Content supplied by Tourism New Zealand

New Zealand dances

Photo credit: Nick Servian

About New Zealand

New Zealand?s awesome landscapes, lush forests, amazing wildlife and pleasant climate make it a haven for many outdoor activities, and a great place to unwind. New Zealand society is diverse, sophisticated, and multicultural, and the honesty, friendliness, and openness of Kiwis will impress you. And the great advantage of New Zealand is that all of its diverse physical, cultural, and artistic landscapes are so close to each other!

While New Zealand is a relatively young country, it has a rich and fascinating history, reflecting both our Maori and European heritage. Amazing Maori historic sites and taonga (treasures), some dating back almost a thousand years, are a contrast to many beautiful colonial buildings. A walk around any New Zealand city today shows what a culturally diverse and fascinating country we have become.

New Zealanders have a unique and dynamic culture, with European, Maori, Pacific and Asian influences. It?s a culture that celebrates the many different lifestyles we live, and the stories we have to tell.

New Zealand?s indigenous Maori people have a unique and fascinating language and culture, which plays a major role in New Zealand life. Though a diverse and multicultural people, there are many qualities, including friendliness, individuality, invention and self-reliance that you?ll find in most New Zealanders. It?s our national character!

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.

Fauna
Unique flightless birds, the world's heaviest insect and a 'living dinosaur'. Eighty million years of isolation in a time capsule - the unique native wildlife of New Zealand.

Flora
Whether you spend time in the wilderness areas of National Parks or lovingly manicured private gardens, you'll find an abundance of fascinating native plants found nowhere else on earth but New Zealand.

New Zealand's spectacularly beautiful landscape includes vast mountain chains, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines, deeply indented fiords and lush rainforests.

Comparable in size and/or shape to Great Britain, Colorado or Japan, New Zealand has a population of only 4 million - making it one of the world's least crowded countries. It is a haven for those seeking peace, rejuvenation and relaxation as well as a playground for thrill seekers and adventurers. A temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation makes it an ideal year-round holiday destination.

Language
English is the common and everyday language of New Zealand. New Zealand is a multi-cultural society and you may hear many other languages spoken, including Maori, which is also an official language of New Zealand.

Climate
New Zealand has four distinct seasons. 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, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20-30?C and in winter between 10-15?C. While these temperatures are the norm, the weather in New Zealand 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, particularly if you?re going hiking or doing other outdoor activities.

Currency
New Zealand's unit of currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZ$). Coins have values of 10, 20 and 50 cents, $1 and $2; notes have values of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

There is no restriction on the amount of foreign currency that can be brought in or taken out of New Zealand. However, every person who carries more than NZ$10,000 in cash in or out of New Zealand is required to complete a Border Cash Report.

Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at banks, some hotels and Bureau de Change kiosks, which are found at international airports and most city centres.

All major credit cards can be used in New Zealand. Travellers Cheques are accepted at hotels, banks and some stores.

Banks are open from 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Automated Teller Machines (ATM) are widely available at banks, along main shopping streets and in malls.

International credit cards and ATM cards will work as long as they have a four-digit PIN encoded. Check with your bank before leaving home.

Food and Wine
New Zealand's 'Pacific Rim' cuisine style takes its inspiration from regions and countries such as Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Polynesia, Japan and Vietnam. This unique blend of influences has created a mouth-watering range of flavours and food available from cafes and restaurants nationwide.

For dishes that have a distinctly New Zealand style look out for lamb, pork and venison; salmon, crayfish, Bluff oysters, paua (abalone), mussels and scallops; kumara (sweet potato); kiwifruit and tamarillo; and pavlova, our national dessert, made from meringue and lashings of fresh whipped cream topped with fresh fruit or berries.

While the main centres support a few elegant, silver-service restaurants, the trend is towards more relaxed cafe-bar dining. There is a wide variety of international food available including Japanese, Indian, Halal, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Malaysian, and Thai. There are more than 900 Asian restaurants throughout New Zealand.

While you are here, take the opportunity to discover more about New Zealand wines. Our whites wines, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, have achieved an international reputation for excellence - and the reds are catching-up fast!

Visitor Information

i-SITE Visitor Centre

Self drive visitors in New Zealand are faced with a wide range of tourism options and places to visit. To help visitors with these many choices, the New Zealand i-SITE Visitor Centres have been established. Each centre is identified by the distinctive i-SITE logo.

i-SITE Visitor Centres are the officially recognised provider of reliable New Zealand information, with centres in over 80 locations throughout New Zealand. Accreditation to the network ensures that staff are knowledgeable and provide objective, quality information.

Qualmark® ? the mark of quality

When you see the Qualmark© it means that those businesses have been independently assessed against a set of national quality standards that have been developed with you, the traveller, in mind. It identifies professional and trustworthy businesses so you can book and buy with confidence.

The Qualmark quality assurance system has a star grading system for accommodation and an endorsement system for other tourism businesses such as adventure activities, attractions, cultural and nature experiences, coaches, rental cars and more.

Photo credit: Rob Suisted

Additional Photo Credits :
Top right image: "Kayaking with Orca" (Photographer: Ian Trafford)
Top left image: "A fine day in the Fiord" (Photographer: Holger Leue)

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