Official Name: New Zealand. 
Visa Info: Visa nedded by Yugoslavian citizens. Passport needed by U.S. and Canadian citizens for stay up to three months. Onward ticket and visa (if needed) for the next destination as well as sufficient funds for visit required. Reconfirm with carrier before departure. 
Health Certificates: None required. Check with health authorities for the latest information. 
Capital: Wellington. 
Population: 3,344,000. 
Size: 103,736 sq mi/269,063 sq km. About the size of Colorado. 
Languages: English, Maori. 
Climate: Temperate. 
Economy: Services, industry, agriculture (exports beef, wool, dairy products). 
Government: Parliamentary democracy. 
Religions: Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Roman Catholicism. 
Currency: New Zealand dollar (NZD). 100 cents = 1 NZD. 
Time Zone: 17 hours ahead of U.S. EST. 
Telecommunications: Good. 
Electricity: 220 volts. 
Visitor Information: New Zealand Tourism Office, 501 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90401, or at 888 Dunsmuir Street, Suite 1200, Vancouver, BC V6C 3K4. 

Introduction 

New Zealand is so gorgeous, so naturally dramatic -- glaciers, fjords, isolated beaches -- that we wonder if we should mention... bungy jumping. But the Kiwis, as the New Zealanders are known, can take credit for making it a sport. Then there's the "jet boat." They can take credit for that, too. There are any number of other truly adventurous things to do in New Zealand -- sport-fishing, for instance, or skiing or surfing. But probably the most satisfying activity is what New Zealanders do all the time: hike. They call it "tramping." It's the perfect way to meet these friendly people and to soak up the amazing beauty of the place. 

New Zealand was originally settled in the 1300s by the Maoris (pronounced MAU-rees), who called it Aotearoa ("Land of the Long White Cloud"). A long tradition of oral history recounts how 10 great canoes arrived from an island near Tahiti to populate the islands. For 500 years the Maoris' lives went untouched by the outside world: They wore spectacular zig-zag tattoos, made war among themselves and either enslaved or ate their enemies. 

The next epoch in the islands' history opened in 1642, when the Dutch explorer Abel van Tasman "discovered" the land but left without claiming it. Captain Cook claimed the islands 130 years later for the British throne, but it wasn't until the 1830s that Pakeha, or white, settlement began in earnest. Conflict between the native Maoris and the British settlers ensued until 1840, when a conditional peace was established. Another, bloodier war was fought in the early 1860s and ended with a more-or-less live-and-let-live attitude that persists to this day. The nation sided with the Allies in both World Wars. New Zealand remains an independent member of the Commonwealth and has declared itself a nuclear-free zone. 

The nation consists of two large islands, logically enough called North Island and South Island, and numerous small islands. Both major islands are rather mountainous, with coastal plains. North Island, where most of the people live, has a warmer, more temperate climate. The South is colder, but more spectacular, with fjords, glaciers and hundreds of streams and lakes. 

Itinerary 

New Zealand lends itself to all forms of travel: escorted, hosted, fly/drive, adventure and specialty. We think the first-time visitor will want to take an escorted tour to get a good overview for the best price. The second-time visitor will probably rent a car. Though we'd encourage a longer tour, the absolute minimum stay for a first-time visitor in New Zealand would be 8 or 9 days (2 weeks would be much better). 

When to Go 

New Zealand's seasons are opposite those in North America (when it's summer here, it's winter there). North Island is warmer than South Island by at least 10 degrees F/5 C year-round. Auckland always has fairly mild temperatures. During their summer, (November-March) the highs are in the 80s F/28-32 C and the lows in the 60s-70s F/15-27 C. In winter (May-October), day temperatures will be in the 50s-60s F/10-22 C, with nights in the 40s-50s F/5-14 C. Our favorite months are mid-September through October, when the flowers and apple/dogwood trees are in bloom, dotting the greenest-of-green countryside. Take a sweater year-round. There's skiing July-September on South Island; the weather on top of the mountains can be very cold, so bring winter coats and rain gear if you'll be spending much time there. 

Potpourri 

According to Maori legend, New Zealand's North Island was a great fish hooked by the god Maui. South Island was his canoe and Stewart Island his anchor...If you want to get a glimpse of the year 2000 before anybody else, go to Gisborne. This town -- the first town past the International Dateline, where each day begins -- is planning a special celebration for the millenium...The Harbor Bridge, in Auckland, was expanded from four lanes to eight by a Japanese company. The additional traffic lanes, added to each side, are locally dubbed the "Nippon Clippons"...Our favorite place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenua-kitanatahu, a coastal hill 60 mi/97 km south of Napier, North Island...Christchurch on South Island was named after Christ Church College at Oxford. One of the early settlers was a very loyal alumnus...Consider a stay on a sheep farm to capture the flavor of this "nation of sheep," where sheep outnumber people 22 to 1. Reservations for stays throughout the country may be made through several farm holiday/home stay organizations...Visit Nelson (South Island) and Kerikeri (North Island) to see local potters at work... 

Relative to body size, the kiwi lays the largest egg of any bird -- up to 25% of its body weight. Kiwis can lay up to three eggs at a time!...Pubs in New Zealand have invented the "sport" of horizontal bungy-cord jumping. Set a beer at the end of a long bar and go to the other end and strap on a cord. Run as far as you can until you grab the beer -- or are snapped back. Do it again. Another pub pastime is "wall-splattering," where players wear a Velcro suit and have a leap at a felt-covered wall -- the highest "stick" wins. A small trampoline helps one achieve altitude...Motutapu Island could be called the Kiwi Manhattan. Although not quite as developed as Gotham City, it was bought in the 1840s from the Maoris for 4 shotguns, 5 complete suits of clothing, 10 empty barrels and 50 blankets...New Zealand's Antipodes Islands (from the Greek anti -- opposite -- and podes -- feet) are so named because they are almost precisely opposite London, England, on the globe...In common with many other island nations (especially in the South Pacific), New Zealand has many types of flora and fauna that are found nowhere else on earth (such as the flightless kiwi and the extremely rare kakapo birds). It also has no snakes and relatively few insects -- but do watch out for hungry mosquitos and sandflies...The now-extinct Moas would have to have been New Zealand's most exotic bird; some of these ostrich-like creatures reached heights of 14 ft/4 m... 

"Tramping" (or hiking) is really the national pastime of New Zealand. Everyone does it, and there are trails everywhere, ranging from 20-minute walks to 5-day hikes... If you are in Tauranga, be sure to take a tour of the groves of kiwi fruit trees (the kiwi fruit, originally from China, is also known as the Chinese gooseberry)...When people say, "Kia ora," they're welcoming you...Blenheim is the place to go when the cloud cover gets you down. It gets more sunshine than anywhere else in the country. The area between Picton and Blenheim is gaining an international reputation for its wine and champagne production. There are vineyards all over this part of the country, with many wineries open for wine-tasting...Among the great trout-fishing lakes is Lake Taupo, in the center of North Island. It offers challenging sport in a spectacular setting...Author Douglas Adams called New Zealand's southern region "one of the most astounding pieces of land anywhere on God's earth, and one's first impulse, standing on a clifftop surveying it all, is simply to burst into spontaneous applause"...Backpackers should purchase the Backpacker's Pass, which includes coupons for ground transportation throughout the country, including special services for hard-to-reach areas. The pass is available from travel agents in New Zealand...The U.S. Embassy is located in Wellington at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, phone (64-4) 472-2068. There are also U.S. Consulates in Auckland and Christchurch... 

For More Information 

Guidebooks: The best guidebooks for New Zealand are Mobil New Zealand Travel Guide: North Island and Mobil New Zealand Travel Guide: South Island (Reed Methuen, Auckland) -- but they're only available in New Zealand. Guides distributed in North America include New Zealand: A Travel Survival Kit by Tony Wheeler (Lonely Planet) and New Zealand Handbook by Jane King (Moon Publications). Lonely Planet also publishes a hiking book called Tramping in New Zealand...A free publication, New Zealand Access Guide for the Less Mobile Traveler, gives specific information on hotels, lodges and attractions that are accessible to the disabled traveler. It is available from the Los Angeles branch of the New Zealand Tourist Office... 

Holidays: Major public holidays include 1 January, 6 February (Waitangi Day), Easter Week, 25 April (ANZAC Day), Queen's Birthday (June), Labor Day (October) and 25-26 December....