The Long White Cloud 7 class

the stars above your head are different from those that

in the Pacific Ocean. The North Island and the South

rivers, green forests and peaceful lakes with crystal clear water.

the British flag in the top left-hand corner. New Zealand

a parliamentary democracy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of

Queen Elizabeth II

of Representatives, which usually seats 120 Members of Parliament.
Parliamentary

It is sometimes informally known as the "Kiwi dollar".

international comparisons on human development, quality of life, life expectancy,

Firsts'. It is home to the country's oldest university, the

often called the 'City of Sails' because its two harbours

at the south-western part of the North Island and is

into English as The Land of the Long White Cloud.

of the long white cloud' in the Maori language.

Most immigrants adopt English as a second language, and their

surprised if you are greeted with a Hongi -the traditional

distinctive fauna dominated by birds, a number of which became

birds in New Zealand. The biggest of them was the

of a domestic chicken. All kiwi species are endangered. The

the green flesh, which is grown in New Zealand. New

The legs are strong and muscular, with a large claw on each of the four toes. Kiwi live in the forests of New Zealand, sleeping during the day and searching at night for worms, insects, and berries.
Kiwi eggs are huge; the female kiwi lays an egg equivalent to 15–20 percent of her body mass.

Don’t confuse kiwi with kiwifruit, the brown furry fruit with the green flesh, which is grown in New Zealand. New Zealanders find this very irritating!

living fossil tuatara. There are four species of primitive frogs.

the only place in the whole world where it can

elements of European, Polynesian and Asian cultural traditions were reflected

there is a small town of Kaikoura. It is one

WHALE WATCHING

A seal colony at Red Rocks on Wellington's southern coastline.

Rotorua and Taupo. The pool is 60m in diameter and

Cook National Park including a skiing adventure to the worlds

Mt Cook is known as Aoraki by the Maori and stands at 3,754 metres, which makes this mountain the highest in New Zealand.

the South Island

The North Island

are sleeping, but some are active and you can see

of its size if you look at the tiny people

Zealand, and is divided along its length by the Southern

The North Island is less mountainous than the South, but is marked by volcanism. The highest North Island mountain, Mount Ruapehu (2,797 m / 9,177 ft), is an active cone volcano.

The Southern Alps

of Plenty is a place of beautiful harbours and long

Tekapo and Ohau).
Lake Pukaki, near Mt Cook National Park   

the South Island

a city in the northern part of the North Island.

and the place where traditions and culture are kept alive.

waters! Many of them can be found nowhere else in

sea meet, is one of the most beautiful places in

highest mountain. It was
named after Captain James Cook,

Southern Alps. It is unusual in that it comes down

country plays the great role in the choice of sports

SPORT

for the haka (a traditional Māori challenge) performed before the

Sport has a major role in New Zealand's culture. Popular sports include rugby,cricket, bowls, netball, soccer, motorsport, golf, swimming and tennis.New Zealand has strong international teams in several sports including rugby union, netball, cricket,rugby league, and softball. New Zealand also has traditionally done well in the sports of rowing, yachting and cycling. The country is internationally recognised for performing well at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games.

The national rugby team, the All Blacks, is well known for the haka (a traditional Māori challenge) performed before the start of international matches. Rugby league is also widely played in New Zealand.

jumping.
By the way, zorbing and bungee jumping, two of the

is reputedly the second most popular sport in the country,

Cricket was introduced to New Zealand in the 1800s and is reputedly the second most popular sport in the country, with one source stating there are 98,000 registered cricket players. The New Zealand team is known as the Blackcaps and the national women's team is the White Ferns.

and adventure tourism.

Zealand participate in the Olympic Games and the world competitions

roots. It also includes significant influences from American, Australian and

it a popular location for the production of television programmes