Slide 1

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 2

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 3

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 4

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 5

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 6

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 7

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 8

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 9

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 10

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 11

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 12

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 13

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 14

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 15

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 16

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 17

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 18

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 19

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 20

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 21

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 22

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 23

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 24

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 25

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 26

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 27

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 28

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 29

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 30

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 31

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 32

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 33

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 34

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 35

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 36

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 37

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com


Slide 38

NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand

New Zealand
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Fact file
Official symbols
Geographical position
History timeline
Political structure
Sights and cities
Famous people
Natural world
Entertainment
Links

Fact File
• Official name: New Zealand
• Size: 103,737 square miles; about the size of
Colorado
• Population: 4,035,461 as of July 2005
• Capital: Wellington
• Official Language: English, Maori
• Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
• Literacy: 99%
• Climate: Winter is wet and blustery and summer is
clear and sunny
• Agricultural Products: Wheat, barley, potatoes,
grapes, kiwifruit, dairy products, wool, beef
• Major industries (businesses): Wood and paper,
machinery, clothing, mining, tourism

The New Zealand Flag.
The New Zealand Flag is New Zealand’s
national symbol. Its royal blue
background represents the blue sea
and sky surrounding us, and the stars
of the Southern Cross signify the place
in the South Pacific Ocean. The Union
Flag
recognizes
the
historical
foundations and that New Zealand was
once a British colony and dominion.
The New Zealand Flag can be flown any
day of the year, especially on days of
national commemoration, such as
Anzac Day, and other important
occasions. The New Zealand Flag
represents the people of New Zealand
and should be treated with respect.

Coat of Arms
The centre point of the coat of
arms is a quartered shield - the
first quarter depicts four stars as
representative of the Southern
Cross; the second, a fleece
representing the farming industry;
the third, a wheat sheaf
representing agriculture; and the
fourth,
two
hammers
representing mining. Down the
centre of the shield are three
ships, symbolizing the importance
of sea trade. On the left is a
Pakeha
(European)
woman
holding a New Zealand flag, and
on the right a Maori chieftain
holding a taiaha (Maori staff).

Anthem of New Zealand
"God
Defend
New
Zealand" is one of the
national anthems of New
Zealand, together with
"God Save the Queen".
Although they both have
equal
status,
"God
Defend New Zealand" is
the anthem that is in
common use and is
popularly referred to as
"the national anthem".

God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Peace, not war, shall be our boast
But should our foes assail our coast
Make us then a mighty host
God defend our free land
Lord of battles, in Thy might
Put our enemies to flight
Let our cause be just and right
God defend New Zealand

May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea
Make us faithful unto Thee
God defend our free land
Guide her in the nations' van
Preaching love and truth to man
Working out Thy Glorious plan
God defend New Zealand
Let our love for Thee increase
May Thy blessings never cease
Give us plenty, give us peace
God defend our free land
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame
God defend New Zealand

Geographical Position
New Zealand is an island
country in the Southwest
Pacific Ocean. It lies about 1
600 km southeast of
Australia and about 10 500
km southwest of California.
New Zealand belongs to a
large island group called
Polynesia. The country is
situated on two main islands
- the North Island and the
South Island - and several
dozen smaller islands. Most
of the smaller islands are
hundreds of kilometers from
the main ones.

Geographical Position
The islands were created
just 23 million years ago when
land was thrust out of the
ocean by volcanic forces. New
Zealand has more than 50
volcanoes, some of which are
still active today. Sharp snowy
peaks, rocky shores, and
pastures create a majestic
landscape.
The South Island is home
to the highest mountain peak
in New Zealand, Mount Cook,
which rises to 12,316 feet
(3,754 meters) and is called
«Cloud Piercer» by the Maori
people.

History Timeline
• 600 A.D. -1300 A.D.:
The first inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maori, arrive from eastern
Polynesia.
• 1642:
Dutch sailor Abel Janszoon Tasman becomes the first European to reach
New Zealand.
• 1769:
English explorer Captain James Cook makes the first of his three voyages
to the islands. His journals inspire other Europeans to explore New
Zealand.
• 1840:
The Maori sign the Treaty of Waitangi giving control to the British in
exchange for protection and guaranteed Maori possession of their lands.
• 1860:
A decade of land wars begins between the Maoris and European settlers.
• 1861:
Gold is discovered in Tuapeka. This leads to a gold rush.
• 1893:
New Zealand becomes the first country to give women the right to vote.

• 1907:
The country becomes a dominion, or self-governing
community, within the British empire.
• 1947:
New Zealand gains independence from Great Britain.
• 1953:
New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary becomes the first person to
climb to the top of Mount Everest.
• 1985:
New Zealand no longer allows U.S. nuclear-powered or
nuclear-armed ships to enter its ports. French secret service
agents blow up a Greenpeace ship called Rainbow Warrior in
Auckland Harbor.
• 1987:
TNew Zealand hosts and wins the inaugural Rugby World Cup.
• 1997:
Jennifer Shipley becomes the country's first female prime
minister.
• 2005:
Prime Minister Helen Clark wins her third election.

Political Structure
New Zealand functions as a
constitutional monarchy with a
parliamentary
system
of
government.
New
Zealand’s
government is based on the
parliamentary democracy based
on the system used in Britain.
There are 122 seats in the House
of Representatives and each is
elected for a three-year term.
Seven seats are reserved for the
Maori and they are chosen by
Maori voters. There are two main
parties, National and Labour. The
party with the most elected
representatives
forms
the
government. The leader of the
party is the Prime Minister.

New Zealand's head of state is the
Queen of New Zealand, currently
Elizabeth II. The New Zealand
monarchy has been distinct from the
British monarchy since the New
Zealand Royal Titles Act of 1953, and
all Elizabeth II's official business in
New Zealand is conducted in the
name of the Queen of New Zealand,
not the Queen of the United
Kingdom. In practice, the functions of
the monarchy are conducted by a
Governor-General, appointed on the
recommendation of the Prime
Minister. As of 2004, the GovernorGeneral is Silvia Cartwright

Economy
New Zealand's economy has traditionally
been based on a foundation of exports
from its very efficient agricultural system.
Leading agricultural exports include meat,
dairy products, forest products, fruit and
vegetables, fish, and wool. New Zealand has
got heavy industry. There are many plants
in the country. New Zealand was a direct
beneficiary of many of the reforms
achieved under the Uruguay Round of trade
negotiations, with agriculture in general
and the dairy sector in particular enjoying
many new trade opportunities. The country
has substantial hydroelectric power and
sizable reserves of natural gas. Leading
manufacturing sectors are food processing,
metal fabrication, and wood and paper
products.

Sights and Cities

The Akaroa Museum
The Akaroa Museum is spread
over several historic buildings,
including the old courthouse,
the tiny Custom House by
Daly's Wharf, and one of New
Zealand's
oldest
houses,
Langlois-Eteveneaux. It has
modest displays on the
peninsula's
once-significant
Maori population, a courtroom
diorama,
a
20-minute
audiovisual
on
peninsular
history, and Akaroa community
archives.

Wellington
Wellington
is
New
Zealand's capital city. It is
home to the Parliament
building (pictured to the left)
and many other cultural
treasures. The city rests
between rolling green hills
and a wide waterfront. A
highlight of the city's arts,
cultural
and
historical
attractions is Te Papa, the
national museum. It is one of
the largest national museums
in the world and holds many
Maori pieces, including a
carved meetinghouse. It also
displays the original Treaty of
Waitangi.

Auckland
Auckland was first settled
by Maori tribes around 1350.
By the time European settlers
arrived in 1840, it was almost
deserted. Today, Auckland is
New Zealand's largest and
fastest growing city. Snuggled
between two coasts, Auckland
has many harbors and is said to
have the most pleasure boats
per person of any city in the
world. The Sky Tower (pictured
to the left) is the city's most
distinctive landmark. At 1,076
feet tall, the tower is the tallest
building in the southern
hemisphere!

Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest
city in New Zealand's South
Island. In the past, the city was
centered on agriculture. Today
it is a refined modern city. The
beautiful
Christ
Church
Cathedral (pictured to the left)
can be found in the city's
Cathedral Square. The Avon
River winds through the city
and is one of Christchurch's
major attractions. Visitors and
locals enjoy walking along the
paths and bridges that dot the
river. They also can be found
floating downstream in boats.

Dunedin
The first settlers to arrive
in the area surrounding
Dunedin were Scottish. The
city's Scottish roots give it a
unique character. Dunedin
was New Zealand's business
center during the gold rush in
the 1860s. At that time,
leaders built the city center,
called the Octagon, to be the
central focus. Today it
remains a popular gathering
spot for picnics, festivals and
meetings.

Aoraki/Mount Cook
At 12,349 feet, Aoraki/Mount
Cook is New Zealand's tallest
mountain. Legend says that a boy
named Aoraki and his three
brothers were at sea when their
canoe overturned on a reef. When
the brothers climbed on top of
their canoe, freezing wind turned
them to stone. The canoe became
the South Island and Aoraki and
his brothers became the peaks of
the mountains. Aoraki/Mount
Cook is where famous New
Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary
trained before he made his historic
trek up Mount Everest.

Lambton Quay
Lambton Quay is one of the
main
shopping
areas
in
Wellington. It has some good
places to shop, some fine
drinking establishments and
some cafes. Lambton Quay is full
of some wonderful old buildings.
For example, there's the Public
Trust Building (131-135 Lambton
Quay), a gorgeous Edwardian
Baroque building, and nearby on
Customhouse Quay and Hunter
St. there is the AMP building.

Art Deco Napier
Lying on the east coast of the North
Island in Hawke's Bay, Napier was
rebuilt after a huge earthquake in the
1930s and displays a distinct period
look and persona. The variety of
1930s buildings is staggering and the
yearly Art Deco Weekend festival is a
must for those inclined. Stripped
Classical and Spanish Mission
architecture are also displayed along
with the ubiquitous Art Deco style of
the 2020th century, while Maori
motifs emblazon some buildings.
Napier also happens to be bounded
by grape growing plains and the
beautiful South Pacific, although
swimming is not recommended here.

Auckland War Memorial Museum
Perhaps the finest building in all of
Auckland, the War Memorial
Museum is situated on a high
vantage point that affords amazing
views over the Cenotaph, the city
and Waitemata Harbour. Inside is
the country’s biggest collection of
Maori and Pacific Island treasures
as well as a hands-on discovery
centre for kids. The Scars on the
Heart exhibition and a 20-minute
Maori cultural performance are
both must be seen.

Colin Albert Murdoch
Colin Albert Murdoch (6 February 1929 – 4 May
2008) was a New Zealand pharmacist and
veterinarian who made a number of significant
inventions, in particular the tranquilliser gun,
the disposable hypodermic syringe and the
child-proof medicine container. In 1976 he won
three gold medals and a bronze at the in
Brussels. The has also honoured him and in
2000 he was made a member of the New
Zealand Order of Merit. Time Magazine included
him in a list of the 100 most influential people of
the South Pacific Despite the relative ubiquity of
his inventions, Murdoch did not become rich
because of them. In his final years he lived
quietly in Timaru until his death from cancer.

Patricia Frances Grace
Patricia Frances Grace, (born in
Wellington, New Zealand in 1937)
is a notable Māori writer of novels,
short stories, and children's books.
Her first published work, Waiariki
(1975) was the first collection of
short stories by a Māori woman
writer. She has been described as
"A key figure in contemporary
world literature and in Maori
literature in English"

Michael Shane Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, (born 23
February 1969) is a New Zealand
golfer who is best-known for
having won the 2005 U.S. Open
and the richest prize in golf, the
£1,000,000 HSBC World Match
Play Championship, in the same
year. He is a member of the
European Tour. Ethnically, he is
predominantly Māori, from the
Ngati Ruanui (father's side) and
Nga Rauru (mother's side) iwi. He
also has some Scottish ancestry,
being a great-great-great-grandson
of John Logan Campbell, a Scottish
emigrant to New Zealand.

Nature

New Zealand has one of the most amazing landscapes on
the planet; primeval forests, endless sandy beaches,
rugged coastlines, snow-capped mountain peaks, bubbling
volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes.

Local People
The first people who settled in New
Zealand were a brown-skinned people
called Maoris. They came from
Polynesian islands located northeast of
New Zealand. The country was
discovered by Europeans in 1642, but
they did not start to settle in the islands
until the late 1700's. Today, most New
Zealanders are descendants of the early
European settlers. Maoris make up
about 12% of the country's population.
New Zealand has one of the highest
standard of living in the world.

Maori Community
Today Maori people live
throughout New Zealand, and
many are actively involved
with keeping their culture and
language alive. Within any
Maori community, the marae
provides a focus for social,
cultural and spiritual life. The
term marae describes a
communal 'plaza' area that
includes a wharenui (meeting
house) and wharekai (dining
room).

Entertainment
One of New Zealand’s wackier
inventions, zorbing involves being
strapped inside a giant, soft,
plastic sphere and rolled down a
hill. Zorbing takes place all over
New Zealand but was started in
the Agrodome in Rotorua. You can
even do a wet zorb, where a
bucket of water is thrown inside
the zorb and you float down the
hill un-strapped. For the more
adventurous, zorbonauts can be
pushed off a small cliff, although
this is not recommended for kids.

The diversity of the terrain
and small amount of traffic on
roads and tracks makes biking
in New Zealand perfect.
Visitors can go mountain,
tandem, motor, and quad
biking, and there are centres
set up all over the country.
The South Island has the best
mountain biking and the
gradients can be as dramatic
as you like. The best time to
go
cycling
is between
February and April, and in
October and November.

Invented in New Zealand by
sporting
adventurer
extraordinaire AJ Hackett, bungee
jumping is still the ultimate headrush. There are jumps all over the
country but the best are in
Queensland,
New
Zealand’s
adventure capital. There are now
several jumps here including the
original AJ Hackett bridge jump
and the massive Pipeline jump.
The latter is a great day out, being
accessed by the treacherous
Skippers Canyon road. For a bit
more expense, you can even
bungee from a helicopter.

Canyoning
is
well
established in New Zealand
and involves clambering
and sliding down a gorge
with water gushing all
around. Canyoning can be
had
near
Auckland,
Queenstown, and Wanaka.

Another New Zealand invention, jet-boating offers a
different type of rush and is best done in the South Island
around Queenstown. Jet-boats are flat-bottomed and
work by sucking the water though a turbine to drive the
boat and squirting the water out of a nozzle to control
direction. The Shotover River running along Skippers
Canyon has the best established jet-boat operation in
New Zealand, where cruises blast you within inches of
canyon walls. One company also operates a huge jet-boat
on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu.

While rock climbing is fairly popular
in New Zealand, mountaineering is
more established with better terrain
and facilities available than for
climbing. The routes here are not
really for beginners. Those who
simply fancy a taster should first try
one of the tramps such as the
Milford Track (South Island),
Tongariro Crossing (North Island), or
Mount Ruapehu’s eastern edge, the
North Island's highest point. For
serious mountaineering, it’s best to
pay for a guided ascent of one of the
South Island’s classic peaks.

Not only great walking, New Zealand
also has great tramping, trekking and
hiking in and around its profusion of
national parks and reserves. Visitors
can partake in short, half-day, full-day
and multi-day treks. The Milford track
is arguably the finest walk in the
world and goes through some of the
planet’s most outstanding scenery,
passing mile after mile of pristine
wilderness as it takes you over
mountain
passes
and
along
waterways. Volcanic and coastal
regions, such as the Tongariro
crossing and the Abel Tasman on the
North and South islands respectively
are also superb. Trekking the Franz
Josef and Fox glaciers is another
scope altogether.

Links
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

http://www.mch.govt.nz
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.infoplease.com
http://flagspot.net
http://www.academickids.com
http://www.english-globe.ru
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.hoteltravel.com