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About New Zealand
Wild New Zealand We call ourselves "Kiwis". And with that nickname comes a nation and culture that we are very proud of. Tucked away in a remote corner of the South Pacific Ocean we have a nation that is very special, and very different from any other. Our small population of only 4.1 million people is made up of many different cultures, the most prominent of which are the European and Maori peoples. Together we live on a beautiful group of islands in the South Pacific just a little smaller than California, a little larger than the UK. Visiting New Zealand is not about joining noisy, busy crowds. It's about the real experiences you can have with Kiwi people, peaceful adventures in the stunning wilderness, and the unique flora and fauna of these islands. "The best most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart." Unknown Author That means exploring New Zealand not through the window of a coach, but during a small group tour that gets you out of the vehicle and walking the forest tracks, kayaking the coastline, sailing, swimming ~ eating New Zealand. That's us! WILD NEW ZEALAND A fantastic advantage of the New Zealand wilderness is that the predators that plague most other nations are absent here. There are no snakes, monkeys, bears, lions or poisonous insects. There are no mosquito-born diseases such as malaria. It is a safe land dominated by lush rain forests and unique bird life, perfect for people from all walks of life to experience nature without fear. New Zealand's wilderness is dominated by two forest groups - podocarps and southern beeches, but a huge variety of trees and ferns make for a beautiful and varied forest environment, supporting ecosystems full of unique birds, insects and plants. During your outdoor adventures you may encounter many unique native bird species, the most famous and elusive being the flightless Kiwi bird. Keep an eye out for the Kea, a mischievous alpine parrot; the dancing Fantail the melodic Tui and several species of penguin. There are many other non-avian inhabitants of these islands that will delight you. The Tuatara is a survivor of the dinosaur age - a small and long-lived reptile, now confined to offshore islands and special breeding facilities. Around our coastline is another world, home to numerous marine mammal species. Of the 76 species of whale and dolphin in the world's oceans, 35 species have been observed in New Zealand waters. Once hunted for oil and skins, whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions are now fully protected and possible to observe, especially in certain places around the South Island. [TOP]GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY The North and South Islands were created by quite different processes associated with tectonic plate action, and thus have vastly different physical characteristics. Briefly put, the North Island is on the edge of the continental Australian plate, sliding over the oceanic Pacific plate. Volcanic activity has created craters (some now lakes), thermal areas and mountains (several still active). Folding and uplifting has resulted in hills and ranges but the centre of the island is dominated by a high plateau. The South Island is quite different, with the edges of the two tectonic plates smashing into each other, causing a line of mountains to rise up along almost the full length of the island. Many of these mountains are covered in snow all year round, the highest being Mt Cook at 3,755 metres (12,316 feet) - the highest in New Zealand and Australia. The eastern side of the island has wide alluvial plains criss-crossed with meandering rivers. [TOP]CLIMATE & SEASONS
New Zealand does not have the climatic extremes of other countries. Temperatures only vary about 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) between summer and winter, which means all seasons are fine for holiday travel. However, the warmer temperatures and sunshine during summer are better for water activities such as swimming, rafting, diving and kayaking. Winter brings great snow to the mountains for skiing, but in the lower seaside areas the temperatures are rarely below freezing. In summer you can commonly expect temperatures between 18 - 28 degrees Celsius (65 - 83 F). In winter this drops to a range of 10 - 18 degrees Celsius (50 - 65 F). Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year for a large part of the country. There are contrasts though, with the north having almost twice the amount of rain during winter as it does in summer, and the southern part of the South Island having least rainfall during winter. Rainfall patterns are affected by mountain ranges, or lack of them. As the predominant moisture-laden winds originate from the south and south-west, the areas exposed to these winds generally have the greater total annual rainfall (West Coast, Fiordland, Southland). The areas in the lee of the mountains have lower rainfall (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, Otago, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa). [TOP]TIME DIFFERENCES
In summer New Zealand uses ‘daylight saving’ to take advantage of the longer days, with clocks put forward one hour. Daylight saving begins on the first Sunday in October and ends on the third Sunday of the following March.
MONEY
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