Temperature: cool temperate weather with temperatures around 17 degrees Celsius in January and a chilly -10 degrees Celsius in July.

Currency: The New Zealand dollar is made up of 100 cents. NZ$1 is worth about HK$5.60.

New Zealanders are nicknamed Kiwis after a popular local bird. The kiwi also appears on the NZ$1 coin.

Must See: Mount Cook

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is so beautiful, that it has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

The park ranges over 700 square kilometres and is named after Mt Cook, called Aoraki or Cloud Piercer in Maori, which at 3,755 metres is the highest peak in Australasia.

Visitors flock to explore the Tasman Glacier that lies on its slopes, and climb its peak.

The park is home to 21 other mountains that stretch more than three kilometres above sea level, which means there's plenty of scope for trekking, skiing, rock climbing and other outdoor activities.

If you're feeling lazy, you can view the natural beauty from the sky by taking a helicopter tour.

Must Eat: Hangi

New Zealand Europeans, called Pakeha by the Maoris, eat British-style dinners. Typical meals such as lamb chops with potatoes, peas and carrots are nicknamed 'meat and three veg'.

But a big favourite from the Maori kitchen is the Hangi, a traditional underground barbeque pit.

The cook creates the hangi by digging a hole, lighting a fire and placing stones on top. A basket with food is lowered into the pit, and the hangi is then covered up with cloth and earth. The food then cooks slowly in its own steam and juices.

Typical hangi baskets are filled with slices of pork or lamb layered with kumara (a local sweet potato), carrot, onions, potatoes and cabbage.

Speak Maori!

If you learn Maori or Te Reo Maori, you can make friends all over Polynesia.

Hello Kia ora (KEY-ah oh-rah)

How are you? Kei te pe-hea koe? (KAY te pay-hey coo)

Fantastic! Great! Ehara mai! (Eh hara my)

See you later Hei kona (HAY koh-na)

Art And Culture

Christchurch in Canterbury showcases New Zealand's European and Maori cultures.

Stroll around Cathedral Square and admire the cathedral and check out antique Kiwi feather cloaks (Kahu kiwi) and other important artefacts in Canterbury Museum.

Follow up with a visit to Nga Hau E Wha Marae, a cultural centre where you can explore Maori art, culture and history.

Alternatively, take a walk through the Canterbury countryside that formed the magnificent backdrops for The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Fab Fact

A. J. Hackett, the man who popularised bungee jumping, lives in Queenstown, South Island. Visit his centre and try the 71-metre Skippers Canyon, the 134-metre tall Nevis Highwire and other heart-stopping leaps.

Quiz

Answer the following questions. To test your memory, try answering without referring to the text. If you can't remember the details, read the piece again.

1. How many people live in South Island?

A. About 100,000

B. About 1,000,000

C. About 10,000,000

2. New Zealanders are nicknamed:

A. Kiwis

B. Kiwanis

C. Southlanders

3. The Maori for Hello is:

A. Ehara mai

B. Kia ora

C. Hei kona

4. What is the Island's tallest mountain?

A. Mt Tasman

B. Mt Everest

C. Mt Cook

5. Nga Hau E Wha Marae is a:

A. Cultural centre

B. Museum

C. National park

6.The Maori barbeque pit is called a ...?

A. Kahu kiwi

B. Bungee

C. Hangi

Answers:

1. B

2. A

3. B

4. C

5. A

6. C