Being tucked away at the bottom of the globe, New Zealand is often an overlooked country, overshadowed by its bigger neighbour Australia. Yet it’s a fantastic country in its own right, with a vast amount of things to see and do, making it a must-visit place if you like all things super-cool. Here are ten very good reasons to get yourself on a plane over there:
1. You’ll be close to Antarctica:
You can’t get much nearer to Antarctica than being in New Zealand, but with the added bonus that it’ll be a bit warmer. Yet, if you’re lucky enough you could still share a beach with a penguin or go swimming with seals! Being at the far end of the globe, it’s a fair distance to get to, but don’t let that put you off. Thousands of well-informed travellers head to New Zealand each year, often as part of a gap year, to make the most of what it has got to offer.
2. It’s home to Lord Of The Rings:
Peter Jackson fans should make a point of visiting New Zealand to experience the stunning scenery and surroundings that feature as Middle Earth in his epic films. If you fly with Air New Zealand you might even catch the Hobbit themed in-flight safety video featuring all your favorite characters. Images of the Hobbit also adorn the side of some of their fleet, just to get you in the mood for a taste of New Zealand.
3. It’s a country of contrasts:
There are probably very few countries in the world where you could go skiing and surfing all in one day, but New Zealand is one of them. Being no more than a three-hour drive from the sea wherever you are, means that you can make the most of inland and coastal activities in a short space of time.
4. It’s a plastic nation:
If you don’t have any cash on you, and you want to pay by card, then you don’t need to worry about paying for small transactions this way, because New Zealand is a nation of plastic. Most people use their credit cards, even for the smallest amounts, and physical money is becoming less and less in use over time.
5. It’s pretty liberal:
New Zealand is a pretty liberal-thinking country, so if your political stance sways that way too, you’ll probably fit in. Not only can you learn to drive a car when you’re 15, but the country was the first place in the world to allow women to vote, and it elected two female Prime Ministers in succession.
6. There’s just so much space!
If you crave open space, then New Zealand is the place to be. It is very lowly-populated, and was in fact the last major land mass on earth to be populated. To put things into perspective, New Zealand is very similar in size to the UK, and has a population of around 4.5 million. The population of the UK tops 62 million.
7. It’s a great place to spend Christmas:
If you don’t like the cold and dark over winter, then head for New Zealand. Spend Christmas in the sun, and get those extra hours of daylight as a bonus.
8. You can eat really, really, fresh:
If you’re into seafood, then you can’t get better or tastier than that in New Zealand. But as an alternative tasty treat, the pies have gained a good reputation, so give a Venison or Kiwi steak pie a try.
9. It’s steeped in history:
New Zealand is bursting with an interesting history and local tradition, so if you want to find out more how the Maori people lived, then it’s a great place to come and experience how they lived.
10. It’s safe:
Statistically, New Zealand is a very safe place to live and bring up a family. And whilst it often stands in the shadow of its bigger neighbor Australia, the country doesn’t have any poisonous snakes or spiders to contend with, like Oz does!