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New Zealand, or as Maori say "Aotearoa" meaning "Land of the Long White Cloud", has one of the most spectacular and diverse landscapes on earth. It´s truly stunning, it has innocence and an untouched beauty, it´s located 2,012 km southeast of Australia where Tasman Sea, The Antarctic and Pacific Oceans meet. Its amazing landscapes, lush green forests, fascinating wildlife and mild climate make it a haven for many outdoor activities. Queenstown in the South Island of New Zealand is widely recognized as the adventure capital of the world. New Zealand is a modern, sophisticated and multicultural country. You’ll find people from all over the world living here, particularly Europeans, Maori, Pacific Islander and Asian. The locals, or "Kiwis" as they are known, are generally very open and friendly.
New Zealand has a colourful past, dominated mainly by the relationship between the Maori and Pakeha. The first settlers were the Maori who arrived here from Polynesia about 1000 years ago.
New Zealand has a unique and diverse landscape from the volcanic plateau, near Rotorua and Taupo, where you can see thermal geysers and plopping mud, to the majestic Southern Alps with their towering peaks and many glaciers, to the sub-tropical rain-forests with the mighty Kauri trees, which are amongst the largest trees in the world, plus much more. There are thousands of walking tracks, with the Great Walks, being the the most popular. There´s something here for everyone. One of the best ways to see New Zealand is by renting a campervan or mobilehome.
New Zealand consists of two main islands, The North Island and The South Island, along with a number of smaller islands so scattered that they range from Antarctic to the tropics. New Zealand is slightly larger then Britain, it has 270,534 square kilometres of land. The main centres are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Rotorua, Queenstown and Dunedin. The three main islands stretch 1,500 km, across latitudes 34° to 47° south.
New Zealand is an epic surf destination. Situated well into the roaring forties and exposed to the wider Pacific Ocean and its temperamental weather patterns, New Zealand is perfectly positioned to receive waves from 360° year round. Surfing in New Zealand is a remarkable experience, the coast is so diverse from the sub-tropical northland beaches to the Antartic cold catlins surf in southland, this is where you will find New Zealand´s big wave surfing scene. Would you like to explore one of the last undiscovered frontiers of surf, check out the wild West Coast with its thousands of surf possibilities waiting to be discovered. Surfers will not be disappointed here. |
