Places In New Zealand - Things To Do and See and Where To Go<< >> The places New Zealand has to offer the traveller are amazing. Said to be the youngest country on earth as the last major landmass to be discovered, it offers a breath taking experience for the tourist. Most people on earth are aware of the ‘All Blacks’ rugby team and the famous ‘haka’, which is a traditional Maori challenge dance. Every time the team plays the game is preceded by this warrior display. The most famous haka used is "Ka Mate", originally composed by the Maori chief Te Rauparaha of Ngâti Toa to celebrate a narrow escape from death. It is fitting that the indigenous Maori people, who settled the land just around a thousand years ago, are honoured in this way.
In eighteen forty a treaty was drawn up between the Maori people and the British Crown. Since that time the mix of Maori and European culture has made the country into what it is today. Roughly the size of Great Britain it has a population of around four million and is one of the world's least crowded countries.
No wonder it has become a byword for outdoor sports. Here is where the world was introduced to bungee jumping and zorbing.
And of course the majestic landscapes of magnificent mountain chains, steaming volcanoes, rugged coastlines, deep fiords and lush rainforests.
Spread over both the North and South Islands there are fourteen spectacular national parks. One of these is the Fiordland National Park that has been carved by glaciers over successive ice ages. In this park you can find trees that are more than eight hundred years old. In nineteen ninty Fiordland was listed as a United Nations World Heritage site and given the name Te Wahipounamu - 'the place of greenstone', after the area's most treasured mineral resource. There are many Maori historic sites and taonga (treasures) to see and a fascinating culture to learn about. Here you can whale watch, climb into spectacular caves and explore the rich culture and history of the Maori people.
Some places have special significance in the country's history. One such place is Waitangi where the treaty that changed the course of New Zealand history was signed. Another is central Otago with its relics of the gold rush, when thousands of people flocked to the region in search of riches. In Napier you’ll see a wealth of wonderful Art Deco architecture that only came to be because the city was almost entirely destroyed by a huge earthquake in nineteen thirty one.
The Lord of the Rings movies have pushed the what to see New Zealand scenery to the fore and has placed the country into peoples mind as a tourist destination. Especially highlighted was the scenery in the South Island, which is some of the most spectacular in the world.
Auckland Christchurch Dunedin Kaikoura Milford Sound Napier New Plymouth Queenstown Rotorua Taupo Wanaka Wellington
New Zealand is sandwiched between two oceans and perched on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which gives it a unique environment. Geothermal activity and creeping glaciers together with an abundance of wildlife, flora & fauna make this land a travellers dream.
It is a place for relaxation as well as a great magnificent playground for thrills and adventures. Enjoying a temperate climate with relatively small seasonal variation makes it an ideal year-round vacation and holiday destination.
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