Welcome to New Zealand...
New Zealand is often described as the world in miniature. You can experience magnificent coastal scenery, awe-inspiring snow capped mountains, spectacular fiords, dense rainforests as well as unique geothermal activity and Maori culture. New Zealand comprises of three main islands known simply as the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island, a varied landscape and a population of less than four million people makes New Zealand a very special & unique place.
Did you know?
Population
New Zealand has approximately 4 million residents, with over 1 million residing in Auckland. About 20% of New Zealand's residents were born overseas.
Coastline
New Zealand has over 15,000 kilometres of beautiful and varied coast line.
Where Have All The Sheep Gone?
In the early 1980's New Zealand was home to over 70 million sheep. Today the population has declined to around 40 million. This means the often quoted statistic, that NZ has 20 sheep for each human, is wrong, it's now only about 10 to 1.
The Real Deep South
Wellington is the most southerly capital city on the planet.
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. Climate & Seasons: New Zealand seasons are the reverse of the UK
Spring : September – November
Summer : December - February
Autumn : March - May
Winter : June – August
New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific Ocean, between latitude 34'S and 47'S. Thecountry runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. Its twomain islands cover 266,200 sq km (103,735 sq miles) that is slightly larger than the UK.
Natural Environment
New Zealand's separation from other land masses for more than 100 million years has 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 active volcanoes.
What's the climate like?
New Zealand's seasons are the reverse of ours in the UK. This means that the warmestmonths are December, January and February, while the coolest are in June, July and August. Don't let cold months put you off - winters tend to be short and generally fairly mild.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN CELSIUS (HIGH/LOW)
Season Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Degrees Celsius Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
New Zealand High Low High Low High Low High Low
Bay of Islands 19 9 25 14 21 11 16 7
Auckland 18 11 24 12 20 13 15 9
Rotorua 18 11 24 12 20 13 15 9
Wellington 15 9 20 13 17 11 12 8
Christchurch 17 7 22 12 18 8 12 3
Queenstown 16 5 22 10 16 6 10 1
South Pacific
Fiji (Nadi) 30 21 31 23 31 21 29 19
Cook Is. (Rarotonga) 27 19 29 23 29 20 26 18
2011/12 National Holidays
- Good Friday - 22 April 2011
- Easter Monday - 25 April 2011
- ANZAC Day - 25 April 2011
- Queen’s Birthday - 6 June 2011
- Labour Day - 24 October 2011
- Christmas Day - 25 December 2011
- Boxing Day - 26 December 2011
- New Years Day - 1 January 2012
- New Year Holiday - 2 January 2012
- Waitangi Day - 6 February 2012
- Good Friday - 6 April 2012
- Easter Monday - 9 April 2012
On these days, all post offices, banks and some museums, stores and restaurants may be closed. In addition to the dates stated above, various regions (including the South Pacific Islands) observe their own holiday dates