Overview
New Zealand is a small country, close to the UK or Japan, with a population of just four million, so it doesn’t feel crowded. New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere, so for Chinese tourists, a trip to a sunny, pleasant climate in the middle of winter in December is a different experience.
Natural Treasures – Mount Cook National Park
Lupin flowers
Climate
Most of New Zealand has a temperate climate. The far north has a subtropical climate in summer, while the high country of the South Island’s interior can experience winter temperatures as low as -10°C. Most of New Zealand is close to the coast, so the climate is mild. The further south you go, the colder the average temperature becomes.
Natural wonders – [West Coast Glacier
Glacial wonders
Terrain and geology
In addition to majestic glaciers, magnificent fjords, jagged peaks and vast plains, there are also high and low mountains, tropical jungles, volcanic highlands and miles of golden and silver sandy beaches – all in New Zealand. No wonder it is becoming increasingly popular with film-makers.
Situated in the south-west corner of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand contains two main islands, North Island and South Island, with Stewart Island and many smaller islands dotted around the waters.
The central part of New Zealand’s North Island has a long mountain range that runs like a spine across the island, separating vast areas of farmland on either side. The most prominent formation in the central North Island is the Volcanic Plateau, a volcanic and geothermally active plateau. The South Island also has a ridge, the Southern Alps, which looks out over Otago and the vast rolling farmland of the eastern part of the island, as well as the flat Canterbury Plains.
The Pure Land of Man – [Geological Wonders
Cave exploration
Currency
The New Zealand dollar (NZ$) is the unit of currency in New Zealand. Coins come in denominations of 10c, 20c, 50c, $1 and $2 and banknotes in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. The New Zealand dollar is currently an internationally accepted currency and can be exchanged at banks, airports and other currency exchange offices. The recent continued depreciation of the New Zealand dollar has also significantly reduced the cost of travelling to New Zealand for visitors, with the New Zealand dollar now falling below 1:4 to the Chinese yuan.
Kaikoura, a seaside town
Kaikoura
Travel Season
New Zealand’s peak travel season is from November to March each year, coinciding with the summer months. During this period it can be a time when locals and tourists run out of bookings for accommodation and activities.
Skiing is popular in New Zealand and the season generally runs from the end of May to mid-October (depending on weather conditions).
New Zealand’s most popular and famous trail, the Milford Track, usually needs to be booked a year in advance, and bookings for summer trips are particularly strong. It is recommended that you book this walk as early as possible by confirming your departure date from Te Anau.
The beauty of the highlands – Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo at night
Jet lag
New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to start a new day, twelve hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. New Zealand uses Daylight Saving Time in summer, which is 13 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight saving time starts on the first Sunday in October and ends on the first Sunday in April, adjusting back to twelve hours ahead of GMT.
Hobbiton House – [Matamata
Hobbiton
New Zealanders
With its mix of indigenous Maori, European, Pacific Island and Asian history and culture, New Zealand is a melting pot of the world’s diverse peoples – but there is no shortage of shared characteristics that make this island nation unique in the world.
Today New Zealand has a population of 4.4 million people (collectively known as New Zealanders), of which approximately 69% are of European descent, 14.6% are indigenous Māori, 9.2% are Asian and 6.9% are non-Māori Pacific Islanders.
Geographically, over three quarters of the population live in the North Island, with a third of the country’s population living in Auckland. The rest of the population is concentrated in several other major cities such as Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton.
Queenstown – the Mecca of extreme sports
Queenstown Bungee Jumping
Animals and Plants
Since New Zealand’s separation from the supercontinent, a number of unique flora and fauna have evolved, making for an interesting mix of plant and animal species growing in the land.
New Zealand’s abundant rainfall and sunshine provide favourable conditions for a lush and diverse flora – 80% of the plants are native species.
Before human settlement, New Zealand was an extraordinarily lively and bustling place! The vast, dense bush was home to many rare and exotic bird species. In the course of evolution, the lack of natural predators to fly away from made wings a dispensable tool for some birds. As a result, some of New Zealand’s native birds have lost their ability to fly, including the lord parrot, kiwi, southern lapwing and the world’s largest bird, the dingo (now extinct).
New Zealand is rich in marine life and whale watching and swimming with dolphins is one of the most recommended experiences. The small Hector’s dolphin, found only in New Zealand waters, is one of the rarest dolphins in the world. In New Zealand’s rich marine environment, seals, penguins and a variety of fish and shellfish thrive.
