Features

Everybody who has visited Rotorua, New Zealand and gasped in awe of its calderas, crater lakes, trout, native bush walks, geothermal mud pools and geysers, skied or snowboarded, owes it to the presence of volcanoes.

To many New Zealanders, the custard square rates right up there with the pavlova as a classic Kiwi icon.

New Zealand's capital city Wellington has more than 300 inner city cafes and restaurants, the highest concentration of eating establishments in New Zealand.

The Geraldine district has long enticed artists to paint – not surprising, given its superb setting near the foothills of the Southern Alps and its proximity to the mountains themselves. The area is now home to several award-winning artists whose work encompasses a wide range of artistic styles.

Captain James Cook arrived on the Endeavour off the East Coast of New Zealand in October 1769, where Nicholas Young was the first on board to sight the coastal hills. Local folklore tells that the Mâori of the time perceived the 'Endeavour' as an enormous bird with wings of great size and beauty.

New Zealand fashion designer Tanya Carlson is having an impact on the Australasian market.

Increases in catch rates from rivers with 'catch and release' regulations have been spectacular in many parts of North America, most notably Montana. 'Catch and release' was introduced to New Zealand by visiting American fly-fishers and is a predominant philosophy today, particularly in pristine wilderness rivers.

With the Internet, satellite television and cheaper air travel, many see New Zealand as being a fashion season ahead of the rest of the world.

Overview of caving in New Zealand; deepest, longest and other interesting facts. Most New Zealand caves are limestone or marble with some lava caves mainly around Auckland.

Waitangi Day is a public holiday held on 6 February every year to commemorate the signing of New Zealand's founding document - the Treaty of Waitangi - in 1840.