New Zealand

New Zealand, Aotearoa in M?ori is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island) and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some 1,500 kilometres east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly 1,000 kilometres south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Due to its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.
During its long isolation New Zealand developed a distinctive fauna dominated by birds, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates clashing underfoot.

What to do and see: visit the official New Zealand tourism website.

Be prepared, what is important to know about New Zealand:

• New Zealand Currency: NZD
• New Zealand Telephone area code: +64
• New Zealand Electricity (plug): Electricity in New Zealand is 230-240 volts, frequency 50Hz, plug type I. Check out the type of plug.
• New Zealand Annual events: Harvest Hawke’s Bay, Napier (Jan), National Jazz Festival (Jan), Beach Hop Festival (Apr), Matariki (Jun), Gisborne Food and Wine Festival (Oct), Tauranga Garden and Artfest (Nov), Pohutukawa Festival (Dec) and more.
• New Zealand Public holidays: check out on Government website.
• New Zealand Weather average:

Auckland: 11ºC - 19ºC
Wellington: 10ºC - 16ºC
Christchurch: 8ºC - 18ºC
Queenstown: 6ºC - 16ºC

Find information about transports in New Zealand on government website:

• Getting around New Zealand: buses and rail.
• Taxis can be hailed from the streets.

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