Reason 2: things to see and do in New Zealand

Aotearoa, “Land of the Long White Cloud”, comprises two main islands and a multitude of smaller islands, in the South Pacific Ocean. It is about the size of Great Britain or Japan, but home to only 4.1 million people. The vast areas of sparsely populated land include some of the most amazing scenery in the world – a huge variety in such a small area, which is why it became “Middle Earth” for the recent Lord of the Rings movies.

We want you to see it. To make it possible, we will work with local tour companies to arrange a number of tour options for you after you compete in the World Championships. Anything from three day tours to three weeks, from luxury to adventure, we have it!

Adventure!

New Zealand is often considered to be the adventure capital of the world. With our reputation for ingenuity (called “Kiwi ingenuity” or the “number 8 wire” mentality for our desire to fix anything with whatever is at hand) Kiwis have created some of the best challenges the world has to offer.

Bungy jumping? Yes, that is one of ours. AJ Hackett may live in France with his family now, but the world’s first commercial bungy jumping venue is still in Queenstown, New Zealand.

Not enough? Take a look at the activities listed at 100% Pure New Zealand or AA Travel. What about caving, gorging, abseiling, four wheel driving or mountain biking? If you like water, we have white water rafting, black water rafting, kayaking, jet boating, sailing, diving and wind surfing.

Luxury!

If you prefer something a little more relaxed, we can do that, too. Hiking, or “tramping”, is a major past-time in New Zealand. Anything from an hour to a week – from a bush walk through the Waitakere Ranges near Auckland, to a trek across Arthur’s Pass in the South Island. We don’t have snakes or other poisonous critters in New Zealand; neither do we have much in the way of large wild mammals, so tramping is a fairly safe and relaxed activity. We have numerous beautiful native birds and native flora (trees and shrubs) to see while you walk.

Something even more relaxed? How about soaking in hot mud baths or thermal pools in Rotorua? Or seeing steaming geysers, boiling mud and other geothermal wonders.

Camping on or near the beach? This is a favourite activity of many Kiwis through the summer months.

Cultural delights!

New Zealand is home to thousands of people from all around the South Pacific, and the mix of cultures is apparent in numerous local events and activities.

Of course, we also have the native Maori culture. You could see Maori warriors perform a haka (war dance), see a powhiri (welcome), and hear beautiful waiata (songs) often performed with poi. Experience a hongi, and eat the delicious hangi.

One company that does fantastic cultural experiences is Tamaki Tours.

Photographs courtesy of Tourism Auckland, except the geyser, which is from the Tourism Rotorua website.