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New Zealand is an island country located in the Pacific Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere consisting of the main islands The North Island and The South Island in addition to a group of smaller islands including the Chatham Islands and the Stewart Island or Rakiura Island. Cook Islands and Niue are island nations in free association with New Zealand. They have complete autonomy being independent nations even though they aren’t viewed by the United Nations as separate from New Zealand. The residents of these islands are considered citizens of the state of New Zealand. New Zealand also governs the territory of Tokelau. The Ross Dependency is New Zealand’s territorial claim on the frozen continent of Antarctica. Wellington is the capital of the country while Auckland is the largest and most populated metropolis.
New Zealand is a democracy and constitutional monarchy under the symbolic leadership of the British monarch Queen Elizabeth the Second. The parliamentary leader, the Prime Minister, holds the actual power of government who is appointed by the nominal Head of State, the Governor General and who acts as the categorical Head of State. The government is a democracy and thus the Parliament is democratically elected. The country is a member of the British Commonwealth, which is an association of fifty three nations that were previously British colonies many of which still recognize the British monarch as their own as a result of which they accept ‘God Save The Queen’ as their national anthem. New Zealand also accepts ‘God Defend New Zealand’ as a national anthem effectively giving it two national anthems.
The people of New Zealand are of European and Asian ancestry with percentages of the population belonging to the indigenous Polynesian or Maori people as well as people of Polynesian descent who are not of the Maori culture.
The culture of New Zealand is a fairly recently developed one as New Zealand was on of the last regions of the world that human civilization touched. It is a fascinating blend of contributing threads from its population of people of varying ancestries. It is a melange of American, British, Australian; European as well as liberal splashes of Polynesian (chiefly Maori) and Asian influences. Festivals celebrated here are as far ranging and varied as Diwali, Christmas, the Chinese New Year and a grand Polynesian festival the Pasifika. A nation that considers religion a private matter it is exceeding peaceful and accepting of different ways of life. The Maori ways, which had been fading due to the introduction then spread of Christianity in the early half of the nineteenth century, have seen a rise in the last few decades.
As showcased in the Lord of the Rings movies New Zealand is lush with greenery and has snow capped mountains that dip down to the ocean. The flora and fauna of the land are almost exclusively unique to it and cannot be found in any other part of the globe. A richly bio diverse region consisting of a large percentage of endemic flora and fauna such as forests, home to rare birds like the kiwi, kakapo, kaka, kea parrot and takah? and a multiplicity of endemic insects. The nation is highly sensitive to ecological issues and spearheads projects to save its precious variety of endangered species.
Owing to its sun-kissed landscapes along stretches of prime beachfronts, Auckland well- deserves its title as the City of Sails. Spread out amidst the Manukau and Waitemata‘s picturesque ports the city is a hub of natural wonder with its cascading hills, lush rainforests and volcanic mountains. Home to the proud heritage of the Maori community, Auckland is a modern day metropolis that encompasses a mainly Polynesian, Asian and South Pacific islander population.
Renowned as one of New Zealand’s most popular holiday destination the locale offers a wide range of attractions such as Rangitoto Island, Auckland War Memorial Museum, the Sky Tower, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World as well as the iconic Auckland Harbour Bridge.
With some of the nation’s premier designer clothing outlets, Auckland is also a shopper’s paradise where one will be spoilt for choice. The trendy shop fronts along Queen Street and High Street, famed for their exclusive collections while the Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell boutiques are also available. Department store fanatics can hit the suburbs where Albany Westfield, St Lukes, Botany Downs and Sylvia Park are located in addition to the DFS Galleria.
Those who are looking for a bargain can do no better than Auckland’s quaint street markets where one finds not just an authentic Kiwi shopping experience but local goods galore. Dubbed Manukau’s premier attraction, Auckland’s Otara Market welcomes a staggering 5000 shoppers each Saturday with its impressive collections of art, jewellery, crafts, clothes, music and fresh produce. A fantastic display of Polynesian customs is not all that’s on offer at his bustling outdoor market as Asian, Pakeha, Pacific Island and Maori vendors line the colorful streets of the Otara Market in a melting pot of culture and vibrancy.
You can find anything from humorously captioned t-shits to conventional Tapa wear as well as quilts and pacific island handicrafts alongside CD’s, jewels and fashionable attire. Stroll along the over 250 storefronts of the Otara Market while listening to the pulsating beats of Pacific Island music and the scintillating aromas of Chinese pork buns, over-fresh rewana bread and Cook Island doughnuts.
A stunning collection of fresh flowers are also sold here while Chinese and Indian food stalls offering a myriad of scrumptious treats are also available. The finest fresh produce in Auckland also finds its way to this pleasant market where food connoisseurs are sure to find the ingredients for their next culinary masterpiece.
Having launched the career of fashion houses such as Dawn Raid Streetwear who first set up shop at the Otara Market , this meandering, ever-growing bazaar is a bargain hunter’s dream come true as the best that Auckland has to offer is for sale here at a fraction of the cost.
When it comes to luxurious Auckland hotels it is difficult to surpass The Langham Auckland. Ideally located, this comfortable Auckland hotel serves as the perfect base for holidaymakers and corporate travellers.
Flights to New Zealand usually land in Auckland, the nation’s largest metropolis that is located on the North Island of the country. Auckland International Airport is quite arguably the country’s busiest airport. There are flights to New Zealand from most major airports all over Europe and the rest of the world. A flight from the United Kingdom can take from twenty two to twenty four hours to reach the Auckland International Airport in New Zealand.
A concrete plan of what you are going to do is of utmost importance. Once you’ve selected your purpose of visit you must apply for the appropriate visa. You need a working holiday visa if you are visiting for temporary business related purposes, a residency permit if you plan on settling there, a work permit if you intend to do visit and do business there on a relatively permanent basis, a visitor visa if you’re just passing through and so on.
Your visa must be valid for at least six months longer than you plan to stay to be on the safe side of the law.
People with visitors’ visas to New Zealand must have a return ticket, an onward flight or proof of funds to prove they can buy the same on reaching New Zealand. People with work permits and working holiday visas will be allowed entry on a one way flight only if they have proof of funds that will allow them to support themselves during the stay as well as buy an outward ticket. The outward ticket in addition must be to a country they are allowed entry into.
People from Visa Waiver countries (such as Argentina, Brazil, Austria, Belgium, France etc) may only enter the country when they have outward flight tickets or official confirmation that one is booked and paid for in their name.
Citizens and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand can enter the country with a one-way ticket only if have a valid passport or returning resident’s visa on their foreign passport for Australia or New Zealand. Entry into the country will be restricted if one does not comply with these rules.
Only after these conditions are verified is it safe to look at flight companies, peruse schedules and buy plane tickets. Unscrupulous travel agents may cunningly sell you a one-way ticket while knowing that you might not be allowed entry into the country on reaching the border. Be on the alert for any foul play while making all transactions. In case you do have a twelve-month working permit and intend to be in the country the entire duration flight schedules will not be available so much in advance and you will have to make careful and cautious arrangements.
The safest thing to do is do your own research regarding regulations (you can visit New Zealand’s immigration website), visit various travel agents, get quotations and compare them to find the perfect price for your budget. You can also visit online websites to search for the appropriate flight, book it and then pay for it with a credit card. A well-worded google search will aid your work to such an end.
Traveling to New Zealand without an onward ticket can be an expensive mistake, as you will not be allowed on the flight.
New Zealand isn’t in the news very much because it is a very peaceful place with rarely any political, religious or social upheaval. People are often surprised to learn therefore that it comprises a large expanse of land almost one hundred and three thousand seven hundred and thirty eight square meters of area. It comprises of two main islands, The North Island and The South Island .The South Island is the largest body of land of New Zealand. In addition to these a number of smaller islands such as The Great Barrier Island, Chatham Islands and the Stewart Island or Rakiura Island as well as island nations that are in free association with it (the Cook island and Niue) They are located in the South Pacific Ocean and are completely independent and autonomous except for the fact that their residents are considered citizens of the country of New Zealand.
New Zealand’s’ territorial claim on the frozen continent Antarctica is known as The Ross Dependancy.
New Zealand is part of a mostly submerged continent called Zealandia (which is almost ninety five percent underwater).The Norfolk Rise, Challenger Plateau, Campbell Plateau is some of the regions of the continent of Zealandia.
Most of the initial geographical knowledge about New Zealand was acquired by Captain James Cook in his sea faring voyage to map New Zealand. It consists of fifty seven districts with sixteen cities and twelve non unitary areas. It is a little larger than The United Kingdom and a little smaller than Japan. It has recently been used as a location for filming many Hollywood (all three Lord of the Rinds movies and the Last Samurai) as well as Bollywood films.
It is located adjacent to Australia in the South Western Hemisphere of the earth and is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and separated from Australia by the Tasman Sea. A sparsely populated country it has a population density of fifteen people per square kilometer of area which is less than the number of sheep per square kilometer of area!
The capital city of New Zealand is Wellington. It is the second largest urban area in Oceania, in the region of Wellington on the North Island and at the centre of the country.
Auckland is the largest metropolis of New Zealand. It is situated on the North Island of the nation and is the most populated urban area as it is the biggest. It is the city with the largest number of people of Polynesian descent. It is home to the busiest air port in the country The Auckland International Airport. Flights from all over the world make port at this air port.
New Zealand has a vast reserve of marine resources and under the law of the sea has is seventh in this respect.
New Zealand houses many natural wonders such as numerous hot springs, geysers, active and dormant volcanoes (A number of which are in Auckland), volcano cones, snowcapped mountains, fjords etc. The hill of Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu on the North Island has the largest recorded place name in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Record!
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