While New Zealand is the perfect place to get away from it all, you don’t have to get back to basics to enjoy yourself. Much more than a remote location, New Zealand provides endless opportunities for exciting things to see, do and experience...
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| As the South Pacific’s most significant city, Auckland is interesting and energising. |
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Cosmopolitan cities
In Auckland, splendid harbours frame an environment that's alive with cultural excitement, urban fun and marine challenges. This modern city environment has created a lifestyle that's ranked amongst the best in the world.
Wellington has incredible shopping, professional theatre and an abundance of cafes, bars and restaurants - all within earshot of untouched nature spots.
The South Island's largest city, Christchurch, promises an eclectic mix of historic elegance and contemporary culture. The tranquil Avon River meanders through the city, historic buildings house a lively arts community and restored trams make it easy for visitors to get around.
Queenstown's compact downtown area is a cosmopolitan hub that's relaxed during the day and huge fun at night. In any season, you can count on stylish accommodation, designer shopping and marvellous cuisine experiences.
An exciting blend of cultural influences
New Zealand has absorbed the new culinary tastes, fashions, and lifestyles of the Pacific Rim and combined them with more traditional ones to produce a unique New Zealand identity.
New Zealanders have a unique and dynamic culture, with European, Maori, Pacific and Asian influences. It’s a culture that celebrates the many different lifestyles we live, and the stories we have to tell.
New Zealand society is diverse, sophisticated, and multicultural, and the honesty, friendliness, and openness of Kiwis will impress you. And the great advantage of New Zealand is that all of its diverse physical, cultural, and artistic landscapes are so close to each other!
Cultivating the Kiwi character
New Zealand has a diverse population — but with some uniting features that make it unique in the world. Our relatively isolated South Pacific location and rugged landscapes still makes many New Zealanders quiet and independent, yet resourceful and self-reliant, with a famous ‘Kiwi ingenuity’.
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| Intricately carved ceremonial waka often make an appearance on important cultural occasions. |
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Over four hundred years before Christopher Columbus and the rest of Europe worried about falling off the edge of the world, the first New Zealanders, the Maori, voyaged thousands of miles across the vast unknown Pacific Ocean in small ocean-going canoes. In order to reach New Zealand, these brave adventurers developed their own navigation system using the stars and the currents.
New Zealand’s European pioneers were also brave, rugged and independent. Before establishing farms and settlements, they had to first clear the land - a painstaking and sometimes dangerous activity. Their isolation and exposure to the elements forced these early New Zealanders to become hardy and multi-skilled. This resourcefulness and ingenuity has greatly contributed to the New Zealand character.
The same qualities can be seen today in the new pioneers - a generation of young Kiwi business executives, computer software builders, film-makers, fashion designers, and sportspeople making waves around the world.
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| WELLINGTON - CITY OF CUISINE AND CULTURE |
Stimulate your mind in Wellington. Discover the interactive displays of Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand, and stroll around the fascinating specialty shops and chic restaurants.
Photo credit: Ian Trafford
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| EXPERIENCE THE POWHIRI |
Experience the powhiri, a ceremony of welcome extended to visitors by Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.
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| Featured Accommodation | |
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| THE LUXURY OF NEW ZEALAND LODGING |
Do you feel like succumbing to serious indulgence on your visit to New Zealand? Discover the properties which offer the most luxurious of accommodation in the most beautiful surroundings.
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| Featured Activity | |
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| TASTE NEW ZEALAND |
Take a gourmet journey through the North and South Islands and discover your appetite for New Zealand.
Photo credit: Kieran Scott
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| Featured Activities | |
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| SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES |
Learn more about the activities and attractions that you can participate in and around New Zealand. From adrenaline pumping action to scenic wonders.
Photo credit: Shotover Canyon Swing
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