Kia Ora! That means hello in New Zealand!
This year's vacation: New Zealand! We are currently sitting in the Vancouver airport waiting for our connecting flight to Auckland, more on that when we land. In the meantime, we dug up these interesting tidbits.
Disclaimer: These are some quick facts we have researched. Hopefully they are accurate!
New Zealand is the farthest south country in what is known as Oceania.
It is divided into 2 main islands, the North Island and the South Island. The North Island is mainly known for beaches and culture, and the South Island is known for scenery and landscapes. We will be doing a self-drive tour going from north to south through both islands (we couldn't chose just one!).
Here is a map of our planned trip once we arrive:
The population of New Zealand is about 5 million people, with roughly 4 million in the north island and 1 million in the south island. These are very rounded numbers. New Zealand has about 5 times more sheep than people.
New Zealand has 24 volcanoes. The last eruption was on White Island in 2019, when 22 people visiting the island from a cruise ship were killed. The eruption was only 2 minutes long. Visits to the island have been suspended.
The capital city is Wellington, at the base of the north island.
There is no bridge or tunnel between the 2 islands, so the only options are to fly or take a 3 hour ferry.
Other interesting facts:
- New Zealand is called "The Land of the Long White Cloud".
- New Zealand has 3 official languages: English, Maori, and sign language.
- New Zealand has 2900 glaciers that are over 2.5 acres in size. Wow! This is actually down from 3100 glaciers in the 1970s thanks to global warming.
- New Zealand was the very first country to allow women to vote (1893)!
- It was the last country to have human settlers.
- A third of the country is a national reserve.
-There are no snakes in New Zealand!
-From Roughguides.com: "Possums are the national pest. When seen on the road, these introduced marsupials turn normally mild-mannered folk into killers. Flattened examples are everywhere."
- The steepest road in the world (with a 19 degree slope) is in Dunedin.
- A town on the east coast has the longest name in the world: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. According to civitatis.com, that translates to something like “The place where Tamatea, the man on the big knees who slipped, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as the land eater, he played the flute to his loved one.”
- Maori people traditionally greet each other by pressing noses and foreheads together.
- No 2 Maori tattoos are identical.
- Some of their legal tender has hobbits on it! This set of 3 coins will cost you almost $10,000 cdn.
- Many famous movies have been filmed in New Zealand, including (of course) The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but also King Kong, Avatar, and The Last Samurai, among others.
- Famous people from New Zealand include Peter Jackson (who knew???), Lucy Lawless (remember Xena?), the actress Anna Pacquin, and Sir Edmund Hillary (the first to summit Mount Everest).
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