacific' as far back as the early 1800s and travellers generally agree it deserves that description. Lonely Planet named New Zealand the world's top travel destination for the second year running (2003/2004), and it was voted best long-haul travel destination in the 2004 Guardian and Observer’s People’s Choice award. It has won the award in three out of the past four years. At the 2005 Condé Nast Traveller Awards, readers voted New Zealand as the best holiday destination in the world. New Zealand is also known by the Maori name of Aotearoa, which is usually translated as "(Land of the) long white cloud".
[edit] Geography
New Zealand consists of two main islands and many smaller ones in the South Pacific Ocean approximately 2000 km southeast of Australia. With a population of four million in a country about the size of the United Kingdom, many areas are sparsely settled.
Auckland, the largest city (about 1.25 million), is the largest city in Polynesia.
[edit] Settlement and history
New Zealand was the last significant land mass to be inhabited by humans, both in terms of indigenous settlement and European domination. This, combined with geological youth and geographical isolation, has led to the development of a young, vigorous nation with a well-travelled, well-educated expatriate population of 1,000,000. (1 in 4 born New Zealanders and 1 in 3 between ages 22 and 48 have left their place of Birth for more favorable locations). It also has some spectacular scenery, flora and fauna.
The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about 800 AD. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, in 1642, was the first European to see New Zealand, and his mapped coastline appeared on Dutch maps as "Nieuw Zeeland" from as early as 1645. British naval Captain James Cook rediscovered, circumnavigated and mapped the islands in 1769. A few people (mostly sealers, whalers, traders and missionaries) settled during the next 80 years and the islands were administered by the British colony in New South Wales.
In 1840, with the assistance of missionaries, the Maori agreed to accept British sovereignty over the islands through the Treaty of Waitangi. More intensive settlement began that same year. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872, coupled with political maneuvering and the spread of European diseases, broke Maori resistance to land settlement, but left lasting grievances. In recent years the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances, and this is a complicated process. In 2005, the Maori Party was formed, in part in response to the Government's law on the Foreshore and Seabed but also to promote an independent Maori perspective at a political level.
The British colony of New Zealand became a dominion in 1907. It was offered complete independence under the 1931 Statute of Westminster, although it did not adopt this until 1947. However the Constitution of Australia permits New Zealand to join as another Australian state. New Zealand supported the United Kingdom militarily in the Boer War of 1899–1902, as well as both World Wars. It also participated in wars in Malaya, Korea and Viet Nam under various military alliances, most notably the ANZUS treaty with Australia and the United States.
New Zealand's elite has strongly supported opposition to the testing and use of nuclear weapons and nuclear armed warship visits meant that the Parliament enacted anti-nuclear legislation in the mid-1980s. This led to the abandonment of their commitment to the ANZUS defence alliance. The New Zealand military continues be limite din capacity to take roles in UN- peacekeeping operations worldwide as often as its budget can bear.
[edit] Time Zones
New Zealand Standard Time is 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). New Zealand utilises daylight saving in summer. It commences at 2am on the first Sunday in October and ends at 2am on the third Sunday in March of the following year. During daylight savings time New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of GMT. The Chatham Islands have their own time zone, 45 minutes ahead.
[edit] Sports
The "national sports" in New Zealand are rugby union and netball in winter, and cricket in summer. The Super 14 season runs from February to May, and the National Provincial Championship runs later in the year. The national team, the All Blacks, generally play matches at home during June through to September, mainly in the Tri Nations.
[edit] Climate
New Zealand has a temperate climate in the south island and sub-tropical climate in the North Island and the nature of the terrain, the prevailing winds and the length of the country lead to sharp regional contrasts. Temperatures sometimes exceed 30°C and fall below 0°C only in the elevated inland regions. Generally speaking, rainfall and humidity is higher in the west than the east of the country due to the north-south orientation of the mountain ranges and the prevailing westerly/north westerly winds.
Part situated in the "Roaring Forties", unsheltered areas of the country can get a bit breezy, especially in the centre, through Cook Strait and around Wellington. The winds seem to be stronger around the equinoxes. In the winter, southerly gales can be severe but they also bring snow to the ski-fields and are usually followed by calm clear days.
Temperatures in (°C) Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
North Island 23 24 23 20 17 15 14 15 17 18 20 22
South Island 22 22 19 17 14 11 11 12 15 17 19 21
New Zealand is one of the most difficult countries in the world in which to forecast the weather. Although the weather is changeable, there is certainly more sunshine and warm temperate temperatures to enjoy in summer. It is not uncommon, especially on the South Island, to experience four seasons in one day.
New Zealand is a small country surrounded by ocean. A complicating, but often beneficial factor on the day to day weather, is the steep mountain range running down the spine of New Zealand orientated in a southwest-northeast direction. These mountains often shelter eastern parts of the country from an onslaught of westerly winds and rain.
The weather is mostly influenced by fast moving weather systems in the strong westerly winds (often referred to as the ‘roaring forties’) that predominate over southern parts of the country and seas to the south. There tends to be a seven day cycle associated with these westerlies as a cold front sweeps over the country associated with a couple of days rain, somewhere over the country. Often though these westerlies are disrupted by large high pressure systems (good!) or by storm systems (not so good!).
During the summer and early autumn months (from about December to April), the westerlies tend to move south giving more settled weather. Always be prepared for a change though. Also, during this time, random weather systems from the tropics can make their presence felt, mainly over the North Island, with a period of warm wet windy weather.
Winter weather (May to August) tends to be more changeable. Cold fronts often bring a period of rain to western areas followed by a cold wind from the south bringing snow to the mountains and sometimes to near sea level over eastern parts of the South Island. When the weather turns cold and wet in the east, to the west of the mountains it will be fantastic. At this time of the year it is not uncommon for high pressure systems (and clear skies) to park over the whole country for long periods bringing crisp frosty nights and mornings followed by cool sunny days.
In spring, from August to November, the westerly winds (on average) are at their strongest – these are called the equinoctial westerlies. It tends to rain more in western areas at this time (especially in the South Island), while in the east, warm dry winds can give great cycling weather. Once again though, a cold front and its accompanying south winds can give you a taste of winter at any stage.
A web site for up to date weather forecasts for five days in advance is at metservice or fencepost
[edit] Get in
Arrivals are by plane or occasionally by boat (typically cruise ships through Auckland).
[edit] Visas and documentation
All visitors who are not citizens of New Zealand need a passport to enter. Australian passport holders may enter New Zealand without a visa and stay as long as they wish without restrictions (including on employment). British passport holders can be granted a visa-free Visitor's Permit for up to six months on arrival. Citizens of a large number of other countries can be granted a visa-free visitor's entry for up to three months on arrival, check the list of Visa Free Countries. All these waivers, including the one for Australians, can be refused. In particular, potential visitors with criminal records or who have been refused entry to or deported from any country should check with New Zealand immigration about whether they need to apply for a visa.
Visitors from countries not in the visa-free list or those wishing to stay longer than the maximum visa-free period for their nationality, will need to apply for an appropriate visa. Check the Immigration New Zealand web page for details.
[edit] Quarantine
Because the economy is based on agriculture, importing even small quantities of most food, as well as unprocessed animal or plant materials is tightly controlled. These restrictions are designed to limit the spread of animal and plant diseases and pests. New Zealand has some very strong biosecurity laws, which are taken seriously by enforcement officials and as a game sport at border control. In addition, importation or possession of most recreational drugs, including cannabis, is illegal.
At ports of entry, both the Agriculture and Customs Services will inspect passenger baggage and confiscate and fine heavily for any prohibited items (like the New Zealand grown apple you were finishing off from on the plane). Items that must be declared include: any kind of food; any plant material; any animals, animal material or biological specimens; dirty or soiled sports gear, footwear, and used camping gear used sanitary pads or underwear not changed in the last 5 hours; and anything that may have been in contact with soil, been used on a farm or has been used with animals.
Commercially-packaged food is usually allowed through Customs. If you are unsure it is best to declare any questionable items as the immigration officers will be able to tell you if it needs to be cleaned or disposed of before entry. Instant fines of many hundreds of dollars can be issued at the pleasure of border control staff if prohibited items are not declared. Some items may be taken for sterilisation or fumigation before being released to you.
If travelling with golf clubs and shoes, make sure you clean them before your trip. It is also a good idea to remove spikes from your golf shoes.
If not declared or the quarantine section of the arrival card is not correctly completed, an instant fine of at least $200 may be freely applied. More serious breaches may result in a fine (up to $100,000) or a prison term (up to five years). Either declare items as required or dump them in the amnesty bins before you reach customs.
[edit] By plane
There are international airports at Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown. The main gateways are Auckland and Christchurch, with Auckland servicing more than 20 destinations and a dozen airlines, and direct connections from Christchurch to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Singapore, and Tokyo. All the smaller international airports service flights to Australia or the Pacific Islands only and are limited to B737 or similar size aircraft.
Due to its large third world expatriate population and Polynesian and Melanesian communities, New Zealand has more extensive direct flight options to South Pacific nations such as Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands than most other countries except big brother Australia.
Aerolineas Argentina now provides a biweekly service direct to Buenos Aires from Auckland.
[edit] Get around
[edit] By train
Both Auckland and Wellington have commuter rail services. These services are operated by Veolia in Auckland and Tranz Metro in Greater Wellington.
Inter-city rail passenger services are operated by Tranz Scenic, but have become increasingly limited due to the disfunctional services, and the focus is now on popular tourist trains and very high cost ticket tours, in particular:
The Overlander — Between Auckland and Wellington, departing each city in the morning, daily in summer, Friday-Sunday the rest of the year has been retained in the mean time but could be cancelled in the near future.[2]. The Northerner overnight service was also discontinued in November 2004.
The Capital Connection — Commuter service leaves from Palmerston North to Wellington in the morning, returning in the evening.
The TranzCoastal — From Christchurch to Picton (via Kaikoura) and return daily. Travels along the rugged north-east coast of the South Island. Meets the Picton-Wellington ferry.
The TranzAlpine — From Christchurch to Greymouth and return daily. Classed as one of the world's great train journeys, this trip crosses the South Island, passing through spectacular mountain scenery, some of which is inaccessible by road, as well as the 12 km Otira tunnel. Many visitors disembark at Arthur's Pass National Park and spend four hours exploring the mountains before catching the return train.
Trains run at low speed, sometimes dropping to 50 km/h in the summer due to the narrow gauge and lack of track maintenance following privatisation in the 1980s. Most New Zealanders prefer to drive or fly, as train fares are comparatively expensive.
[edit] By air
Departure Fee
Before leaving New Zealand any passenger over the age of 12 on any flight is required to pay NZ$22 – NZ$25 at the airport. This fee can be paid by credit card.
Domestic flights in New Zealand are quite reasonably priced, and are often cheaper than driving or taking the train, especially if crossing between the North and South Islands is required.
Most airlines operate an electronic ticket system. You can book on-line via the internet (cheapest), or by telephone or through a travel agent (more expensive). Pay using a credit card and just turn up on the day (with the card and photographic ID to prove who you are) and fly. However, you should also bring a copy of your itinerary to serve as proof of your planned departure for the purposes of securing a travel visa.
Check-in times are usually 30 minutes prior to flight departure. Cabin baggage and personal scanning are routinely conducted for jet services.
Air New Zealand, [3]. Has the most extensive domestic network, serving most cities over 20,000 people, with jet services between main centres and smaller aircraft elsewhere. Free baggage allowance is 20 kg, with 5 kg carry-on.
Qantas, [4]. Operated by Jetconnect and flies on the main trunk and principal tourist routes (Auckland–Rotorua–Wellington–Christchurch–Queenstown)
Freedom Air, [5]. No longer offer NZ domestic services, operating international flights to Australia and Fiji only.
Only Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington have timetabled public transport in the form of buses. Regional airports generally have only on-demand shuttle services and taxis.
[edit] By car
Driving around both the main islands by car is generally not a problem. You can reach almost anywhere you might need to in a two-wheel-drive car or even a small camper van. You do not need four-wheel drive to reach the best places. The volume of traffic is normally low and drivers are usually fairly courteous. Within the cities, traffic density is higher and some confusion may set in, given that many drivers are used to the open roads.
If you are looking to discover New Zealand on your own, but do not wish to have the hassle of renting a car and pre-booking your accommodation, then a Self Drive New Zealand Tour is for you.
New Zealand car rental firms range from the familiar multi-national big brands through to small local car rental firms. The advantage of the big name rental firms is they can be found throughout New Zealand and offer the biggest and newest range of rental vehicles. The disadvantage is that generally they are the most expensive. Occasionally rental firms offer free rental in the direction from south to north due to the majority of tourists travelling in the opposite direction, creating a deficit of cars in the north.
At the other end of the scale are the small local operators who typically have older rental cars. Whilst you may not end up driving this year's latest model the advantage is that the smaller car rental firms can be substantially cheaper, so leaving you more money to spend on the many exciting attractions New Zealand offers. Between these extremes you will find a wide range of NZ car rental firms catering to different needs and budgets.
If you want to have a low cost holiday greater than about 2 weeks in New Zealand, and you would prefer to have your own transport then the best solution is to buy your own car/van. Upon arriving in the country, you would purchase a low cost vehicle which you sell just before leaving.
The following things need to be checked in order to safely purchase a vehicle in New Zealand:
there is no debt on the vehicle. In NZ, if a loan of money is used to purchase a vehicle, then the debt is associated with that vehicle even if it is sold, in which case the new owner then has the problem of the debt. Selling a vehicle with debt associated with it in NZ is illegal. Checking for debt is an easy process as a central register is kept.
the vehicle has not been stolen. Contact the police with the registration plate and VIN (vehicle identification number).
legally, the vehicle must have a Warrant of Fitness valid for at least 30 days. The expiry date will be written on the inside of the car window sticker.
the Registration expiration date is not in the past. This label is usually on the left side of the car window.
the vehicle needs a physical check for faults, there are companies in main centres that provide this service.
Car insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand but is recommended.
See also: Driving in New Zealand and Renting a motorhome in New Zealand.
[edit] By bus
Buses are a cheap way to get around the country. InterCity Coachelines is New Zealand’s national coach company with services connecting over 600 destinations nationwide. It’s sister company Newmans coaches provides premium tourist point to point travel and daily sightseeing tours to all major tourist destinations in both North and South Islands such as the Bay of Islands, Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Mt Cook, Milford Sound and the West coast Glaciers of Foxand Franz Josef Glaciers. InterCity also offer the New Zealand’s most versatile transport called Flexi-Pass. Flexi-Pass. is sold in blocks of time, just like a prepaid phone card, and enables the holder to travel anywhere on the company’s vast networks. Passes start at 15hrs, which is enough o travel from Auckland to Wellington in the North Island. Flexi-Pass hours can also be used to travel on the Interislander ferry and on Kings Dolphin Cruises to Cape Brett and the famous “Hole in the Rock”. In the South Island there are a number of small bus companies like Atomic Shuttles who operate a no frills shuttle service. Most roads in New Zealand are quite narrow and winding, and travelling a long distance in a bus can be a safe and relaxing way to travel.
"KiwiExperience Backpacker Bus", Stray Travel and "The Magic Bus" offer bus trips around New Zealand where you can get on and off as you please.
Naked Bus is a new low-cost bus service, providing point-to-point services. It started its operations in October 2006. You may, if you’re very very lucky, be able to find $1 advance tickets at www.nakedbus.com.
[edit] By coach
New Zealand Escorted Coach Tours One of the most popular ways to tour NZ, escorted tours are designed for travellers who want a no-hassle holiday with everything catered for including the value and security of pre-booked hotels, sightseeing activities and the services of an experienced tour guide or coach captain that travels with you.
New Zealand Independent Coach Tours These unescorted multiday coach tours are designed for travellers who want the value and security of pre-booked hotels and sightseeing activities, but prefer more independent time with the option to add extra days or activities to suit their requirements.
New Zealand Small Group Coach ToursDont fancy travelling in a big coach? Well here is another option. You still get a no-hassle holiday with everything catered for, including pre-booked accomodation & sightseeing activities. However by paying a little more, you get to travel in a smaller coach, and you get a more personal service and a more interactive environment with your fellow travellers.
For special interest groups an alternative to scheduled coach tours is chartering a bus for their exclusive use. This allows full itinerary flexibility and is usually cheaper than 'seat in coach' bookings. Coach charters include the a driver but accommodation and entrance fees to attractions are not included. New Zealand bus charter operators range from budget, such as BusNZ, through to luxury operators.
[edit] By boat
To get your car between the North and South Islands you will need to take a ferry across Cook Strait. There are several sailings daily between Wellington and Picton. But be prepared for a delay or a change in sailings if the weather is stormy.
Harbour ferries, for commuters, operate in Auckland and Wellington. A number of communities are served by boat, rather than road, while charter boats are available for expeditions in several places. There are regular sightseeing cruises in several tourist destinations, particularly in the Southern Lakes and Fiordland area.
For thrills, there is the New Zealand-designed jet boat. You can even travel on the very rivers that inspired this craft.
[edit] By bike
You can bring your own bike, as well as hire a bike in some of the larger cities. You must wear a helmet while riding, otherwise you may be fined. When hiring a bike you should be supplied with a helmet. Also remember to ride on the left.
Riding bikes in New Zealand can be fun, but be aware of (tourist) buses and trucks on main highways as overtaking distances can be slim. You should also be prepared for the large distances between towns and cities and the generally windy weather. While some areas of New Zealand are flat, most tourists cycling in New Zealand will find that they need to be able to cope with long periods of cycling up hills, especially in the Coromandel.
Being a temperate coastal climate, the weather is changeable and it is recommended that cyclists have all options covered. It is often said that in New Zealand you can get four seasons in one day, particularly in the high country (or Middle Earth as it is known to those who are familiar with the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies). Due to ozone depletion above NZ and Australia, burn times in the summer are often shorter relative to elsewhere in the world, and a factor 15 or greater sunscreen is essential to avoid the discomfort (and danger) of sunburn.
Flying with your bike can be expensive and problematic with limiting weight restrictions and many cyclist choose to get a bike on their arrival to New Zealand. This offers the additional benefit of not being stuck with a bike when you take on other activities, such as walking, and saves the tricky job of repacking for flights. Christchurch has the largest number of guided and self-guided tour operators and there are a number of bike rental companies based there also.
[edit] By thumb
Hitchhiking around New Zealand is generally possible on most inter-city and major rural roads. It is illegal to hitchhike on motorways and illegal for motorists to stop there to pick you up. Try to get out of the middle of town, especially where public transport operates. Wear your pack and look like you're touring the country rather than just being a local looking for a lift. You have as much chance of being picked up by another tourist as a local, particularly in tourist areas. Alternatives for travellers include organising shared rides through hostels, or using an online ridesharing resource like Hitch New Zealand.
[edit] Tour operators
AdventureSmith New Zealand Travel. A United States based tour operator specializing in active ecotours to New Zealand. Trips are geared toward active travelers and nature enthusiasts. Trips include upscale accommodations, guides, transportation, food and national park entrance fees. Tours from 5 to 21 days. Costs begin at $1599 per person.
New Zealand Tours. Relaxing Journeys is a New Zealand based tour operator showcasing an extensive range of NZ tours, including small group guided tours, independent and escorted coach tours, self drive tours and sightseeing day trips throughout New Zealand.
Potiki Adventures. is an Auckland Based, Maori owned tour company. They offer small group Auckland day trips that introduce you to contemporary Maori culture, sites of historical significance and beautiful bush and beach landscapes. They have two tours - Urban Maori Experience (sightseeing) and Marine Reserve Adventure (snorkeling and kayaking). They also do exclusive tours on request.
Acrossnz.com is a New Zealand based online travel agent. Acrossnz is able to organise every aspect in planning your New Zealand vacation, complete with hotel bookings, car rentals, air/rail bookings, activities transfers plus provide you with an itinerary that suits your personal requirements.
NZ Holiday Book [6] (Phone: +64 9 529 4796, Phone Tollfree: (within NZ) 0800 54 55 56, Fax: +64 9 524 8248, Email: res@nzholidaybook.com) A range of tours of New Zealand with choice of travelling by rental car or coach.
Creative Tourism offers a variety of hands-on cultural workshops in Maori Culture, Art, Taste or Nature.
[edit] See
Just like the movies
Many movies and television series have been filmed in New Zealand. Some of the more notable examples are listed below:
Goodbye Pork Pie (1981) - road trip between Kaitaia in the far north to Invercargill in the deep south
River Queen (2006) — Wanganui
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–03) — numerous locations throughout the country
Whale Rider (2003) — the North Island's East Coast
The Last Samurai (2003) — Taranaki
Once Were Warriors (1994) - Auckland
The Piano (1993) — west coast of the Auckland region
The Quiet Earth (1987) — Waikato University - Hamilton, Warkworth Transmitter Station
Xena television series — west Auckland region
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) — alpine grassland and glaciers around Flock Hill Station in the Southern Alps near Christchurch, and other places.
King Kong (2005) — Wellington
The World's Fastest Indian (2005) - Invercargill
New Zealand scenery has long been a major tourist attraction, so spectacular it leaves many lost for words. You need to see it to understand, just describing it is not enough. Mind you, if you have seen some recent movies that were made in New Zealand, you probably have seen it and not realised. Those spectacular landscapes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy are based on New Zealand scenery. Sure they were computer enhanced, but only in places, and the real scenery is still there to be visited. Selected highlights are:
Fiordland and Milford Sound — they built the road here, including a tunnel under the mountains, just for the tourists.
Queenstown on the shores of Lake Wakatipu and with the other Southern Lakes in easy reach.
Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers — in the Westland region.
Mount Cook — New Zealand's highest mountain, in the heart of the Southern Alps.
The Canterbury plains.
Mount Ruapehu and Lake Taupo — volcanoes with lakes in them.
White Island, one of New Zealand's more active volcanoes.
Bay of Islands, where the Waitangi treaty house can be found and the place where New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed. The copies are now held by the Archives New Zealand in Wellington.
Ninety Mile Beach
[edit] Itineraries
Nine days in New Zealand's North Island
Nine days in New Zealand's South Island
Two weeks in New Zealand's South Island
Eighteen Day Small Group Tour Covering Both Islands
[edit] Do
Outdoor and adventure activities include:
Abseiling Waitomo
Aerial sightseeing (helicopter and fixed-wing)
Base jumping (Cable-controlled) [Skytower in Auckland]
Birdwatching
Black water rafting (cave rafting)
Boat Tours
Bungy jumping Queenstown, Auckland, Lake Taupo — the modern bungy jump was invented here by New Zealander A.J. Hackett.
Canoeing and kayaking on rivers and lakes
Canyoning
Caving Waitomo, Nelson, South Island West Coast, Te Anau
Climbing
Creative Tourism: Nelson. Christchurch and Waikato: Interactive workshops in Art, Maori Culture, Taste or Nature
Cycle touring
Diving
Fishing — trout (some of the finest trout-fishing in the world), salmon, marlin, broadbill, sharks and many other salt-water species
Fly by wire (invented here)
Four-wheel driving
Gliding — Omarama is one of the best places in the world for gliding
Golf - see the Golf in New Zealand article.
Hang-gliding
Heli-hiking at Fox Glacier
Hiking — New Zealand has a number of national parks and other wilderness and forested areas, much of which is managed by the Department of Conservation. The activity known in other countries as hiking, trekking or bushwalking is known as tramping in New Zealand and is a very popular activity for visitors and locals.
Horse trekking
Hot-air ballooning
Hunting — several species of deer, wild pig (wild boar), tahr, chamois, goat, wallabies (they are protected in Australia but a pest here), gamebirds
Ice-climbing
Jetskiing
Kite surfing
Luge (on concrete not ice) Queenstown, Rotorua.
Mountaineering — this was the training ground for Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two people to climb Mt Everest.
Mountain biking
Museums http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/
Nature tours
Paragliding
Parapenting
Quad biking
Rafting
Rap jumping
River jetboating — the Hamilton jet was invented by New Zealander William Hamilton.
Rockclimbing
Sailing — New Zealand has produced many world-champion yachties and is the only country apart from the US to have won and successfully defended yachting's ultimate prize, the America's Cup.
Scuba diving and snorkelling, especially down to the sunken Rainbow Warrior at Matauri Bay, not far from Kerikeri.
Sea kayaking [Abel Tasman Marine Reserve]
Shark cage diving Kaikoura
Skiing and snowboarding including heli-skiing Queenstown
Skydiving
Surfing
Swimming with dolphins Kaikoura, Bay of Islands
Swimming with seals
Whale watching Kaikoura
White water rafting Fox Glacier
White water sledging / dam dropping
Windsurfing
Zorbing (invented here) Agrodome in Rotorua
Zoos
There is more, but we are exhausted just thinking about it.
[edit] Talk
English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language are the official languages of New Zealand. English is universal, and is written with Commonwealth ("British") spelling, but being a liberal land, American spelling is also accepted. New Zealand English is one of the major varieties of English and is different enough from other forms to justify being classed as a separate dialect, as represented by the publication of the Oxford New Zealand English dictionary. A (seldom-used) expression for New Zealand English is Newzild. Word usage may also differ occasionally, in potentially embarrassing ways for the traveller. Several words that some other English speaking cultures may consider offensive, or have euphemisms for, are considered acceptable usage. For example: A New Zealand bathroom refers to a room containing a bath while the other facilities that an American might refer to as a bathroom or washroom are known as a toilet. The American habit of "bleeping" swear words from broadcasts is considered quaint and rarely done in local programming. The New Zealand broadcasting media are unusually tolerant of swear words when used in context.
The New Zealand accent is somewhat nasalised with flattened vowel sounds and vowel shifting. New Zealanders consider their accent to be markedly different from the Australian one and are often mildly offended when mistaken for or confused with Australians. New Zealand terminology and slang are also markedly different from Australian language. Americans find New Zealand accents easy to understand, so do Australians. English and European dialects find it slightly harder and Asians may find it rather hard to understand, New Zealanders are quite happy however to repeat what they just said if necessary.
Maori is actively spoken by a minority of both Maori and language learners. Maori is available as a language to study in, instead of English, at many educational institutes. The Maori language is spoken by some, but not all, Maori and a few non-Maori. Many place names are in Maori and for the traveller some knowledge of Maori pronunciation is very useful.
New Zealand Sign language was given status in 2005 as an official language of the country.
See also: Maori phrasebook
[edit] Common expressions
Generally, New Zealand English expressions follows British English. However, New Zealand English has also borrowed much from Maori and there are a number of other phrases that are not commonly encountered elsewhere or may confuse the visitor.
Bach (pron. "batch") — Holiday home (often by the beach and comprising of fairly basic accommodation). In the South Island often called a crib.
Bring a plate — means each attendant of the event should bring a plate of food to share with the other guests.
BYO — Bring Your Own. An addition to the name of a restaurant that has not (or more likely had not) a liquor licence. Means that it is perfectly okay to bring your own wine to enjoy with your food, but they often charge a small corkage fee.
Bugger — Long a common expletive, it gained a certain legitimacy and/or notoriety when used in an amusing and award-winning prime-time TV ad (for Toyota). Used by politicians, on the back of cars, used by many people. Means "Oh bother". Mildly impolite and may offend a few people, however very acceptable in casual conversations.
Dairy — Convenience store; corner shop, one few outsiders understand though heavily used by locals and find problems when travelling overseas and are surprised when asking where the dairy is.
Entry by gold (or silver) coin (donation) — The admission charge to an event, exhibit, gallery or museum is by making a payment of a coin in the appropriate metal, often in the donation box at the door. The gold coins in NZ are the $1 and $2 coins, while silver are the 20c and 50c coins, and the 10c coin is copper. (See also "Koha" below).
Ladies a plate — At social functions, such as meetings, attendees are expected to bring a plate carrying ready-to-eat food. Typically the food is home baking by a member of each attending family or couple, not necessarily a "lady".
Clayton's — Describing something as a Clayton's means that the item lacks full functionality or is a poor imitation of the real thing. From the name of the (unsuccessful) non-alcoholic whisky that was briefly marketed during the late 1970s/early 1980s under the catch phrase The drink you're having when you are not having a drink.
Glidetime — Flexible working hours (or flexitime), often worked by public servants. Under this system, workers can start and finish work at hours of their choosing between 7 am and 6 pm, although they must work the core hours of 9.30 am to noon and 2 pm to 3.30 pm and average 40 hours per week. Also the name of a comedy play about such workers.
Public servants — People employed by central government organisations, or enterprises owned by the country's government.
Social welfare — State operated organisations responsible for child protection services, income assistance and work placement for the unemployed.
Beneficiary — A person of working age who is receiving state welfare assistance payments known as income support or a benefit.
Pensioner — Retired person, a superannuitant, or a former soldier receiving a war pension.
Superannuitants — Retired people in receipt of a state retirement pension known as New Zealand Superannuation. This payment is paid to all citizens over 65 years old.
[edit] Slang expressions
Sweet as! — Cool, good thing, No problem.
Good as gold! — "It's good, No problem."
No Worries! — "No problem."
Choice! — Cool, great.
Tea — Dinner.
Eh? — "Isn't it?" Often ends a North Islander's sentence without any specific meaning.
Cool bananas! — "It's good."
Bro — Short for brother but used by males to address other males.
Mate — "Friend" – Used to address another person
No Worries — "All is good, no harm done"
Average — Not of a good standard / lacking excitement eg. "That rugby game was really average."
[edit] Maori words and expressions
Hui — A meeting or gathering to discuss and debate issues in traditional Maori fashion.
Iwi — A Maori tribe or people, sometimes known as a Waka (canoe), as many iwi are named after the ocean going canoes that brought their ancestors to New Zealand.
Kiwi - Slang for a New Zealander themself and also for the New Zealand dollar, named after an endangered flightless bird. New Zealanders can be offended when used to describe kiwi-fruit.
Koha — A Maori term for gifts or donations. Often an exchange of gifts takes place. (Sometimes the admission signs say, "Entry Koha", meaning gold coin or what you feel like donating.)
Kai — Food. Common with both Maori and European.
Marae — A traditional Maori meeting or gathering place. Also a community centre.
Pakeha — The Maori word for European New Zealanders, generally thought to have arisen from a Maori story about white creatures called 'pakepakeha'. Some European New Zealanders do not refer to themselves as Pakeha, while others see the name as part of their unique identity. Many liberal whites will even call themselves Pakeha to distinguish them from Europeans as whites in New Zealand are referred to as Europeans but are usually of fourth or fifth generation New Zealander.
Powhiri — A Maori ceremonial welcome. Especially to a marae, but now also may take place at the start of a conference or similar large meeting in New Zealand.
Whanau — A Maori (extended) family. Kinfolk.
Wharenui — The meeting house (literally big house) on a marae. Used often in advertising to alliterate with friends such as 'freinds and whanau'.
Wharekai — The dining room and/or kitchen (literally food house) on a marae