Kia Ora ! Welcome to New Zealand
also known as Aotearoa, the "Land Beneath the Long
White Cloud" ! You could come to New Zealand for
a hundred holidays and have a totally different
experience each time. This will weave a spell on
you and leave you enchanted. This is New Zealand.
New Zealand is a South Pacific country with spectacularly
beautiful landscape, located midway between the
Equator and the South Pole, and is approximately
1600 kilometres east of Australia. The island of
New Zealand split off from Gondwanaland approx.
50 million years ago and has since been vigorously
shaped by earth's mantle. New Zealand was first
discovered about 1000 years ago by the great Polynesian
navigator Kupe who sailed here from his homeland
Hawaiki. He named the islands Aotearoa, Land of
the Long White Cloud. Kupe returned to Hawaiki and
left instruction on how to get here. In the legend,
the South Island was Kupe's canoe. Stewart Island
was its anchor and the North Island was the enormous
fish caught by Kupe. About 400 years later Maori
arrived back in Aotearoa with seven great canoes
and began to populate the North Island. The Dutchman
Abel Tasman landed in 1642, charted part of the
coastline and named it Staten land, believing it
was part of the Australian continent. When his mistake
was discovered the country was renamed Nieuw Zeeland.
New Zealand is made up of two main islands, the
North Island and the South Island, and numerous
smaller offshore islands. The total area is 268,680
sq. km (103,740 sq. miles. The coastline is 15,135
km (9,405 miles). It is the largest nation closest
to the International dateline. Comparable in size
and / or shape to Great Britain, Colorado and Japan,
New Zealand has a population of only 4 million -
making it one of the world's least crowded countries.
English and Maori are the official languages, although
English is the common language of everyday use.
It is a haven for those seeking peace, rejuvenation
and relaxation as well as a playground for thrill
seekers and adventurers. A temperate climate with
relatively small seasonal variation makes it a year-round
holiday destination.
New Zealand is more than a holiday destination;
it's a state of mind. The nation enjoys image as
a clean and green land with magnificent mountains
and waterways, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines,
deeply indented fiords and lush rainforests. There
is much more to New Zealand than its natural beauty,
this country is also a dynamic 21st century society
with sophisticated cities, diverse economy and a
vibrant arts and cultural life.
"If Oscars were awarded for location, New Zealand
would scoop the lot," says Clive Irving
of Conde Naste Traveller. From Hollywood to Bollywood
New Zealand landscape is hauntingly evoked in over
150 feature films like Lord of the Rings, The Last
Samurai, Perfect Strangers, Whale Rider, The Piano,
Kaho Na Pyar Hai, Heaven, Vigil, Rain, Heavenly
Creatures, Willow, The Rescue, The Returning etc.
to name a few. Hollywood blockbuster "Vertical Limit" was made in New Zealand. TV series Hercules and
Xena were also made here.
Getting to New Zealand
New Zealand is a 3.5 hour flight from Eastern Australia,
a non-stop overnight flight from the United States,
and around 10 hours flight from most places on the
Pacific Rim, like Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Passports and Visas
Arrivals and Departures
New Zealand Visitor Information
Road Information and Climate
Health, Medical and Insurance
Arrivals and Departures
International Gateways
New Zealand's international airports are at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Some flights from Australia also land at Hamilton, Palmerston North, Queenstown and Dunedin.
Arrival Cards
Every person arriving in New Zealand must complete the arrival card handed out on the aircraft.
Customs
Comprehensive advice for travellers is available on the New Zealand Customs Service website.
Agricultural Restrictions and Quarantine
New Zealand's agricultural industries are free of many insect pests and plant and animal diseases common elsewhere in the world. We put a lot of effort at ports and airports into minimising the risk of these being introduced.
Heavy fines may be imposed on people caught carrying prohibited materials. On arrival visitors should place any questionable items, particularly fruit, in the bins provided.
You will find details of restricted items on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry website.
Domestic pets such as cats and dogs also pose disease and pest risks, and entry is strictly enforced. Import requirements for live animals differ according to the country of origin, so please check with your nearest Embassy before attempting to bring your pet to New Zealand.
Other Prohibited Items
You should not bring the following items into New Zealand:
- Firearms and weapons, unless a permit is obtained from New Zealand Police on arrival at the airport (includes sporting firearms). The New Zealand Police website has more information on importing firearms.
- Class A drugs, certain drugs (e.g. diuretics, depressants, stimulants, heart drugs, tranquillisers, sleeping pills), unless in their original bottle with a doctor's prescription
- Ivory in any form; tortoise or turtle shell jewellery and ornaments; medicines using musk, rhinoceros or tiger derivatives; carvings or anything made from whalebone or bone from any other marine animals; cat skins or coats.
Duty Free Goods
Visitors to New Zealand may purchase duty-free goods, which are not subject to local taxes, from airport duty free shops on arrival and departure. Duty-free stores in downtown Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will deliver purchases to aircraft departure lounges. Apart from your own personal effects, and as long as you are over 17 years of age, you are allowed the following duty-free concessions:
- 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, or a mixture of all three weighing no more than 250 grams
- 4.5 litres of wine or beer (6 x 750ml bottles) and one 1125ml bottles of spirits, liqueur or other beverages
- Goods up to a total of NZ$700 are free of duty and tax, but goods in excess of this may attract both duty and tax.
Departure Tax
A tax of about NZ$25 has to be paid at the airport when you leave New Zealand. Please note that this tax is not included in your ticket price.
