Travel Destination - New Zealand
Imagine a unique
land of breathtaking scenery: craggy coastlines, sweeping golden
beaches, verdant forests, snow-capped alpine mountains, gurgling
volcanic pools, flashing fish-filled rivers and glacier-fed lakes,
all beneath a brilliant blue sky. New Zealand is accessible, spread
over three relatively small islands with modern and efficient
transport, quiet roads, plenty of flights and two stunningly scenic
rail journeys. Other pluses are friendly, English-speaking people,
virtually no crime, and a trio of rich cultural influences –
adventurous Polynesian navigators (Maori), pioneering European
settlers who followed a thousand years later, and modern Pacific Rim
immigrants.
The plant and animal life are unmatched, giving opportunities for
close-up experiences with bird life (including kiwis), seals,
dolphins and whales. Enjoy the chance to explore two of the richest
New-World wine regions on the planet, taste wonderful cuisine,
stroll on moody beaches, tramp through the national parks or over
alpine passes. Try bungee jumping, caving or whitewater rafting: you
can ski or snowboard on eerily quiet world-class slopes, scuba dive
in unique color-filled marine reserves, sail on exciting waters or
meander tournament-class golf courses. If that’s not your bag,
immerse yourself in culture in the museums and galleries of New
Zealand’s main cities – Auckland, Christchurch and the capital
Wellington.
New Zealand’s time as an original, fully fledged tourist haven has
come. Long-haul flights are fast-growing and the country’s
isolation, once a bane, is now a boon.
New Zealand is 1200 miles southeast of Australia and
consists of two major islands, the North Island and the South
Island, which are separated by Cook Strait. Stewart Island is
located immediately south of the South Island, and the Chatham
Islands 500 miles to the east of Christchurch. Going from north to
south, temperatures decrease. Wellington is the capital city.
Auckland, with a population in excess of 1 million, is the largest
urban area in the country.
Compared to its huge neighbor Australia, New
Zealand’s three islands make up a country that is relatively small
(about 20 per cent more land mass than the British Isles).
Two-thirds of the country is mountainous, a region of swift-flowing
rivers, deep alpine lakes and dense subtropical forest. The
country’s largest city, Auckland, is situated on the peninsula that
forms the northern part of the North Island. The southern part of
the North Island is characterized by fertile coastal plains rising
up to volcanic peaks. Around Rotorua, 149 miles south of Auckland,
there is thermal activity in the form of geysers, pools of boiling
mud, springs of hot mineral water, silica terraces, colored craters
and hissing fumaroles which make Rotorua a world-famous tourist
attraction. The South Island is larger, although only about
one-third of the population lives there. The Southern Alps extend
the whole length of the island, culminating in Mount Cook, the
country’s highest peak. In the same region are the Franz Josef and
Fox glaciers.
There are also four Associated Territories: The
Cook Islands, about 2175 miles northeast of New Zealand; Niue, 570
miles west of the Cook Islands; Tokelau, three atolls about 600
miles northwest of Niue; and the Ross Dependency, which consists of
over 270,270 square miles of the Antarctic.
Source:
TAdge Destination
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