Living in New Zealand

New Zealand boasts a diverse natural landscape. People from all over the world, travel to New Zealand to experience the stunning scenery and enjoy the vast range of outdoor activities.

While approximately the geographic same size as Japan or the United Kingdom, New Zealand's population is just over four million people.

New Zealanders have a reputation for being friendly and open so you always feel welcome. 

New Zealanders love the outdoors
Rugby is our national game and we boast more golf courses per capita of population than any other country in the world (over 400 for four million people).

We treasure our environment
Curio bay in Southland is one of the world's most extensive and least disturbed examples of a petrified forest. It is said to be around 180 million years old.

You will find what is reputedly the clearest freshwater spring in the world near Nelson.

Frying Pan lake near Rotorua is the world's largest hot water spring reaching temperatures of  200 degrees Celsius at its deepest point.

New Zealand is home to some of the rarest creatures in the world
New Zealand has the only flightless parrot, the Kakapo and alpine parrot, the Kea in the world.

The Hectors Dolphin and Hookers Sea Lion are only found in New Zealand waters.

The Tuatara, which can be traced back 190 million years to the Mosozoic era, is the oldest living genus of reptile in the world.

We are progressive
New Zealand was the first country in the world to form a government department for tourism.

We were the first country in the world to give women the vote.

We are innovative
It was a New Zealander who invented the pop lid on a self sealing paint tin, spreadable butter, child proof pill bottle and the crinkle that stops your hairclips falling out.

We may still be relatively young but we are often at the top of our fields
Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to climb Mount Everest (with Sherpa Tensing Norgay).

Sir Ernest Rutherford split the atom.

Useful Links

News and information - http://www.newzealand.com/
New Zealand Government - http://www.newzealand.govt.nz/
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise - http://www.nzte.govt.nz/
New Zealand Education - http://www.moe.govt.nz/