About NZ

New Zealand is located in the South Pacific, (ca. 2000 km east of Australia, and 19 000 km from Europe). By plane, Auckland is about 3 hours away from Sydney, 14 hours from San Francisco and almost 24 hours from London, Paris, Amsterdam or other places in Europe.

Population

New Zealand’s Capital is Wellington, with a population of 360 000 people. The biggest city is Auckland with more than 1 200 000 people. More than 12% of them are originally from the Pacific Islands, which makes Auckland the biggest Polynesian city in the world. The total population of NZ went up to 4.14 million in July 2006 (census).

The majority (Caucasians with origins in Europe) are called “Pakehas” in Maori. They make up around 80% of the population. While Maoris (the original inhabitants of NZ) represent, nowadays, approx. 15% of the population.

Geography

New Zealand’s size is comparable to Japan or Great Britain. The Country consists of two main islands:
The North Island where 75% of the population live and the South Island, more rural. Stewart Island in the very South is the closest place on earth you can live to the Antarctica.

New Zealand offers amazing beauty and sights throughout. Stunning mountains, tropical rain forests, wide open plains, turquoise crystal lakes, green wide pastures, deserts and last but not least, breathtaking coastlines and bays. Regardless where you are in New Zealand, you will be mesmerized by its natural beauty.

Nature

With vast open spaces filled with stunning rugged landscapes, gorgeous beaches, often spectacular geothermal and volcanic activity, a temperate climate and fascinating animal and plant life, and it is no surprise that New Zealand’s pure natural environment is so attractive to visitors from other countries. And the great advantage of New Zealand is there are many different landscapes, environments, and ecosystems so close to each other

New Zealand's Fauna - Unique and Wonderful

About 80-100 million years ago, New Zealand drifted away from the massive super continent of Gondwanaland into the South Pacific. Since then, a unique flora and fauna has evolved, with a large number of beautiful native birds and plants, as well as direct descendants of prehistoric wildlife, including the tuatara, weta, and giant snail. As Time magazine said, New Zealand is an ‘ultimate storehouse for discontinued zoological models’.

Bird Life Rules

Before humans settled in New Zealand, it would have been an extremely noisy place! Large tracts of lush native bush supported an incredible variety of bird life. As they evolved, wings became unnecessary for some birds, as they had no natural predators to fly away from. As a result, several of New Zealand’s native birds became flightless, including the kakapo parrot, the kiwi, the takahe, and the world’s largest bird, the (now extinct) moa.

Unnatural Predators

As Maori and Europeans settled New Zealand, they hunted birds and brought predators including rats and stoats. This, and loss of habitat, led to the extinction of a number of birds including the moa and huia. Others, such as the kakapo and takahe, become endangered.

Kiwi

Fast Fact: Kiwi lays large eggs — about 20 percent of their body weight!

New Zealand’s national symbol is a nocturnal flightless bird with nostrils on the end of its large beak. It is now endangered, and difficult to see in the wild. However, there are a number of ‘kiwi houses’ at zoos and wildlife parks. While they may look cute, kiwi can be fierce and highly territorial.

Moa

New Zealand’s moa was the only wingless bird ever known. The giant moa, one of eleven species of moa, was also the tallest known, standing up to 3 metres (9 feet). Many moa bones and skeletons have been found in small caves which the hapless moa fell into. Maori hunted moa, and it is believed the birds became extinct around 400 years ago.

Other Birds

Other well-known New Zealand native birds include the kea (native parrot), weka, takahe, tui, and morepork owl. The playful kea is one of the most intelligent birds in the world and will happily attack a car in order to steal a windscreen wiper or other bits of rubber! The loveable weka is a flightless bird with a penchant for shiny objects, while the takahe has a beautiful indigo plumage and bright red beak. The takahe was believed to be extinct until it was sensationally ‘rediscovered’ in 1948 by New Zealand ornithologist Dr G.B. Orbell. Like many of New Zealand’s native birds, the tui has a beautiful song, and a white ‘parson’s collar’. The morepork owl is so named because of the sound of its call, often heard at night. Its Maori name, ruru, is also named after its call.

A reptile with links to the dinosaur, the native tuatara is found mainly on islands around New Zealand’s.

Whales and Dolphins

New Zealand has abundant and diverse marine life, and whale watching and swimming with dolphins are two of New Zealand’s most highly recommended tourist experiences. The small (up to 1.4m) Hector’s dolphin is the world’s rarest dolphin and only found in New Zealand waters. There are a number of spots in the South Island where you can see Hector’s dolphins close up.

New Zealand's Flora - Lush and Diverse

New Zealand’s high rainfall and many sunshine hours give the country a lush and diverse flora — with 80 percent of the trees, ferns, and flowering plants being native. From the kauri forests of the far north to the mountain beech forests and alpine tussock of the Southern Alps, you’ll find fascinating plants and trees in every region. You’ll be awed by the majestic evergreen native forests that include rimu, totara, many varieties of beech, and the largest native tree of them all, the giant kauri. Underneath the trees you’ll find a dense and luxurious undergrowth including countless native shrubs, a variety of ferns, and many mosses and lichens.

Splashes of Colour

The yellow flowers of the kowhai tree are some of the prettiest you’ll ever see, and if you visit the North Island, you won’t be far from the beautiful pohutukawa tree. Its bright red flowers bloom in December, giving it the title of New Zealand’s Christmas tree.

National Parks

Over 20 percent of New Zealand is covered in national parks, forest areas and reserves. Our 14 national parks contain an incredible variety of unspoiled landscape and vegetation. Administered and maintained by the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai, these parks provide opportunity for a wide variety of activities including hiking, mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, kayaking and trout fishing. Most national parks have excellent hiking tracks and camping facilities, including nearly 1000 huts throughout the country. You’ll also find information centres at these parks, and helpful signage along the tracks.

World Heritage Areas

The New Zealand mainland has two World Heritage Areas - Tongariro in the Central North Island and Te Wahipounamu in the south-west of the South Island. Te Wahipounamu is made up of four national parks - Westland/Tai Poutini, Mount Aspiring, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Fiordland. The area also contains the Milford and Routeburn tracks, two of New Zealand’s most spectacular walks, as well as Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, and spectacular glaciers. Tongariro is situated on the North Island’s volcanic plateau, and contains the active volcanoes Mount Tongariro, Ruapehu, and the cone-shaped Ngauruhoe. The area is of special cultural significance to Maori, and also contains Lake Taupo, New Zealand’s largest lake.

Eco Tourism & Leisure

The tourism industry in New Zealand has almost overtaken the dairy industry as first national income. The number of visitors coming to NZ increases every year by roughly 10%. Fascinated by the unspoiled nature of Zealand, visitors from all over the world come to see this beautiful country, enjoy outdoor activities such as jet boating and bungee jumping (both sports were invented here) hunting, fishing and shooting are also very popular. Skiing is a favorite in the mountain areas of the North and South Island, as well as tracking and climbing. The MILFORD TRACK is known worldwide for its breathtaking views. It is an amazing three day walk from Lake TE ANAU to MILFORD SOUND. Along the way you will see some of the most picturesque and majestic landscapes in the world.

Many New Zealanders change their profession on the weekend and become yacht captains. This country has hundreds of yacht-clubs and thousands of register yachts. NZ also has the highest density of golf courses in relation to the number of people. More than 400 courses invite the golfers from all over the world. Rugby is New Zealand most popular sport. If the “All Blacks” the national team have a game, NZ stands completely behind them. 550 Rugby clubs and 150 000 registered rugby players speak for themselves. The women’s Team, the “Black Fern” was world champion in 2006.

Climate

The climate reflects the geographical location as well as its topography. Due to the latitude and the surrounding oceans, the climate is very moderate - not too hot in the summer nor too cold in the winter. In fact, most houses here have neither air conditioning nor heating. The weather in New Zealand may change frequently and quickly.

Our coldest month is July, and our warmest is in January; our seasons opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. January is the hottest month, with average temperatures around 26°C in the north and 19°C in the south. July is the coldest month with average temperatures between 15°C and 10°C during the day. The climate is fairly mild, without the extremes experienced in many other countries. In fact, New Zealand doesn't tend to have temperatures over 35C (100F) or under -10C (14F). It tends to snow only in the mountains in the North Island, and mainly in the Southern Alps in the South Island, although it has been known to snow on some of the cities on the East Coast of the South Island from time to time.

Land of the Long White Cloud

Since the Maori people named New Zealand ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’, climate has been of paramount importance to the people of New Zealand — many of whom make their living from the land. New Zealand has mild temperatures, moderately high rainfall, and many hours of sunshine throughout most of the country. Its climate is dominated by two main geographical features — the mountains and the sea.

Temperature

New Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far north has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as —10°C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.

Because New Zealand lies in the Southern Hemisphere, the average temperature decreases as you travel south. The far north of the country has an average temperature of about 15°C, while the deep south has a cooler 9° C average. January and February are the warmest months of the year, and July is the coldest.

Four Seasons in One Day

New Zealand does not have a large temperature range, lacking the extremes one finds in most continental climates. However, the weather can change unexpectedly — as cold fronts or tropical cyclones quickly blow in. Because of this, you should be prepared for sudden changes in weather and temperature if you’re going hiking or doing other outdoor activities.

Hello Sunshine

Most places in New Zealand receive over 2000 hours of sunshine a year, with the sunniest areas — Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Nelson/Marlborough — receiving over 2350 hours. As New Zealand observes daylight saving, during summer months daylight can last up until 9.00pm. New Zealand experiences relatively little air pollution compared to many other countries, which makes the UV rays in our sunlight very strong during the summer months. In order to avoid sunburn, visitors should wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats when they are in direct summer sunlight, especially in the heat of the day (11am — 4pm). While summer is sunnier than the other seasons, most regions in New Zealand have a relatively high proportion of sunlight during the winter months.

Fast Fact: The highest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was 42°C, in Marlborough, Christchurch, and Rangiora (in Canterbury). The lowest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was —22°C at Ophir, Central Otago.

Rainfall

New Zealand’s average rainfall is high — between 640mm and 1500mm — and evenly spread throughout the year. As well as producing areas of stunning native forest, this high rainfall makes New Zealand an ideal place for farming and horticulture.

Summer

New Zealand’s summer months are December to February, bringing high temperatures and sunshine. Days are long and sunny, nights are mild. Summer is an excellent time for walking in the bush and a variety of other outdoor activities. New Zealand’s many gorgeous beaches are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, boating, and water sports during summer.

Autumn

March to May are New Zealand’s autumn months. While temperatures are a little cooler than summer, the weather can be excellent, and it is possible to swim in some places until April. While New Zealand’s native flora is evergreen, there are many introduced deciduous trees. Colourful changing leaves make autumn a scenic delight, especially in regions such as Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay, which are known for their autumn splendour.

Winter

New Zealand’s winter months of June to August bring colder weather to much of the country, and more rain to most areas in the North Island. Mountain ranges in both islands become snow-covered, providing beautiful vistas and excellent skiing. While the South Island has cooler winter temperatures, some areas of the island experience little rainfall in winter, so this is an excellent time to visit glaciers, mountains, and other areas of scenic beauty.

Spring

Spring lasts from September to November, and New Zealand’s spring weather can range from cold and frosty to warm and hot. During spring buds, blossoms, and other new growth bursts forth throughout the country and new born lambs frolic in the fields just before dusk.. Both Alexandra in Central Otago and Hastings in Hawke’s Bay celebrate spring with a blossom festival. If you’re into white water rafting, this is the time when melting spring snow makes river water levels excitingly high!

Maximum & Minimum Temperatures

City	Maximum		Minimum
	Celsius	Farenheit	Celsius	Farenheit
Kaitaia	24	78	8	46
Whangarei	25	80	7	44
Auckland	23	76	8	46
Tauranga	24	78	5	40
Hamilton	24	78	3	36
Gisborne	25	80	4	38
Napier	24	78	5	40
New Plymouth	21	72	5	40
Palmerston North	22	74	4	38
Wellington	20	70	6	44
Nelson	22	74	1	32
Blenheim	24	78	2	34
Hokitika	19	68	3	36
Mt Cook	19	68	-2	28
Christchurch	22	74	1	32
Timaru	21	72	1	32
Milford Sound	18	66	1	32
Alexandra	23	76	-2	28
Dunedin	19	68	3	36
Invercargill	18	66	1	32

These figures represent average mid-summer and mid-winter temperatures

 

What do I wear?

One of the most common questions asked before planning a trip is, naturally, what should I bring to wear?! We've put together this small guide to help your planning:

Region	Summer (Dec-Feb)	Autumn (Mar-May)	Winter (Jun-Aug)	Spring (Sep-Nov)
Around Auckland	sunscreen, beachwear, sandals, mosquito repellent, light cover	Rain jacket, at least one warm jersey/sweater	lots of pullovers/sweaters, warm coat, rainwear	cardigan/sweater, umbrella
Around Wellington	sunscreen, hat, light clothes	rainwear, light sweater, light coat	rainwear, warm coat, gloves, fairly warm sweaters	rainwear (don't bring an umbrella, the Wellington winds will eat it!
Around Christchurch	sunscreen, light cover, light clothes	lots of warm sweaters, heavy jacket	lots of very warm sweaters, thick coat, hat, gloves	light jacket, rainwear
Around Dunedin	sunscreen, light clothes	light coat	umbrella, rainwear, sweaters	light clothes, umbrella, light sweater