The land of the long white cloud

The land of the long white cloud

      Imagine a place where the constellations of stars above your head are different from those that you have ever seen, where the night sky can glow with strange swirling lights, and where the cold of winter comes when summer arrives in Russia. Imagine a place where there are volcanoes, rivers of ice and hot lakes of extraordinary colours, and where forests are full of strange trees. This land is a place of earthquakes and living dinosaurs, where the people were once fierce warriors who worshipped mysterious spirits. This place is not from a fairy tale – it is New Zealand.

      New Zealand is a country of islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The North Island and the South Island are the main ones, and there are number of small ones, some of which are hundreds of kilometres from the main island. The country’s nearest neighbour is Australia, which lies more than 1,600 km northwest of New Zealand.  It’s never very hot or very cold in New Zealand because it is surrounded by water. Summer and winter temperatures in most places differ by less than 10^oC. The coldest month is July, and the warmest is January.

      Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, stands at the south-western tip of the North Island and is the southernmost capital city in the world. It is built on high hills around a picturesque harbour. Wellington is the windiest city in New Zealand and its nickname is “Windy Wallington”. If you ask someone in Wallington what they dislike about Wellington, the answer will almost certainly be: ‘The wind.’ But if you ask them what they most like about the capital, the answer will be: ‘It’s a city where you can be yourself.’

        Queenstown is a famous resort town. It is often called the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’. In Queenstown you can do practically all kinds of sport, including extreme ones.

      The city of Dunedin is often called the ‘City if Firsts’. It is home to the country’s oldest university, the first newspaper and the first botanic gardens. Dunedin has strong Scottish roots. In the past it was called New Edinburgh. Later, the city’s name was changed to Edinburgh’s old Celtic name, Dunedin. Dunedin is also a unique place for nature lovers. Here you can see two very rare kinds of penguin: the yellow-eyed penguin and the blue penguin.

      Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand. It is often called the ‘City of Sails’ because its two harbours are dotted with hundreds of yachts. Auckland is also famous for its Sky Tower. It is 328 metres tall and is the highest building in New Zealand. The most interesting thing about this tower is that can you jump from it! Your free fall on wires will take you about 16 seconds.

      With its mild climate and a lot of rivers, lakes and mountains, New Zealand is a great place of sports. Thrill-seekers can go surfing, diving, rafting, mountain biking, zorbing and bungee jumping. By the way, zorbing and bungee jumping, two of the most thrilling sports in the world, were invented in New Zealand!

      New Zealand is also one of the leading nations in world yachting, especially open-water long distance or round-the world races.

      The country’s national sport is Rugby Union, but it is more than a game, because winning is a matter of national pride. The New Zealand team is called ‘The All Blacks’ – they wear black shirts and shorts – and they are usually all-conquering. Before a match The All Blacks usually perform a haka, the traditional Maori war dance.

      In New Zealand you can find English and Maori things together, and this often seems funny or surprising to visitors. English is the main language, although Maori is an official language too. On Christmas Day, New Zealanders often have a traditional Maori hangi: they dig a hole in the ground and heat it with hot stone. Then they put meat and vegetables into this hole, cover it and let the food cook inside. The hangi is served in the afternoon or evening; after the delicious meal, people often sit around and sing Christmas carols.

      In 1893, New Zealand was the first country to let women vote. Today, it is the only country in the world in which all the highest offices are occupied by women.

      The New Zealand has the British flag in the top left-hand corner. New Zealand is still a monarchy and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is also Queen of New Zealand. But now New Zealand is independent state.

      New Zealand is a young country. The first Maori people landed there about a thousand years ago, and the first British people came to live there around 1840. The oldest tree in New Zealand is more than 1,250 years old, but you will not find many buildings than are more 150 years old. And in New Zealand today more than half the people are under thirty years old.

      New Zealanders are very warm-hearted and hospitable but don’t be surprised if you are greeted with Hongi – the traditional Maori pressing noses.