NEW ZEALAND - ABOUT

About The Country:

New Zealand is a small island nation with a temperate climate. In fact all of the larger cities are on the coastline, with vistas of blue seas and green hills. Further inland are the mountains, the backbone of the two major islands. You may choose to stay or study in a modern city with the shopping, multicultural restaurants, night clubs, live theatre, art galleries, museums, sports stadiums and all the hustle and bustle. Or perhaps you prefer the slower pace of the rural areas, where you'll find supportive communities, access to the farmlands and orchards. Many of the key tourist attractions are found in these rural areas, so the pace need not be slow. English and Maori are the official languages and English is spoken by almost all New Zealanders. New Zealanders, or "Kiwis" as they refer to themselves, are relaxed and friendly people whose openness and hospitality is internationally renowned. There are also large numbers of other nationalities and recently, increasing numbers of people from Asian countries have taken up residence in New Zealand. New Zealand offers a 'quality of life' that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The official currency of New Zealand is dollar and the symbol is NZ $. The Major cities are Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Climate: New Zealand's climate is complex and varies from warm subtropical in the far north to cool temperate climates in the far south. As New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, summer starts in December and winter starts in June. January and February are usually the warmest months and July the coldest. A pleasant feature of the New Zealand climate is the high proportion of sunshine during the winter months but in the warmer months the sun is very strong.

Geography: New Zealand is located in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, 1,900 km east of Australia; it comprises of two main adjacent islands, the North Island and South Island, and a number of small outlying islands. New Zealand is similar in size to Britain and Japan. It has a reputation for being clean and green. It has one of the best sceneries and beautiful locations. A good highway system makes the country easily accessible. The North Island has geothermal springs, geysers and an active volcano.