Vital statistics 

Area: 269,057 sq. km (103,883 sq. miles)
Population: 3.8 million (2003 est.)
Capital: Wellington
Language: English and Maori
Religion: Protestantism is the main religion among those of European descent
Time Zone: GMT + 12 hours, EST + 17 hours
Currency: New Zealand Dollar
Electricity: 230 volts
Weights and Measures: Metric
International Dialling Code: 64

The Place

In Return to Paradise, James A. Michener wrote "New Zealand is probably the most beautiful place on earth" with "natural beauty difficult to believe". Thirty years later, in a magazine article entitled The Memoirs of a Pacific Traveller, he listed Milford Sound as "The Most Stirring Sight" in the world.

Native Maori emotional attachment to the "Land of the Long White Cloud" is profound. The Maori story of the creation explains that land and human beings are all one, flesh and clay from the same source material. The first Europeans, however, tried at first to remake the face of the countryside into a Britain look-alike. Some 20,000 km (12,500 miles) from the tailored communities of Europe they still called home, they cut and burned the forest and sowed grass. But when they had the leisure to look around, they realised that packed into their small new country was a whole world of diverse and dramatic scenery.

New Zealand has majestic snow-capped peaks and unexplored rainforests, pristine lakes swarming with trout and turquoise ocean bays speckled with wooded isles, glaciers and fiords, geysers and volcanoes. It has modern cosmopolitan cities and backcountry sheep stations, kauri forests and kiwi fruit plantations. New Zealand is a combination of a land that time forgot, and a land that is difficult to forget.

Climate

New Zealand has four distinct seasons and though temperatures are seldom extreme, visiting at different times of the year offers different experiences. Summer runs from December to February (Christmas in New Zealand is very often an outdoor event involving a barbecue); autumn from March to May; winter from June to August; and spring from September to November.

The most settled weather is usually between February and April. In winter, New Zealand's mountains come to the fore, with plenty of activities available for travellers interested in winter sports such as skiing. If you are a beach or watersports person, then summer is definitely the time to visit. Springtime can be cool but with blossoms on the trees it is also a very pretty time of the year.

Highlights

Auckland

New Zealand's largest city is also its most modern, and the perfect place to launch your exploration of the North Island. Visit the lush Domain Gardens, the famous One Tree Hill and other city landmarks as well as charming Parnell Village. There are wonderful restaurants and exciting nightlife to partake of, and if time allows, take a drive out to Auckland Bay to visit Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World.

Bay of Islands

North of Auckland is the irregular 800-km (500-mile) coastline, embracing the 150 islands which make up the Bay of Islands. This is a great area to camp, boat, swim, and relax. Visit the towns of Paihia and Russell, go on the exciting Hole in the Rock cruise and visit the Waitangi Treaty House, where New Zealand's founding document was signed.

Coromandel Peninsula

Southeast of Auckland is Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula - once the centre of the country's gold rush, but known for its beaches, diving, fishing, boating and swimming. Coromandel township, near the northern end of the peninsula, today offers a quiet, alternative life for painters, potters and weavers. Don't miss unique Hot Water Beach, where visitors can dig a hole in the sand and wallow in the soothing hot spring waters.

North Cape

Cape Reinga, with its distinctive lighthouse, is found at the northernmost tip of the North Island. The district is rich in Maori folklore: nearby Spirits Bay is from where Maori souls were said to depart on their homeward journey back to the ancestral land of Hawaiiki. Views from the cape are impressive, with the turbulent meeting line of the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. Ninety Mile Beach is actually 60 miles (96 km) long, and lined with dunes and hillocks of shell.

Rotorua

South of Auckland, the Rotorua region is famous for its geothermal activity and hot springs. Rotorua itself is a charming spa town bordering Lake Rotorua with its Tudor-style Rotorua Museum of Art and History and the outdoor Polynesian Spa. Nearby are attractions like Whakarewarewa and Waimangu Valley, both hotbeds of thermal activity, and Lake Rotomahana, site of the ancient Pink and White Terraces and the Buried Village of Te Wairoa.

Wellington

At the southern tip of North Island, Wellington is New Zealand's capital city. With its mix of Victorian and modern architecture, Wellington has a charm of its own. The city's star attraction is Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand), with its interactive displays and virtual reality games. Other city landmarks include the Civic Square, the Town Hall, Parliament Buildings and Old St Paul's Cathedral.

Kaikoura

From Wellington, a short ferry crossing the Cook Strait takes you to Picton, from where the town of Kaikoura is three hours away by road. The main attraction here are the whales which congregate close to the shore. Whale watching trips can be taken by sea or air, but if you're lucky you might even spot them from the shore.

Christchurch

Christchurch is South Island's main point of entry for international visitors arriving by air. It can also be accessed by ferry from North Island and then by road via Picton and Kaikoura. Christchurch boasts traditional pleasures - punting on the Avon River, riding a tram through the inner-city streets, sipping coffee by Cathedral Square. There are also gardens - acres and acres of them - both public and private, giving the city its moniker "The Garden City".

Arthur's Pass

The quickest route between Christchurch and Westland is the West Coast Road (Highway 73) through Arthur's Pass. The pass marks the eastern portal of the Otira Tunnel, the only rail link through the mountains and without a doubt the most scenic railway line in New Zealand. Arthur's Pass is also the headquarters of the national park of the same name. Its close proximity to Christchurch and its numerous tracks make the 100,000-hectare (247,000-acre) park one of the best utilised in the country.

Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers

Most famous of the West Coast's attractions are Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier, about 120 km (75 miles) north of Haast Pass. Both glaciers are located in Westland National Park, with its 88,000 hectares (217,000 acres) of alpine peaks, snowfields, forests, lakes and rivers. Guided glacial walks as well as helicopter and skiplane flights over both glaciers are available.

Queenstown

Queenstown is a sophisticated all-year tourist resort, providing an unrivalled range of adventure activities. This is where the sport of bungee jumping was invented (the one at Skipper's Canyon is especially popular) but there are also other airborne sports like skydiving, parapenting and hang-gliding. Queenstown's lakes and swift-flowing rivers set the scene for white-water rafting and jet-boating adventures. In winter, snow skiiing takes place at nearby Coronet Peak and The Remarkables from July to September.

Milford Sound

Fiordland is New Zealand's largest national park and a World Heritage Park. The 291-km (181-mile) long road from Queenstown to Milford Sound is part of the attraction, curving past Lake Te Anau, entering dense forests and passing by rivers and lakes to emerge into the head of Milford Sound. Here, boats regularly carry visitors on excursions to the open sea, where the unforgettable Mitre Peak - a 1,692-metre (5,551-ft) pinnacle of rock - and several landmarks, notably the Bowen Falls, command attention.

New Zealand Tourist Office website