New Zealand boasts a pleasant climate, beautiful scenery, and abundant tourism resources. Its diverse landscapes, including glaciers, fjords, tropical rainforests, and volcanoes, attract visitors from all over the world. However, for those unfamiliar with New Zealand, questions like 'What country is New Zealand?' may arise. Let's find out more below!
What country is New Zealand?
New Zealand is a country with a political system based on a constitutional monarchy and a British-style parliamentary democracy. Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, its territory consists of two main islands: the North Island and the South Island. Its capital is Wellington, and it is part of Oceania.
New Zealand has a land area of 268,680 km² and is geographically located between 34°–47°S and 174°–62°E. It has a temperate maritime climate, with seasons opposite to those in the Northern Hemisphere. The average summer temperature is around 20°C, and the average winter temperature is around 10°C, with the annual temperature range generally not exceeding 15°C.
How to get to New Zealand
Currently, New Zealand has three major international airports located in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Most international flights land in Auckland. The other two can be reached via connecting flights from Singapore or Sydney.
Air New Zealand is the country's largest airline and offers direct flight services to Auckland from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
What is there to do in New Zealand?
Experience Middle-earth in Hobbiton
The beautiful world of Middle-earth in 'The Lord of the Rings' has focused the world's attention on the naturally stunning New Zealand, and the release of 'The Hobbit' has showcased the fairy-tale dwellings of the hobbits to everyone. The poetic pastoral scenery and the familiar scenes from the movies are all deeply appealing to fans of the trilogy and the hobbits.
Go wild in the Adventure Capital
Bungee jumping, skydiving, and jet boating—these are activities you might usually shy away from, but in New Zealand, you will find them commonplace. Visitors here don't ask 'Have you eaten?' when they meet, but rather 'Have you been bungee jumping?', which shows just how popular it is. If you are unable to take the plunge for health reasons, don't forget to buy a bungee jumping T-shirt to show off.
Face-to-face with penguins
If you think you can only see penguins in Antarctica, you are mistaken. You can also see penguins in New Zealand and even get up close to them. In some cities on the South Island, such as around Dunedin, there are observation points where penguins appear, including yellow-eyed penguins and blue penguins that are only 12-13 centimeters tall. These penguins are mostly active in the summer and appear on the shore in the evening. You can see them waddling along from the observation points. To protect their habitat, we are generally not allowed to disturb them, but we can join local tours that arrange activities such as building nests for the penguins or helping with their rehabilitation, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of these cute little animals.
The best time to visit New Zealand
It is suitable to visit all year round. New Zealand has four distinct seasons, which are opposite to those in China, and each season offers different beautiful scenery, making it suitable for travel at any time. The peak tourist season in New Zealand runs from Christmas each year until February of the following year, during which accommodation costs are significantly higher.
New Zealand visa application
New Zealand visa types include travel/holiday visas, business visas, student visas, visitor visas for family and friends, and work visas. Generally, applying for a visa requires a passport valid for at least 6 months, 2-inch ID photos, a copy of your national ID card, proof of funds, and proof of employment. The total cost is 1,080 RMB, which includes an 860 RMB visa application fee and a 220 RMB processing fee.