Language(s): English, Maori
Capital City: Wellington
Local Time: New Zealand (excluding Chatham Island):
From 21 Mar 04 to 3 Oct 04 GMT +12
From 3 Oct 04 to 20 Mar 05 GMT +13
Chatham Island:
From 21 Mar 04 to 3 Oct 04 GMT +12¾
From 3 Oct 04 to 20 Mar 05 GMT +13¾
Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD 1 = 100 Cents)
Notes: NZD: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100
Coins: NZD: 1, 2. Cents: 5, 10,...
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Even before The Lord of the Rings cinematically revealed the beauty of its high country to the world, New Zealand was quietly becoming known as one of the planet’s premier mountain biking destinations. This reputation is due primarily to what the movie didn’t show—a magnificent network of single track and Jeep roads that webs across the country’s mountains and coast. Both the...
Craigieburn is New Zealand’s best kept secret. This classic ski field, located an hour and a half from Christchurch, (the South Island’s largest city), has some of the steepest, most hardcore skiing terrain in the country. Backcountry trips at Craigieburn, for advanced and expert skiers only, set out from the top of the mountain’s rope tow. Just a 10-minute trudge from the top...
New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds, a maze of coves, caves, islands, cliffs, beaches and wildlife encompasses 20 percent of the country’s 937 miles of coastline. It would take a whole summer to paddle every nook and cranny of this region. Most travelers visiting New Zealand think they see the Sounds when taking the ferry from north island (Wellington) to south island (Picton)....
The town of Murchison, on New Zealand’s South Island, is a mecca for whitewater kayakers and rafters alike. Within a half-hour drive of town, you’ll find three uncrowded class III–IV whitewater rivers and about a dozen lesser-known runs ranging from steep creeks to high-volume rivers. The highlights include the Matakitaki River and its tough class IV Earthquake Rapid and the...