ABOUTNZ
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Photo: Tourism New Zealand
About New Zealand MAORI CULTURAL LEGENDS, GLACIAL VALLEYS AND 60 + MILLION WOOLLY ANIMALS (YES, SHEEP)– LIFE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THE LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD Contrary to popular belief, there is more to New Zealand than bungy jumping, kiwi fruit and 60 million sheep. In fact, the biggest mistake anyone can make is to underestimate New Zealand and expect it to be just like Australia. Apart from residents of both countries possessing funny accents, they couldn’t be more different! With dashing snow-capped mountains, endless glaciated valleys, steaming volcanos, tropical beaches and wild gushing rivers, New Zealand is profoundly beautiful. It’s a place where you can actually go swimming in the morning and skiing in the afternoon.
and friendly. The folks who farm the land and those who work in the industries servicing the rural sector are, as anywhere, salt of the earth. They lead quite a life. For a small country they’ve got a great attitude. While New Zealand boasts a melting pot of cultures, it is predominantly European. The native Maori population and the growing influx from the South Pacific islands and Asia help to give life in New Zealand a unique flavour. Maori account for about 14 per cent of the country’s population and their cultural influence is everywhere.
The locals
Maori legend has it that the South Island of New Zealand was the canoe of the great fisherman Maui and the North Island was a fish he caught using a hook. The island didn’t like being pulled from the sea and writhed around a lot, which is why the North Island is so mountainous. Legend also tells of the Maori arriving in New Zealand about 1,000 years ago. They came in a fleet of canoes from a land called Hawaiki, a mythical
With only four and a half million inhabitants on a landmass close in size to Great Britain, New Zealand is clearly not an over-populated nation. It is made up of the North Island, the South Island, Stewart Island and various small islands. New Zealanders (or Kiwis – and it’s not offensive to call them that) are generally relaxed, outgoing 110 TNTDOWNUNDER.COM
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