An overview of New Zealand: History and culture

This paper is a report on the various factors that make up New Zealand. You will find discussions of the history, significant locations, government, economy, tourism, and food.

History

New Zealand became a recognized location in 1840 when the British made it part of their empire (History, n.d.). The Maori people were the first inhabitants of the islands in the tenth century, but they were flooded by the British culture later on. New Zealand was first discovered by European explorers in 1642; however, then encounter ended in bloodshed. The next meeting took place over one hundred years later in 1769 when both the French and British arrived without each other’s’ knowing. They began trade with the Maori people, who valued highly the arrival of weapons and began the Musket Wars among enemy tribes (The History, 2014).

The British developed their plans to colonize New Zealand as they heard rumors of France’s similar ideas (The History, 2014). In 1840, many chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi with the British Crown. This established British law in New Zealand and created a large basis for what the country is known to be today (History, n.d.). However, with the large influx of British settlers, many hostilities grew and began the New Zealand Wars, or the Land Wars, for twenty years. By 1870, Britain withdrew its troops, “not wishing to invest any further in a costly overseas war which was likely to continue indefinitely” (The History, 2014).

Today, “New Zealand…is an independent nation within the British Commonwealth” (The History, 2014). This means that although the country is under the British Monarch, New Zealand has its own active administration for government (The History, 2014).

Map

(NZ Map, 2014)

Government

“New Zealand is a democratic country in which the Members of Parliament (MPs) are chosen in free and fair elections” (NZ’s System, 2014). Parliament is made up of the House of Representatives and the Governor-General. The House of Representatives consists of 120 members, while the Governor-General is a representative of the Queen. The 120 members are elected by vote and are allowed in office for a term of three years. They hold the New Zealand government accountable for its actions and policies and pass laws over the unwritten constitution. New Zealand is defined as a constitutional monarchy, and so they have Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State. The Queen and Governor-General “remain politically neutral and do not get involved in the political contest” (NZ’s System, 2014). New Zealand also has lower levels of government bodies, such as territorial local authorities, district health boards, and school boards of trustees (NZ’s System, 2014).

Economy

With a population of around four and a half million, their current GDP is around $132 billion at a 2.5% growth (New Zealand). A third of this GDP is made up by the export of goods and services. New Zealand’s economy runs on free market principles through a mixed economy. Its three largest economic sectors are manufacturing, services, and agricultural (Overview, 2014). New Zealand’s currency is called the Kiwi dollar and was “amongst the top 25 sovereign currencies in the world” at the end of 2012 (Economic Overview, 2014). Today, the Kiwi dollar equals about $1.29 in US Dollars (Rates Table, 2014).

Visiting Cities

Auckland – While it is the largest city in New Zealand, home to over one and a half million people, it is not the capital. Auckland is located near the top of the North Island and is the main transport hub into the country. Its location touches into beaches and rainforests, but also volcanic areas. The region has 48 volcanic cones, which provide for great views of the city and harbor (Destinations, n.d.).

Rororua – This city is south of Auckland, but is still on the North Island. “Rotorua is known for bubbling mud pools, shooting geysers and natural hot springs, as well as showcasing [their] fascinating Maori culture” (Destinations, n.d.). The bubbling mud pools are caused by the Pacific Rim of Fire: a “geothermal wonderland.” With the surrounding nature, Rotorua is a home-away-from-home for many adventure activists. It has world-class mountain bike trails, as well as horse riding, lake swimming, bungy jumping, ziplining, and more (Destinations, n.d.).

Napier – This city is located within Hawke’s Bay of New Zealand. It is known mostly for its art, architecture, culture, and history of the 1930s. The reason for this is that an incredible 7.9 earthquake hit Hawke’s Bay destroying a vast majority of Napier’s buildings and killed almost 260 people. “Rebuilding began almost immediately, and much of it was completed in two years” (Destinations, n.d.).

Wellington – According to Lonely Planet, Wellington is “the coolest little capital in the world.” It is located at the southern end of the North Island touching the harbor. It is known for its arts and heritage with many museums, art galleries and theatres. This city continues the adventure with more mountain bike trails and kayaking. New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Tongarewa, is located in Wellington too (Destinations, n.d.).

Christchurch – This city is fairly large taking over a majority of the middle of the South Island. It lies along the ocean and touches the Alps. To the 340,000 residents of the city, it is known as ‘The Garden City.’ While this location continues the historic beauty and forest-filled adventure, much was destroyed in 2011 from an earthquake. A large portion of the neo-gothic architecture in the central city was ruined along with many other buildings. Despite the destruction, Christchurch still hosts much beauty and fun. A special attraction is the Orana Wildlife Park, which is an open range zoo (Destinations, n.d.)!

Queenstown – This is the southern-most city to be visited on the trip in the South Island. According to New Zealand Tourism, Queenstown has become “world famous for its iconic scenery, friendly people, golf courses, wineries…bungy jumping, sky diving, canyon swinging, jet boating, horse trekking, and river rafting all year round” (Destinaitons, n.d.). Currently, most notably, area around Queenstown is recognized as the makings of Lord of the Rings, with locations that helped to create Middle-earth. Queenstown is clearly the most visited location in the country with a population of 19,200, but over two million visitors every year (Destinations, n.d.).

NZ Tourism

In 2011, New Zealand hosted over two and a half million visitors, and has expected that number to grow by over 650,000 each year (Tourism Factsheet, 2012). With tourists from around the world, there are some key differences to New Zealand (Key NZ, n.d.).

The currency is a dollar, but the make-up is different from that of the US. New Zealand has coins valuing 10, 20, and 50 cents as well as $1 and $2 – then bills of $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. Banking is generally the same and allows for exchanging currencies (Key NZ, n.d.).

For driving, the lanes are swapped with drivers on the left side of the road. New Zealand also uses the metric system, where travel is measured in kilometers instead of miles. Other driving laws are the same: must wear a seat belt, no mobile phone usage, and no drinking and driving. Visitors from other countries can drive in New Zealand for up to 12 months with their home country license (Key NZ, n.d.).

New Zealand entertainment is made up of three parts: food, spirits, and fun. The cuisine style is tied to mostly Eurasian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Polynesia, and most of Europe. New Zealand is most well-known for meats like lamb, pork, and venison, as well as seafood such as salmon, crayfish, bluff oysters, mussels, and scallops. The wines of New Zealand are remarkable and are desired around the world. While people in the US must be 21 to drink alcohol, they must only be 18 in New Zealand. Also, unlike than many states in the US, New Zealand has six different casinos throughout the country (Key NZ, n.d.). Aside from all of the scenic adventures in the forests, beaches, mud pools, etc., New Zealand played host to the Lord of the Rings films. “Since 2004, an average of 47,000 international visitors each year have visited a film location” (Sector Marketing, 2013).

Another small, but notable difference is the time zone. “New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the new day” – being 12 hours ahead of the GMT (Key NZ, n.d.). In comparison to the US, New Zealand is 18 hours ahead. A shocking factor when traveling to and from New Zealand is losing and gaining a day, which happens because of crossing the International Date Line. While this time difference is very large, a similarity is the use of daylight savings time, which a majority of the rest of the world does not use (Key NZ, n.d.).

Food Delicacies

In the Maori culture, a hangi feast is recommended (Destinations, n.d.). The hangi is a method of cooking, which has been used by the Maori for over 2000 years. To cook the food, it is placed in a pit oven which has heated rocks buried inside. While it is a well-known way of cooking, it has become very traditional and is only used on special occasions. The style of cooking is typically used for chicken, seafood, and vegetables, but can also be used for steamed pudding (Food & Wine, n.d.).

New Zealand has some of the most famous seafood in the world. Marlborough green-lipped mussels are not only delicious, but are known to have health benefits such as arthritis relief. Bluff oysters are especially desired in New Zealand and around the world – they even have their own festival in May: the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival. New Zealand also hosts a scallop festival in September called the Whitianga Scallop Festival. The forth seafood delicacy is called Whitebait. They are tiny fish caught during the springtime and are often made into fritters (Food & Wine, n.d.).

Works Cited

Destinations. (n.d.) Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.newzealand.com/us/destinations/

Economic Overview. (28 Oct, 2014). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/investing-in-nz/opportunities-outlook/economic-overview

Food & Wine. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/favourite-new-zealand-foods/

History. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.newzealand.com/int/history/

Key New Zealand Facts and Information. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/keyfacts.html

New Zealand. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.heritage.org/index/country/newzealand

New Zealand Map. (20 Nov, 2014). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.mapsofworld.com/newzealand/

New Zealand’s System of Government. (19 Dec, 2014). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/new-zealands-system-government

Overview of the New Zealand Economy. (9 Apr, 2014). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.treasury.govt.nz/economy/overview

Rates Table. (29 Dec, 2014). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.x-rates.com/table/?from=USD&amount=1.00

Sector Marketing: Information on key tourism and special interest sectors. (10 Apr, 2013). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.tourismnewzealand.com/sector-marketing/film-tourism/fast-facts/

The History of New Zealand: a brief overview of the pre-historic, colonial and modern periods. (29 Dec, 2014). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://history-nz.org/

Tourism Factsheet. (9 Aug, 2012). Retrieved December 29, 2014 from http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/media/tourism+factsheet.htm