New Zealand
In the southwest Pacific Ocean, there is a country dotted with white clouds. It’s the 100% pure New Zealand. New Zealand is a large, long group of islands, 1600 kilometers from north to south. It is made up of two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, and numerous smaller island, most notably Stewart Island. A huge diversity of physical geography has produced a wide variation in landscape. In New Zealand, you can see beautiful scenery whenever you go. It’s a place for the production of movies such as The Lord of the Rings. It’s really a great place to enjoy the beauty of nature.
The north Island has been formed mostly by volcanoes and some of them are still active. Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, and its city skyline is dominated by cones of extinct volcanoes. In the Maori, Auckland means “pure girl and one hundred valentines”. Auckland Harbor Bridge connects the north and south parts of the city together into a whole. The shape of the bridge likes a hanger, and it is single span with a length of 1079 meters and eight parallel lanes. The Waitmo Cave is a famous tourist destination in the world, known as the “ninth wonder of the world”.
In the central North Island, a spectacular cluster of four active volcanoes is crowned by 2797m Ruapehu, home of the island’s major ski fields. The steam vents, hot pools, bubbling mud and geysers of the famous thermal region stretch northeast to the coast and to White Island in the Bay of Plenty. Rotarua is the center of culture of New Zealand. You can enjoy the hot springs and go to the Maori Village to feel the Maori culture. Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is situated at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. Wellington is the southernmost capital city and also the most remote capital city in the world. It is a famous tourist destination in the South Pacific and its café culture is prominent. The city has more cafés per capita than New York City. So if you are fond of coffee, don’t miss it.
A massive mountain chain, the Southern Alps, runs almost the full length of the South Island. This is an area of outstanding scenic beauty, with the Marlborough Sounds in the north, many beautiful lakes and rivers, and Fiordland with its remote, deeply-cut inlets in the southwest.
Queenstown, the most famous tourist attractions in the South Island, is surrounded by south of the Alps. Its nature beauty changes with the seasons, the lake gleams in the summer sun, and snow covers mountains above the township in winter. Nestled in beside the mysterious Lake Wakatipu, in the southern Lakes district of New Zealand, Queenstown is a cosmopolitan haven, offering a limitless adventure, southern wine and cuisine, and breathtaking alpine scenery. Along the Lake Wakatipu, there are many romantic café, when beacon lights reflected in the lake, people can’t help rising and dancing in a happy mood with the gently flowing music, and then you’ll find out that Queenstown can be romantic. Queenstown is a town with torrent, fjords, mountains and other adventures environment. It’s the birthplace of the bungee jumping. Enjoying the impact of the gravity acceleration in beautiful scenery absolutely makes you lead a person to endless aftertastes. Christchurch is in the South Island on the east, also known as “garden city”, because of plenty of beautiful flowers in the city. Classical architecture of Renaissance type has been a symbol of the city. You can overlook the city in a hot air balloon, and appreciate the beauty in a special way. And there is also a special festival, the Hot Balloon Festival, which is held in the end of March every year.
Having been separated from other land for millions of years, the islands of New Zealand have their unique flora and fauna. A large number of native birds and plants, insects, spiders and snails,
as well as all native earth worms, are found only in New Zealand. Kiwi is the national bird and it’s the only bird without wings. The word kiwi should be remembered for it is the name of the bird from which New Zealanders have adopted their name. In colloquial English, the Kiwi, capitalized, means a New Zealander. The tuatara is the most interesting, being the only surviving species of a reptile family which otherwise became extinct 100 million years ago.
And when traveling in New Zealand, you should know some etiquette of meeting. New Zealanders always meet the guests by shaking hands in a social situation. When they meet a woman, they need to wait the woman reaches out her hand first. Maori use their nose to touch guest’s nose when they meet guests. It’s called “Hongi” and it’s the highest honor to the guests. New Zealanders are hospitable. They have a traditional of respecting elders. When you come here, Maoris use songs and dances to welcome visitors. They regard water as pure and holy things, so they sprinkle water to visitors. This is a symbol of blessing. And they don’t accept tips.
The indigenous Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, commonly translated as land of the long white cloud. Come to the pure world to find the peace of your mind.