NEW ZEALAND

TRAVEL INFORMATION

New Zealand is an island nation in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. New Zealand is notable for its geographic isolation, situated about 2000 km southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga. During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive fauna dominated by birds, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and the mammals they introduced. The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Mâori being the largest minority. Asians and non-Maori Polynesians are also significant minorities, especially in the cities. The North and South Islands are separated by the Cook Strait, which is 20km wide at its narrowest point.

North Island: The North Island is less mountainous than the South, but is marked by volcanism. The highest North Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu, is an active cone volcano. The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programmes and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the The Last Samurai.

South Island: The South Island is the largest land mass of New Zealand, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Mount Cook at 3754 metres.

WEATHER

The climate throughout the country is mild and temperate, mainly maritime. Conditions vary sharply across regions from extremely wet on the West Coast of the South Island to semi-arid in the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury and subtropical in Northland. Of the main cities, Christchurch is the driest; Auckland, the wettest. The southern and south-western parts of South Island have a cooler and cloudier climate.

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