subject: About New Zealand [print this page] Where are we Where are we
New Zealand can be found two thousand km South East of Australia, roughly a three hour flight and was formed by two techtonic plates moving closer together. In fact New Zealand is still growing as these plates are still moving.
Mountains and Volcanoes
The disadvantage to this is that New Zealand has many earth tremors and has some volcanoes that have the ability to burst open at some time in the future. Believe it or not New Zealand has between 10000 and 15000 earthquakes annually, but the majority are so feint that they are not even felt. On the other hand this movement of the techtonic plates has created one of the most stunning countries on the planet. With majestic flora and almost a clean beach wherever you look making New Zealand a favourite vacation spot and a dream come true for migrants.
Country of two islands
The country consists of two large islands (called the North and South Islands) with heaps of smaller islands dotted around them. New Zealand is known for its warmer climate as the temperatures dont fluctuate so much between the four seasons as you will find with most European countries. In New Zealand the temperature rarely goes below zero degrees celcius in winter and often reaches the mid to high 20s in summer. The more South you travel in winter, the more cold the temperature.
Land of the long white cloud
New Zealand is also called Aotearoa, which in Maori translates to the land of the long white cloud. Predominantly in winter the winds from the massive warm continent of Australia and the chilly Antarctic air meet to form gigantic masses of clouds that move over New Zealand. This causes New Zealand to have a yearly rainfall of approximately 600mm to 1600mm. The rainy season is therefore in winter, though we do get showers throughout the year.
The great outdoors
during summer the focus shifts to outdoor activities, with the four million strong population utilising most of their weekend periods outdoors during these months. With the turn of the season comes the end of the rain and the start of daylight saving time. Long summer days are spent tanning on the beach, visiting with friends and as would be expected water sports like boating, surfing, windsurfing and kite boarding are very popular. Fishing is also a very popular past time in New Zealand with some of the best fly and trout fishing spots.
What drives the economy
The Kiwi economy is largely based on the farming and export industries, most notably the dairy, wine and fruit sectors. There is also a vibrant video industry with many of the latest Hollywood movies being shot in New Zealand. The most well known of those being the Lord of the Rings films. There are also growing IT hubs in Auckland and Wellington.
