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About New Zealand Fast Fun Facts About New Zealand When was NZ first discovered? . . . And, who are the native people? What is the treaty of Waitangi? What is the population of New Zealand? How big is New Zealand? What is the geographical difference between the North and South Islands What is the weather like in New Zealand? W hat is the snow in the south pacific like? New Zealand's Natural Heritage Underlying New Zealand's physical attractions - its dramatic mountains, unpolluted beaches and green countryside - is an epic survival story of unique plants and animals. Cast adrift from the ancient supercontinent of Gondwanaland, these ancient species evolved in isolation. New Zealand's separation from other land masses about 100 million years ago allowed many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. In a couple of days drive it is possible to see everything from mountain ranges to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, glaciers and fiords and even active volcanoes. Unfortunately, after only 1000 years of human settlement New Zealand has lost many native species. But impressive gains have been made in recent times to protect and enhance what is left. These include removing introduced pests from island wildlife sanctuaries, the establishment of 14 national parks, three maritime parks, two world heritage areas, hundreds of nature reserves and ecological areas, a network of marine reserves and wetlands, and protection for special rivers and lakes. In total, around 30 percent of New Zealand's land area is protected conservation land. In addition, research and management programs have been introduced to aid the recovery of rare and endangered species like kakapo, kokako, kiwi and tuatara. You can learn more about these programs on the Department of Conservation website. Flora In spite of the fact that the Maori and then the British settlers cleared native bush for almost 1000 about a quarter of the country still remains forested - mostly in high country areas. Most of these remaining areas are protected from exploitation in national and forest parks, where they can be enjoyed by all. The characteristic New Zealand forest is a temperate, evergreen rain forest with giant tree ferns, vines and epiphytes - looking a bit like the popular image of a jungle. The giant kauri are among the largest trees in the world and is now restricted to relatively small forest pockets in Northland and on the Coromandel Peninsula. Fauna New Zealand is a land of unique and unusual birds. The best known is the flightless kiwi, New Zealand's unofficial national symbol. Also flightless are the weka and the endangered kakapo, the world's largest parrot. Another unique bird, one capable of flight, is the inquisitive kea (native alpine parrot), which is renowned for its fearlessness of humans and cheeky personality. Kea love rubber and take great joy in removing it from your car. New Zealand welcomes everyone to experience and discover its unique and precious natural heritage. We ask only that you make as little impact as possible, so future generations may also enjoy it as you do. The saying ‘Take only photos leave only footprints’ defiantly applies. When was NZ first discovered? . . . And, who are the native people? Back to Top The Maori were New Zealand's first settlers. The first explorers made an epic journey from the legendary Hawaiki (somewhere in Polynesia, assumed by many to now be called Hawaii), about 1000 years ago in dug out canoes and using stars for navigation. The great explorer Kupe, who (according to) legend first discovered New Zealand, named it Aotearoa, which translates to - Land of the Long White Cloud. The first documented European to discover New Zealand was Dutch navigator Able Tasman, who discovered New Zealand in 1642 while searching for the fabled great southern continent. Able Tasman never landed on New Zealand and 125 years later, Captain James Cook claimed it for Britain in 1769. What is the treaty of Waitangi? Back to Top The Treaty of Waitangi, seen as New Zealand's founding document, combining Maori tribes and British settlers thus established the country as a nation. It was signed in 1840 between leading Maori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands. Waitangi is now one of the country's most historic sites. The signing of the treaty was on 6 February, and subsequently become New Zealand's national day, known as 'Waitangi Day'. What is the population of New Zealand? New Zealand is an independent nation but still a member of the British Commonwealth. The country has a diverse multi-cultural population of 4.5 million people. The majority of the populations are of British descent. New Zealand's indigenous Maori make up around 12 percent of the population the remainders come from all over the world. How big is New Zealand? Back to Top New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific ocean, between latitude 34'S and 47'S. It has an area of 268,680 square kilometres (103,738 sq. mi) (including Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Islands, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands), making it slightly smaller than Italy and Japan and a little larger than the United Kingdom. These islands are the main areas of land that emerged from the largely submerged continent of Zealandia. What is the geographical difference between the North and South Islands The South Island is the largest land mass and contains about one quarter of the population. The island is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki/Mount Cook at 3754 metres (12,316 ft). There are 18 peaks of more than 3000 metres (9800 ft) in the South Island. The east side of the island has the Canterbury Plains while the West Coast is famous for its rough coastlines, very high proportion of native bush, and Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. The North Island is less mountainous than the South, and is marked by volcanism. The island's tallest mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2797 m / 9176 ft), is an active cone volcano. Lake Taupo is near the center of the North Island and is the largest lake by surface area in the country. It lies in a caldera created by the largest eruption in the world in the past 70,000 years. Incredibly this eruption was also recorded in ancient Roman journals What is the weather like in New Zealand? Back to Top 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- 30ºC and in winter between 10-15ºC. You can check on weather conditions in New Zealand on the New Zealand Met Service website. 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. What is the snow in the South Pacific like? The South Pacific is not normally recognized for its skiing, snowboarding or apre-ski parties EXCEPT New Zealand. New Zealand has some exceptional snow in the Southern Alps and literally dozens of ski fields, back country or even heli sking to choose from. From small and remote places like Mt Dobson to the large and exciting fields of Treble Cone New Zealand has skiing and boarding for the entire family. Plus the snow is really good with lots of powder and because the mountains are at good height it ensures the seasons can stretch out for up to 6 months some years. Fast Fun Facts Back to Top First known settlers were Maori and were left alone until Captain James Cook arrived in the 18th century. Captain Cook should have sailed on because the Maori warriors killed and ate nine members of his crew. After that traders and others came and fights errupted. They wanted to trade muskets for fruit and pigs. This period was known as the "Musket Wars". -The capital city is Wellington -The largest city is Auckland -The languages spoken are English and Maori -The majority of people are Christian -New Zealand means, "Land of the long white cloud" -30 percent of the land are forests -90 mile beach is only miles long -New Zealand is the first country to see the sunrise -A "kiwi" is either a bird or a native -Neither ostrich steak or black swan carppacio do not taste like chicken! -New Zealand has two national athems- God Save The Queen and God Defend New Zealand -There are nine sheep to every human in New Zealand -Sir Edmund Hilary was the first man to reach the peak of Mt. Everest- his face now adorns New Zealands $5 bill. New Zealand has a lot of animals and birds. It actually has the worlds biggest flightless parrot. The worlds oldest reptile. The biggest earthworms. The smallest bats. The only native land mammals. The oldest trees. - New Zealand has the highest car ownership rates in the world - Bungee jumping which is now a popular and daredevil sport originated in New Zealand. New Zealand is very broad and open minded with thier laws. In New Zealand homosexual marriage and prostitution are legal. Soliciting and keeping a brothel are also legal. Thier driving age is 15 and the legal age to have sex is 16. The drinking age is 18 but anyone under that age can drink with an adult present in restaurants. New Zealand has more golf courses and bookshops then any other country in the world. So they must be smart and sporty at the same time. Another interesting fun fact is the highly acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" was filmed entirely in New Zealand. American producers were skeptical and the fact that Peter Jackson had never directed a film of that magnitude didn't help matters.