NEW ZEALAND - A LAND OF WONDERS
Best travel times:
New Zealand is a popular summer destination, both for overseas and domestic visitors. This is partly due to the fascinating Maori culture, amazing scenery and also the huge success of the films «The Lord of the Rings» and «The Hobbit».
Summer (December to February) is the best time for food and wine festivals, concerts and sports events in the main cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
June to August is skiing high season.
You need to be well prepared for all weather conditions when traveling through NZ, as weather can change quickly.
Wellington, the Capital City of New Zealand, is the southernmost capital city in the world
New Zealand is a plastic nation – many personal financial transactions are made with a card – credit or otherwise. Most shops offer EFTPOS (similar to the UK Chip and Pin which appeared two years later) and cash is seen less and less. So ensure you bring a credit card to NZ if possible.
Things people might not know about New Zealand:
In NZ you will hear the word «Kiwi» quite a lot – on the one hand there is the native flightless bird and the Kiwi Fruit but on the other hand it is also used as a slang term for a New Zealander.
New Zealand is one of only three countries that have two official national Anthems. The first is God Save the Queen (the English National Anthem) and the other is God Defend New Zealand. The other two countries with two anthems are Denmark and Canada which both have a Royal Anthem and a State anthem.
Auckland is the largest Polynesian city in the world and is also known as «the city of sails». It has more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Wellington, the Capital City of New Zealand, is the southernmost capital city in the world
New Zealand is a plastic nation – many personal financial transactions are made with a card – credit or otherwise. Most shops offer EFTPOS (similar to the UK Chip and Pin which appeared two years later) and cash is seen less and less. So ensure you bring a credit card to NZ if possible.