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| THE
COUNTRY |
New Zealand, situated in the Pacific Ocean, 1800km
south east of Australia, is a wealthy Pacific nation.
Dominated by New Zealanders of European descent and
Maoris, British sovereignty was established via the
Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 in the picturesque
north of the country. The treaty represented a pact
between Maori chiefs and the British government over
land rights.
The landscape is very spectacular and offers something
for everyone. The coastal scenery surrounding the
country can be very rugged. The Southern Alps stretching
down the spine of South Island offer fabulous mountainous
scenery. The fiords of the south-west offer a wilderness
giving a fantastic experience for those wishing to
explore. The lakes that abound throughout the country
are each spectacular in their own right as are the
numerous waterfalls.The thermal hot spots, particularly
around Rotorua in the North Island, provide spectacular
mineral pools, boiling mud and geysers.
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| CLIMATE |
Officially the climate is described as being sub-tropical,
however, the climate does vary between the islands.
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The
climate in the North Island is warmer than the South.
From Auckland north, the climate is
akin to the Mediterranean, warm summers and mild winters.
Moving down through North Island the climate is more
central/south European. |
South
Island is a temperate climate and is more in keeping
with the UK, particularly from
Christchurch north. Heading down through South Island
around Lake Tekapo, Fox & Franz Josef Glacier,
Wanaka and Queenstown, the climate is very alpine. |
In the area around Fiordland, e.g. Te
Anau, the climate becomes very Scandinavian. |
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| WILDLIFE |
New Zealand has a rich variety of wildlife,
particularly marine. Various types of whale, dolphin
and penguin can be seen off the coast as well as seals
in abundance. |
Deep sea fishing is particularly popular
in the north and the rivers of New Zealand offer excellent
cold water fishing opportunities. |
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watchers are also well catered for with a huge variety
of exotic birds occupying the skies, not
forgetting the albatross which can be seen in the
skies off the coast.
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| MEDIA |
New Zealand enjoys one of the world's
most liberal media arenas, particularly since competition
was allowed to Television New Zealand, the state broadcaster. |
There are four main newspapers, The
New Zealand Herald, with the largest circulation. The
Dominion Post, The Press and The Sunday Star Times. |
Television offers a minimal terrestrial
presence, similar to the UK. There are 5 main channels,
Television New Zealand 1 and 2, TV3, Prime TV and Maori
Television. Sky TV offers the pay-per-view alternative. |
There are a variety of public and private radio
stations.
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| SPORT |
The main sports in New Zealand are rugby,
cricket and golf. The All Blacks have a fearsome reputation
in world rugby with the trade mark Haka preceding all
of their matches. |
The
Black Caps, the national cricket team are one of
the world's best one day teams
and are in the top 5 Test teams in the world. |
With so many beautiful golf courses
throughout the country, it is no surprise that golf
is a popular past time. New Zealand has produced some
fabulous golfers too, Bob Charles, Frank Nobilo and
more recently Michael Campbell. |
In addition, watersports and winter sports are very
popular. New Zealand provides some excellent skiing
in the Tongariro National Park and in the area around
Queenstown.
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Whatever your interest, New Zealand has something
to offer.
Your
new life awaits you….
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