New
Zealand
Capital:
Wellington
Language:
The two official languages are English and Maori
Currency:
NZ dollar
Weather:
Warm summers (November to April) and mild winters.
The further south you go, the cooler and wetter it
gets. High ground gets snow in winter, there's good
skiing on both the North and South Island.
Queenstown:
Boasts of being the adrenaline capital of New Zealand.
The thrill of skiing is eclipsed by experiences such
as bungy jumps, white water rafting, canyoning, river
sledding and fly by wire. The
Bay of Islands: As well as a generous 144 islands
with warm, secluded beaches, the area is famous for
dolphins, sailing, big game fishing and kayaking. Other
attractions in the north of the North Island are Ninety
Mile Beach and Cape Reinga at the very top of the country
where the Tasman Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. Rotorua
See, smell and take a soak in the earth's geothermal
activity. Craters, eruptions, boiling mud and geysers
abound. Not to be missed are the Waimangu Volcanic Valley,
the Pohutu Geyser and a hike to the top of Mount Tarawera
plus a scree run down into the crater.
Activites:
New Zealand has some of the best skiing in the southern
hemisphere. In the north the main fields are on Mount
Ruapehu. The South Island has several good resorts.
Queenstown is one of the liveliest, others to sample
include Treble Cone, Mount Hutt and Cardrona.
Pre
Departure Essentials
