New Zealand - Nieuw-Zeeland

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New Zealand is a country in Oceania, consisting of two large and several small islands. The capital is Wellington. It is part of the British Commonwealth and has the Queen of England as head of state. Due to massive immigration and colonization, the majority of the population is of European descent, although there is a large group of native Maori and many Asian immigrants.

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  hot spring

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  Volcano

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  Pancake Rocks

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  Lake Mapourika

Islands

New Zealand consists of the two main islands (the North and South Island) and several smaller ones:

Towns

The main cities of New Zealand are Auckland and the capital Wellington, both located on the North Island. Of these, Auckland, while not the capital, is the largest and the most fashionable. On the South Island are Christchurch and Dunedin the largest cities.

• Wellington - capital
• Auckland — largest city in the North Island and also all of New Zealand
• Christchurch — South Island's largest city, largely destroyed in a series of earthquakes in 2011
• Dunedin — another big city in the South Island
• Hamilton
• napier
• Nelson
• Queenstown — the mecca for the adrenaline junkies among travelers
• Rotorua — known for its hot springs

Other destinations

• Abel Tasman National Park
• Bay of Islands
• Cape Reinga & Ninety Mile Beach
• Coromandel
• Franz Josef Glacier
• Milford Sound
• Mount Cook
• Stewart Island
• Waitomo Caves

Info

New Zealand is an isolated country on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. It was originally inhabited by the Maoris, but Western immigrants make up the majority of the population. It still belongs to the Commonwealth of Nations, but lately the votes for a president have become clearer. It has been a dominion since 1907 and de facto independent.

History

In the 12th and 13th centuries, there was overpopulation in the area now known as Polynesia. The result was a famine and a flight of people to areas where it was thought that there would be sufficient food. Orally narrated is the story of "Aotearoa", the land of the long white cloud. This refers to present-day New Zealand. The name "long white cloud" can be explained by the fact that there is always a lot of cloud, especially on the large islands. The people of Polynesia (or Hawaiki, as they called it) were excellent boatmen, boat builders and navigators. They manufactured large canoes ("wakas") with limited resources and took them out into the South Pacific navigating on moon and stars to arrive at "Aotearoa". The first landings took place in the area now known as the Bay of Plenty, near Gisborne on the North Island.

Because it is quite cold in winter compared to the rest of Polynesia, the Maori emigrated to New Zealand went in search of warmth. They found these in the shape of the geysers around Rotorua. It is not surprising that today Rotorua is still the center of Maori culture.

Over the centuries, the Maoris spread across New Zealand, living in harmony with nature until, in December 1642, two small ships appeared in what is now known as "Murderers Bay" near the town of Nelson on the South Island. These two ships were named "Heemskerck" and "Duifken" and were commanded by Abel Tasman, officer and explorer with the Dutch East India Company.

Tasman had been sent by the governor of Batavia, Anthony van Diemen, to see whether the "Unknown South Land" existed and whether "trade could be done" there, equivalent in VOC jargon to plundering the discovered land. Due to a lack of communication and knowledge of the Maori culture, this adventure ended very badly. When there was initially a peaceful response from the Maoris, Tasman and his friends thought it was safe to commute between the Duifken and the Heemskerck by boat. At the moment this was interpreted differently by the Maoris and they attacked the boat, resulting in some fatalities on the part of the Dutch. Tasman then thought it safer to withdraw and sailed back to Batavia where he informed Anthony van Diemen that there was nothing to be done in "Het Nieuwe Seelandt".

For more than a century, New Zealand was without visits from Europe until Captain James Cook landed in October 1769 in much the same spot as the Maoris had several centuries earlier. Because Cook had first been to Hawaii, he also had a Polynesian from Hawaii on board his ship. He could communicate with the local Maoris in his own language. That must have gone like a Dutchman talking to a South African. Cook took possession of New Zealand on behalf of the English King.

From about 1790 British, French and American whalers regularly visit the waters around New Zealand and a few decades later the first Europeans settle in New Zealand. As a result of European interference and the sale of weapons to Maoris, skirmishes regularly break out between Maoris and with the Europeans, known as Pakeha. In an attempt to end land disputes, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed on Thursday, February 6, 1840, by some Maori chieftains and representatives of the British Crown. From that moment on, New Zealand is an independent British colony and there are agreements about the division of land.

New Zealand becomes a dominion in 1907. In 1947, with the ratification of the Statute of Westminster, New Zealand gains full independence, although the Queen of England is still head of state.

Up to and including 1993, New Zealand's parliaments were elected every three years according to the English-style district system. A system of proportional representation has been in effect since 1996. This also gives smaller parties a chance and since then coalitions have been governing. Between 1990 and 1999 the National Party took the lead, between 1999 and 2008 Labor was in power and since 2008 the National Party has ruled again.

Arrive

By plane

By plane to New Zealand is the only realistic option. Several airlines offer flights from the airports of Zaventem and Schiphol. From Zaventem you can count on Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, Eva Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Air New Zealand. From Schiphol you can book with KLM [1], Cathay Pacific [2], Emirates [3], Malaysia Airlines [4] and Singapore Airlines [5]. Also consult the cheap ticket sites.

You don't always have to fly the "standard" route (via Southeast Asia). With KLM [6] and Air New Zealand [7] in some cases (usually due to shorter transfer times) you fly to Auckland via Los Angeles, San Francisco or even Vancouver faster than via Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.

The majority of international flights to New Zealand arrive at Auckland International Airport, New Zealand's largest airport.

For the South Island it is best to fly to Christchurch. Christchurch International Airport (Harewood) has a very long runway because of the heavily loaded supply flights departing from this airport to the research stations in Antarctica. Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Emirates and Qantas make good use of this facility and all fly to this destination. From Schiphol you can fly to Christchurch with transfers in either Singapore (Singapore Airlines) or Dubai (Emirates).

The airports of Wellington, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Dunedin and Queenstown also have international facilities, but international destinations to and from these airports are limited to destinations on the Australian east coast and (in the case of Wellington) some islands in the South Pacific.

By boat

There are no regular passenger services by boat to other countries, only cruise ships call at the port of Auckland (especially in summer).

Travel around

General

The best time to go to New Zealand is February. Then the school holidays have ended there, but the weather is like it is in the Netherlands in August (often warm 25-30 degrees and sunny). If you are going to travel around, you can do so by rental car (see also under safety), bus or plane.

By bus

Intercity [8], the national long-distance buses usually run once a day between the important places and tourist attractions. Keep in mind that this mode of transport can be very time-consuming. For the young budget traveler, there are the Kiwi Experience [9] and the Magic Bus [10]. A species guided tour regular service with stops at the budget accommodations in all important places.

Car or camper

If you want to rent a car, it is recommended to arrange this before departure, as it can be difficult to get a rental car on site, especially in high season. You can take your rental car from the North to the South Island, but keep in mind that the ferry Wellington-Picton is the only sea connection, so you sometimes have to book a car or camper months in advance. It is more convenient to hand in your car or camper in Wellington and take the plane to Nelson (30 min flight) or Christchurch (45 minutes flight) and rent a car or motorhome there to explore the South Island to pull around.

Petrol is cheap (count on the price level of Luxembourg) and that makes traveling by car very attractive. In practice, count on the fact that you can cover about 300 km per day, due to the limited maximum speed (100 km/h) and the often narrow, winding roads. Also keep in mind that, in principle, you cannot drive on a dirt road with a rental car or camper (dirt road or unsealed road) can drive. This is of course unavoidable during road works on normal SHs (State Highways) and people turn a blind eye there, but a road that is unsealed even though it is labeled SH (State Highway), it is a "no-go area" for rental cars.

In New Zealand, just like in England, you drive on the left and overtake on the right if necessary. There is a special traffic rule in New Zealand that must be observed when driving. When you turn, the car with the longest bend has the right of way. So suppose you want to turn right and a car from the opposite direction wants to take the same road, then you have right of way. You have the longest bend.

By boat

The InterIslander [11] and the Blue Bridge Ferry [12] operate daily ferry services between Wellington (North Island) and Picton (South Island). If you want to join as a pedestrian or by bike (this is also possible in New Zealand), this is in principle possible on all departures, provided you only book one day before the trip. Reservations can be made at all AA stores (the New Zealand equivalent and sister organization of the ANWB) and all Tourist offices, recognizable by the green-black logo with the letter i. It is certainly recommended during the busy periods from early December to late February to reserve your place months in advance.

By train

There are only a limited number of passenger trains in New Zealand, mainly aimed at tourists. On the North Island this is the train from Auckland to Wellington [13]; on the South Island these are the trains from Christchurch to Greymouth [14] and the boat train from Christchurch to Picton [15]. The Taieri Gorge Express runs from Dunedin [16], a tourist train through a spectacular gorge to Pukerangi and Middlemarch (connection to the rest of the rail network). all around Wellington and Auckland there is a limited network of suburban trains.

By plane

There are two airlines that operate flights between the approximately thirty airports in New Zealand: The largest is Air New Zealand [17] which serves almost all destinations in New Zealand under its own label or through their regional subsidiary Air New Zealand Link. Between the larger airports is flown with Boeing 737-300 jets or Airbus A320. The smaller regional airports are flown with ATR-72 turboprop aircraft (68 seats), Bombardier Q300 (50 seats) or the very small Beachcraft 1900-D (19 seats).

jetstar [18], the budget fighter (and subsidiary of Qantas [19]) provides services between the major destinations with a number of A320 airbus aircraft Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua on the North Island and Christchurch and Queenstown on the South Island.

To buy

Typically New Zealand products mainly come from agriculture or livestock.

• Wool products: With 40 million sheep, New Zealand is one of the largest wool producers in the world. You can buy sweaters and scarves made from genuine New Zealand wool in most souvenir shops.

• Wine: New Zealand is booming as a wine country. Well-known wine regions are Hawkes Bay all around napier, the Marlborough Sounds (area around Nelson and Blenheim on the South Island) and the area immediately north of Auckland (Henderson). Also there are some vineyards around Christchurch and in Central Otago (Wanaka, Queenstown) on the South Island.

• Maori carvings: In Rotorua is the training institute of the Maoris. They make beautiful works of art from Kauri wood. The products made here can be bought from souvenir shops all over New Zealand, but of course it is best to buy these things from the shops run by the Maoris themselves.

• Clothing and sportswear : New Zealanders, like Australians, are fond of sports. The national sports are rugby and cricket. The well-known label "Canterbury of New Zealand" is for sale everywhere, with or without the imprint "All Blacks" (the national rugby team).

• Cadbury has a large chocolate factory in Dunedin. Chocolate bars are widely available in all kinds and flavors everywhere.

• Beer : Well-known beer brands from New Zealand are CB (Canterbury Breweries in Christchurch) and Speights ("Pride of the South" from Dunedin)

Stores

The shops in New Zealand are usually open from 9am to 6pm. Outside the larger cities and outside the really touristy areas, expect limited opening hours on weekends. so-called Dairies (a kind of small neighborhood supermarket) are open longer, but the products that are sold there are more expensive than at the large supermarkets. The major supermarkets are: New World, Woolworths and Pack 'n Save. You can usually find them just outside the city centers.

Cost

New Zealand is relatively cheap by Flemish and Dutch standards. Yet New Zealanders have a high standard of living. This makes New Zealand an economically interesting destination for a long holiday. Partly because of the high costs of transport to the country, it is therefore recommended to take a long holiday in New Zealand (at least 3 to 4 weeks).

Money

The currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), divided into 100 cents. There are coins of NZD 1,-; NZD 2; NZD 0.50 ; NZD 0.20 and NZD 0.10. There are NZD 5 banknotes; NZD 10,- ; NZD 20; NZD 50 and NZD 100. At most ATMs you can simply withdraw money with your Dutch debit card (you can recognize these machines by the Maestro or Cirrus logo). Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere (Master Card, Visa or American Express). Please note that the total amount in supermarkets etc. is always rounded to 10 cents for cash payment. Exchange rate (approximate): 1 NZD = 0.6 Euro.

Please note, the coins (with the exception of those of NZD 1,- and NZD 2,-) are exactly the same in size and weight as those of Australia and the Fiji Islands. The rates of all these coins are different.

Food

In New Zealand, especially many English influences can be found in the kitchen. Dishes like the English fish and chips and savory pies (piss). A lot of fish is also eaten.

Since many sheep are also kept in New Zealand, mutton is a common ingredient in meals. Also in the national way of preparing meals, the barbecue ("barbie or BBQ"), a lot of lamb or mutton is used.

Special and original New Zealand is a so-called "Hangi". This cooking method was invented by the original inhabitants of New Zealand, the Maoris. Since there is a lot of volcanism on the North Island, the Maoris came up with the idea to use the steam that came from the ground to cook the food. The principle is quite simple: a wicker basket is filled with vegetables, fish or meat and it is hung for a few hours in a hole in the ground where steam comes out. As a tourist you can especially experience this way of eating in Rotorua on the North Island. Maori dance shows are usually performed during these types of meals.

stay overnight

Since tourism is an important source of income, hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, budget accommodations and camping sites are abundant. There is something for every wallet: from the super-deluxe five-star hotels of well-known international chains to cozy, small so-called backpacker hostels where the owner is also a receptionist, handyman, gardener and sometimes even a cook. Most accommodations (with the exception of backpacker hostels) can be found in a booklet published annually by the Automobile Association [20], (the New Zealand ANWB) is issued. The backpacker hostels have their own list [21].

To work

Just like in Australia, it is possible for Dutch nationals between the ages of 18 and 31 to apply for a so-called Working Holiday Visa. This visa entitles you to stay in New Zealand for one year and to be employed by the same employer for a maximum of 3 months. If you want to work in New Zealand in a different way, you need a Working Permit, which will in any case have to be arranged with the cooperation of your employer in New Zealand.

If you want to emigrate permanently to New Zealand, you should take into account that the immigration policy is very strict and that you can in principle only be eligible for a so-called residence permit if you have an academic education and are between 25 and 30 years old or if you invest at least EUR 300,000 (NZD 500,000) in New Zealand.

Safety

New Zealand is a relatively safe country. Apart from a fairly rare species of spiders, there are no poisonous animals. In the large cities you have to observe normal safety as you would in Amsterdam or Brussels, for example. If you are going to drive yourself, keep in mind that there are almost no motorways and that the roads have a lot of bends and slopes. Just like in England there is left driven, so the steering wheel in the car is on the right. The maximum speed is 100 km/h, but many roads (especially when cornering) have a much lower recommended speed. There are many injuries and deaths every year from road accidents, largely due to reckless driving on the part of New Zealanders themselves, in part also from tourists being distracted while driving through the magnificent scenery.

Health

Healthcare in New Zealand is at the same high level as in Western Europe. However, make sure you take out good travel and accident insurance.

Due to the low air pollution and the hole in the ozone layer, UV radiation in New Zealand is very strong. So make sure you have a good sunscreen, especially in the summer all over the country and from June-August in the winter sports areas. Buy your sunscreen in New Zealand; it has the right protection factor against strong UV radiation. Also think of good sunglasses.

respect

Treat New Zealand's original inhabitants (the Maoris) with respect. By nature, the Maoris are a proud but pugnacious people, as witnessed by the many mutual wars that have taken place between the various tribes over the centuries. In a traditional greeting, the chief (chieftain) perform some sort of war dance and place a leaf of the Silver Fern on the ground in front of him. If a visitor picks up the tray and offers it to the chief, it means that the visitor is coming with good intentions and will be greeted with a "Hongi" (rubbing their noses together).

Contact

New Zealanders (also called kiwis) are very friendly people, especially when dealing with native tourists from Western Europe, Canada and the USA. They hate the Chinese and Japanese, who they believe are poisoning the New Zealand economy. As a Dutch-speaking tourist you will soon notice that in addition to English, of course, you can also sometimes speak Dutch. About 1 percent of the population is Dutch emigrant or descendant of Dutch emigrants. You will come across many Dutch names and you will see a Dutch flag fluttering at many a farm.

Weather & Climate

New Zealand is located in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons are opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere.

Because New Zealand is an archipelago, the weather can change very quickly. Critics sometimes say that you can experience 4 seasons in 1 day. Still, the picture is a bit more nuanced than that. Rain falls all year round. Due to the location of the Southern Alps directly on the west coast of the South Island, precipitation in this region is particularly high and is measured in meters instead of millimeters per year. The eastern half of the South Island is much drier (due to the shadow of the Alps). When the wind turns to the south, it can get quite cold, even in summer. After all, the wind comes directly from the South Pole.

If you go to New Zealand, keep in mind that it can be 25 to 32 degrees in the summer with beautiful sunny weather, but equally it can be rainy and only 12 degrees! So: bring swimwear as well as a raincoat and a warm sweater. Buy your sunscreen locally in New Zealand. The cream sold in New Zealand protects better against the bright sun than the creams sold in Europe.

The further north you go, the warmer it gets. North of Auckland there are practically no winters, or as the inhabitants of this region put it: "We have 12 months of summer here: 6 months of warm summer, 6 months of cool summer."

Snow fun, snow nuisance and winter sports

In the Southern Alps (especially around Queenstown and Wanaka) can be skied in June, July and August. Well-known ski areas here are Cardrona (near Wanaka), Remarkables (near Queenstown) and Mt.Hutt (near Christchurch).

On the North Island, SH1 between Taupo and Palmerston North and SH5 between Taupo and Napier may be closed due to heavy snowfall. In July and August you can usually ski on the slopes of the volcano Mt.Ruapehu [22] and in Tongariro National Park. The South Island has relatively more snowfall, especially in July and August.

Other natural phenomena

Since New Zealand on the so-called ring of fire earthquakes occur regularly. What this can lead to is described in the article about napier. Recently (September 2010 and February 2011) there have been two major earthquakes near Christchurch of which that of September 4, 2010 comes second in strength after the 1931 Napier earthquake. The earthquake of February 22, 2011 was admittedly lighter in magnitude than that of September 2010, but with its epicenter roughly in the middle of Christchurch harbor (Lyttleton), it wreaked havoc in the city, also leaving nearly 100 dead. . The monumental Christchurch Cathedral has also been almost completely destroyed.

In the middle of the North Island are 3 active volcanoes that erupt at regular intervals (Mount Ruapehu in particular has been very restless in recent years).

Practical

Electricity

240 volts at 50 hertz. Three-prong plugs are used in a V shape, so an adapter plug is needed.

Border documents/Visa

Citizens of most EU countries who enter New Zealand as a tourist or on a business trip only need a valid passport on the condition that the stay does not exceed 3 months (English citizens 6 months) and the passport for at least 6 months after departure from New Zealand is valid. You must also be able to demonstrate, if requested, that you have a ticket to leave New Zealand and that you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself during your stay in New Zealand. Usually you will not be asked for a return ticket and financial means, but it can be useful to have your reservation confirmation and a credit card ready when you get to passport control.

If you want to stay in New Zealand for more than 3 months, you can either apply for a 6-month visa at the embassy or request an extension of your 3-month visitors permit during your stay in New Zealand at one of the immigration offices. in the big cities. No one is allowed to stay as a "visitor" in New Zealand for more than 9 consecutive months. For more information see the Immigration New Zealand site [23]

Customs / Agricultural Health Service

Because the New Zealand economy is very dependent on the agricultural sector (no wonder with 40 million sheep), it is strictly forbidden to bring any vegetable or animal products into New Zealand. Upon arrival, you can store fruit and meat that you may have with you in so-called Amnesty Bins, which are set up at the airport for passport control. After baggage claim and passport control, all baggage items brought along are passed through a scanner to check whether there are actually no vegetable or animal products in the baggage. In this way they try to keep plant and animal diseases at bay.

Time difference

In New Zealand it is 10 hours later in the northern summer (end of March to the end of October) than in the Netherlands, in the northern winter (end of October to the end of March) it is 12 hours later than in the Netherlands.

Mobile phone

In the large cities and most villages there is sufficient range with your mobile phone. You can just use your Dutch device and subscription, but the costs can be quite high. It can be cheaper (if your own device is sim-lock free) to buy a prepaid SIM card for your own device from one of the providers in New Zealand.

Language

The official language is English and the second official language is Maori. Because many Dutch people emigrated to New Zealand in the years 1950-1960 and 1980-1985, you should not be surprised if you are addressed in Dutch by New Zealanders.

Departure Tax (Departure Tax)

Travelers departing from New Zealand pay a departure tax of NZD 13 to NZD 15 per ticket, depending on the airport of departure. This is not included in the ticket price and is indicated by a sticker on the boarding pass. The tax stickers can be purchased from the Bank of New Zealand agencies at the airports. Payment by credit card or cash.

This is a usable article. It contains information on how to get there, as well as the main attractions, nightlife and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but dive in and expand it!

Countries in Oceania
Australia: Australia New Zealand: New Zealand New Guinea: Papua(Indonesia) · Papua New Guinea Polynesia: Samoa · Tonga · Tuvalu Melanesia: Fiji · Solomon Islands · Vanuatu Micronesia: Kiribatia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau

Islands in the Pacific
Island States: Philippines · Indonesia · Japan · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · Taiwan Oceania: Micronesia · Melanesia · Polynesia Other major islands and archipelagos: Aleutian Islands · coconut island · Galapagos Islands · Juan Fernandez Archipelago