New Zealand

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From the glacial mountains to lush, sheep-dotted hillsides, New Zealand is one of the world’s most awe-inspiring escapes from reality. This small island nation is so chock-full of riveting natural beauty, you may have to force yourself to blink.

• History
• Fast Facts
• Holidays and Festivals
• Books
• Videos
• Tips
• Weather
• Average Temperatures
• Down Under Slang
• Did you know?

History

Deeply connected to its native Maori roots, New Zealand is a land with rich layers of history and culture. While initial discovery of the island is attributed to a Polynesian navigator named Kupe in 800 A.D., Captain James Cook laid claim to it for England in 1769 on his way to Australia. Relations between the new settlers and the Maori were initially congenial but soon soured, culminating in a war between the two groups in the 1860s. By the late nineteenth century, things had calmed down and sweeping social changes took hold. Independence from Britain was granted in 1947 and New Zealand’s economy has prospered ever since. Recently, the Maori population has been booming, and a resurgence of native culture has enriched the lives of the nation’s inhabitants.

Fast Facts

Capital: Wellington
Population: 4 million
Language: English and Maori
Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZ$)
Time Zone: EST plus 17 hours
Electricity: 240V, 50Hz

Holidays & Festivals

Books

• The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
• The Colour, by Rose Tremain
• The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia’s Founding, by Robert Hughes
• In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson
• The Lost World of the Moa: Prehistoric Life of New Zealand, by T.H. Worthy, et al.
• Playmaker, by Thomas Keneally
• Taming the Great South Land: A History of the Conquest of Nature in Australia, by William J. Lines

Videos

• Walkabout (1971)
• The Man From Snowy River (1982)
• Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
• Whale Rider (2002)
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003; filmed in New Zealand)

Tips for Tipping

Hotels and restaurants do not add service charges, but it is becoming a more widely accepted practice to tip a waiter 10 to 12 percent for good service, especially in the nicer restaurants. At hotels, porters could be given A$1 a bag in Australia and a NZ$1 or NZ$2 coin in New Zealand. Room service and housemaids are not tipped except for special service.

Weather

Take our American seasons and turn them upside down when you visit Down Under. Winter begins in June, and summer in December. Australia is a large country, so weather will vary— from warm, tropical climates in the north to temperate, drier weather in the south. New Zealand also enjoys a mild climate, although mountainous regions experience a chilly winter. Pack lightweight, casual activewear to fully explore the natural beauty that Australia and New Zealand have to offer. Lots of layers are a plus if you plan to visit in the winter.

Average Temperatures

Down Under Slang

Did You Know?

• The Maori waka taua war canoe was carved from a single totara tree and could carry up to 90 warriors.
• A pair of precariously balanced boulders in Australia’s Outback are called the Devil’s Marbles. The Aborigines believed that these oval-shaped rocks were actually eggs laid by the mythical Rainbow Serpent in Dreamtime.
• According to science, the oldest exposed surface on Earth is New Zealand’s south island.
• Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building, impressive in its own right, boasts the world’s largest animated clock, which took four years and $1.5 million to build. The clock’s adornments provide a valuable Australian history lesson.
• Australia is the only English-speaking country to have made voting compulsory in federal and state elections. It results in a voter turnout of 95 percent.
• The phrase “three dog night” is attributed to Australian Aborigines, who coined the term when they needed three dogs to keep them warm during long, cold winter nights.

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