New Zealand

COUNTRY  PROFILE

New Zealand is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is a remote land and lies more than 1,600 km Southeast
of Australia – its nearest neighbor. The capital city is Wellington and the country is also known as the –“Land of the Long White Cloud”. In comparison, New Zealand is bigger than the United Kingdom (UK) in size but has only the 1/4th of the population as that of UK. 

It will be appropriate to mention here that a famous mountaineer and a New Zealander –“Sir Edmund Hillary” with Sherpa
Tenzing Norgay of Nepal, did climb successfully Mt. Everest in Nepal, in 1953 which was one of the defining moments of the
20th century. 

New Zealand is made up of some of the worlds’ most spectacular landscapes that varies from vast mountain ranges, the spectacular snowcapped peaks, steaming volcanoes, long sandy beaches, the sweeping coastlines, spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, verdant valleys to the dazzling fjords.  It is the sole home, for example, of the long-beaked, flightless kiwi, the ubiquitous nickname for New Zealanders. This truly is one of the most picturesque and photogenic places on earth.

QUICK  FACTS ON  NEW ZEALAND  :-

CAPITAL   :: Wellington
NUMBER OF STATES :: 16 ( Sixteen )
LARGEST CITY  :: Auckland
NATIONAL LANGUAGE :: English, Māori
RELIGION  :: Christianity
AREA  :: 268,021 km2  (103,483 sq mi)
POPULATION :: 4,970,090 (120th) ( June 2019)

MAJOR  CITIES

The main cities in New Zealand are ;  WELLINGTON ( the capital city with a population of  418,500) , AUCKLAND
is the largest city in terms of the population ( 1,628,900). ROTORUA  has a population of 59,500 and NAPIER has a population of 134,500.

The seasons in New Zealand are just opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere, and are the same as those in Australia. The climate in New Zealand’s can best be described as being extremely variable and this is anything except tropical ! You are very likely to experience 4 seasons in one day, which is very normal & a unique! 

High Season   ( Summer – December, January, February)
December to February is considered to be the best time to visit New Zealand. Travelling in summer has the advantage of the best overall weather. But these months are also the busiest time of year for both local holiday makers and international tourists. This weather will be perfect for grasping the beaches, enjoying clams, exploring Waitomo Glowworm Caves, and stargazing.  

Shoulder Season   ( Autumn – March, April, May / Spring – September, October, November )
Autumn in New Zealand is a time of spectacular changes in colors, with vivid russet browns, reds and golden leaves.  One can observe the terrific “Aurora Australis”, a Milky Way, and stunning autumn foliage.
— Spring is a great time of year to travel in New Zealand. As the Ski Season is still coming to an end; the Southern Alps and mountains are majestic with their snow covering. For adventure seekers, this is a great time for white water rafting, as the mountain snows start melting. Spring is also the time when the new flowers and leaves start appearing. 

Low Season    ( Winter – June, July, August )
During winter though temperatures in the mountains are cold. But once you get away from there, the winters are relatively short and mild. For the keen and beginner skier, New Zealand has a great choice of Ski Fields with the ski season running from June
to the first week in October. Winter season rejoices passionate skiers, hot pools lovers, and whale watchers.