New Zealand Trivia & Fun Facts
NEW ZEALAND TRIVIA & FUN FACTS
- The Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa which means "The Land of the Long White Cloud"
- The population of New Zealand is almost 5 million, yet it is approximately the same size as the UK which has a population of more than 60 million
- 15% of the population is Maori
- New Zealand was the last habitable landmass to be populated
- Around one-third of the country is protected national parkland and marine reserves
- No part of New Zealand is more than 130 kilometres/80 miles from the sea
- New Zealand has the 9th longest coastline in the world, with a length of 15,134 kilometres/9450 miles
- There are 50 volcanic cones in and around Auckland but most of them are extinct
- There are nine sheep for each person in New Zealand, making it the highest ratio in the world
- There are no snakes in New Zealand
- Wellington is the southernmost capital in the world
- New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote in 1893
- New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals per capita than any other competing country
- The first person to climb Mount Everest was a New Zealander - Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953
- The national sport of the country is Rugby Union and is fanatically played and followed
- There are more golf courses and bookstores per capita than any other nation in the world - more than 400
- New Zealand has two national anthems - God Save the Queen and God Defend New Zealand. The latter is sung with both English and Maori lyrics
- Kiwi fruit was originally called Chinese Gooseberries
- More people live in Auckland than the whole of the South Island
- Auckland has 265 days of sunshine per year on average
- Auckland has more sailboats per capita than any other country
- The most popular New Zealand movies to be made are The Lord of the Rings, The Piano, Once were Warriors and The Whale Rider. All but one scene of the Lord of the Rings films were shot in New Zealand. The movie pumped roughly $200,000,000 into the New Zealand economy
- New Zealand has the most southerly railway station, pub and vineyard in the world
- New Zealand inventions include the self-sealing lid, the postage stamp vending machine, the bobby pin, the electric fence, and the jet boat
- New Zealand scientist and Nobel Prize winner Baron Ernest Rutherford was the first in the world to split the atom in 1919
- Organized bungee jumping originated in New Zealand. More than 100,000 visitors undertake a jump each year
- New Zealand is home to more species of penguins than any other country
- Bats are the only native land mammals in the country. The rest were introduced by Maoris and Europeans
- Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park on the South Island has the clearest water in the world with a visibility of up to 80 metres deep
- The world's steepest street is in Dunedin
- A clock in Dunedin has been running since 1864 and has never been wound up
New Zealand Travel Information
At Goway we believe that a well-informed traveller is a safer traveller. With this in mind, we have compiled an easy to navigate travel information section dedicated to New Zealand.
Learn about the history and culture of New Zealand, the must-try food and drink, and what to pack in your suitcase. Read about New Zealand's nature and wildlife, weather and geography, along with 'Country Quickfacts' compiled by our travel experts. Our globetrotting tips, as well as our visa and health information will help ensure you're properly prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip. The only way you could possibly learn more is by embarking on your journey and discovering New Zealand for yourself. Start exploring...book one of our New Zealand tours today!
Extend Your Stay
Consider an additional stopover to your New Zealand vacation at one of Goway's South Pacific destinations. You can choose from our selection of Australian vacations, Tahiti vacation packages or stay at one of our Fiji resorts or perhaps take a Cook Island vacation. This can be done by stopping over en route to or from New Zealand.
Book your New Zealand tour with Goway!
With more than 150 New Zealand tours and experiences, Goway’s Downunder wizards can offer you many ways to explore and enjoy New Zealand. Choose from a simple city stopover, see the country highlights on one of our classic itineraries, a self-drive holiday, a Holiday of a Lifetime and more. We want to be your first choice when next you go globetrotting to New Zealand.
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