Learn the basics about New Zealand and about traveling to and within New Zealand.
Where is New Zealand?
New Zealand is located on the Southern hemisphere, not far from Australia and Antarctica.
People often say that New Zealand is at the “end of the world” or at the “other side of the world”.
But in reality, it is more like at the “beginning of the world”, since it is one of the countries that sees the daylight of a new day
before many other countries in the world with its time being 12 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
So wherever you may currently be in the world,
it is highly likely that you are behind the current New Zealand time.
New Zealand Islands
New Zealand is made up of a number of islands, so it is entirely surrounded by water with the
Tasman Sea in the West and the Pacific Ocean in the East. The two largest islands
are:
How to get to New Zealand
Because New Zealand consists of islands, there are only two ways to get to New Zealand: By air or by boat.
The largest airport is Auckland international airport in Auckland on the North Island of New Zealand.
Most international flights land there. The second largest airport is Christchurch international airport in Christchurch
on the South Island of New Zealand.
Further reading:
How to get around New Zealand
While you can get around New Zealand by bus or by train, the best way
to get around New Zealand as a tourist is by car, because it gives you
the most freedom.
If you want to save time, you can also catch a domestic flight. And if you want
to make the trip over from the North Island to the South Island or vice versa, you can
catch a ferry.
If you are into slower modes of transportation, you could also bike around
New Zealand. However, hitchhiking is not recommended anymore, since it is not
safe to do so.
Further reading:
New Zealand Seasons
Because New Zealand lies in the south temperate zone (so between 24 and 67 degrees south latitude),
it goes through seasons. New Zealand has 4 seasons, all of which are opposite to the seasons
on the Northern hemispere.
So if you live in London, New York, or Osaka:
| When it is … in your country | It is … in New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Summer | Winter |
| Winter | Summer |
| Spring | Autumn |
| Autumn | Spring |
Further reading: