New Zealand Overview
GENERAL
Capital
Wellington.
Geography
New Zealand is 1930 km southeast of Australia and consists of two main islands: the 114,470 square km North Island and the 150,660 square km South Island, which are separated from each other by the Cook Strait. Stewart Island (1750 sq km) is located south of the South Island, the Chatham Islands are 675 km southeast of the North Island.
Two thirds of the country are mountainous; Rivers, deep mountain lakes and dense rainforests (Bushcalled) shape the landscape. Auckland is located on a peninsula in the north of the North Island. On this island there is predominantly fertile hill country, which rises in the middle of the island to a mountain range of up to 2796 m. It is volcanic in character and has numerous active volcanoes, hot thermal springs and geysers. The area around Rotorua, 150 miles south of Auckland, has become a world-famous tourist attraction thanks to geysers, boiling mud pools, hot mineral springs, silica terraces and sizzling fumaroles (volcanic gas vapor). About a third of the population lives on the larger South Island. The island is crossed by the Southern Alps, the highest point of which is Mount Cook (3754 m).
New Zealand has three outer areas with internal autonomy: theThe Cook Islands are about 3,500 km northeast of New Zealand, a country located in Oceania listed on constructmaterials; Niue is 920 km west of the Cook Islands; and the three atolls of Tokelau are 960 km northwest of Niue. The Ross Dependency, a territory in Antarctica, covers over 700,000 square kilometers.
Government
Parliamentary monarchy (in the Commonwealth) since 1907. Constitution of the Constitution Act since 1987. Unicameral parliament with 120 members. Independent de facto since 1907, nominally since 1931.
Head of state
Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy, since September 2016.
Head of government
Bill English, since December 2016.
Electricity
230 V, 50 Hz. Flat 3-pin plug and 2-pin plug. Adapter required.
MONEY
Currency
1 New Zealand dollar = 100 cents. Currency abbreviation: NZ $, NZD (ISO code). Banknotes are available in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 NZ $. Coins are in circulation with a value of NZ $ 2 and NZ $ 1, as well as 50, 20 and 10 cents.
Credit cards
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted. Details from the issuer of the credit card in question.
ATMs
ec / Maestro card / Sparcard
cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted throughout Europe and worldwide. ATMs can be found everywhere and can be used with an EC card (Maestro symbol) and with major credit cards. EC cards are also accepted for cashless payments. Further information from banks and credit institutes.
Attention: Travelers who pay abroad with their bank customer card and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.
Bank opening times
Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm.
Foreign exchange regulations
No restrictions, but there is a requirement to declare (Border Cash Report) for the import and export of amounts (including checks and securities) of an equivalent value of NZ $ 10,000 or more.
Currency Exchange
Foreign currencies can be exchanged anywhere in New Zealand, with banks usually offering the better rate.
LANGUAGE
Overview
Official languages are English, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Annotation
Each region also has its own national holiday.
NIGHTLIFE
Introduction
The current calendar of events can usually be found in the “What’s On” section of the respective daily newspapers. There are night clubs, cinemas and theaters in the larger cities.
CULINARY
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
In addition to hotels, motels and guest houses, there is the option of staying in traditional Maori houses. Overnight stays are usually cheaper in rural regions, but inexpensive accommodation can also be found in the cities. However, there are few luxury hotels. In the high season it is therefore not always easy to find rooms in the desired price range. It is advisable to book as early as possible. Good motels with cooking facilities now make up around 75% of the accommodations on offer. Further information from the Motel Association of New Zealand (Inc), Paxus House, Level 5, 79 Boulcott Street, NZ-Wellington. Tel: (04) 499 64 15. (Internet: www.nzmotels.co.nz) or the Hospitality Association of New Zealand,Level 2, Radio Network House, Corner Abel Smith and Taranaki Streets, PO Box 503, NZ-Wellington. Tel: (04) 385 1369. (Internet: www.hanz.org.nz).
Categories: location, facilities and prices are indicative for the respective standard. Classification of hotels with 1-4 stars, of motels with 1-5 stars.
Camping
Numerous campsites in various price ranges with different standards are available. Advance booking is recommended between December and April (Easter). The New Zealand Motor Camps generally have washing and cooking facilities; larger sites are often better equipped. The camps do not provide tents, but equipment can be rented from various organizations.
Other accommodation options
From December to March beds can be booked in advance with the Youth Hostel Association, address: Level 1, 166 Moorhouse Avenue, PO Box 436, NZ-Christchurch. Tel: (03) 379 99 70. (Internet: www.stayyha.com). There are other inexpensive accommodations in the larger cities.
Many farms take in visitors. Sports activities such as fishing, skiing or horse riding are often offered. Prices are mostly including breakfast and dinner. Holdsworth (Internet: www.lodgings.co.nz) publishes an independent guide to various accommodations in New Zealand.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +64 Area (square km) 270 534 Population 4438 393 Population density (per square km) 16 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 111
