Gap Year Directory – Country guide for gap year travel in New Zealand

Gap Year New Zealand, a gap year travel guide which includes a forum, gap year job listings and essential information on taking a year out in the country, can be found at www.gapyear-newzealand.co.uk.

Tourist site www.newzealand.com/travel/

Country Guide

Kiwi's are a happy bunch. In fact, the country ranks first on the Legatum Institute for Global Development's 'Life Satisfaction' index 2007. This sense of contentedness is perhaps due to the absence of the cornucopia of lethal wildlife threatening the country's Australian cousins. Situated 2000 km to the South East of Oz, across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand has nothing capable of killing you other than the odd marauding shark. Instead, in animal terms the country is synonymous with sheep farming - endless numbers of furry ruminants chomping their way through the country's green plains.

New Zealand's national jewels have recently been on worldwide display as back drop for the Lord of the Ring's film Trilogy and this has done much for the Kiwi tourist industry. Cast adrift from the ancient continent of Gondwanaland 200 million years ago the country's extreme isolation has resulted in a sublimely beautiful and unique landscape with terrain ranging from sandy surf beaches to lush rainforest, from watery fjords to glaciers and volcanoes. Moreover, with a mere 4 million inhabitants concentrated in the cities the terrain is unspoilt by human behaviour. The 268,000 sq km (similar size to the UK or Italy) spread over the North and South Islands of New Zealand is home to rare and unique bird life including the flightless Kiwi, the country's national symbol and the rather fascinating, Kea. The Kea is a type of parrot, chemically addicted to rubber, quite capable of stealing shoes, hose pipes and attacking cars for it's fix!

One of the beauty's of New Zealand is that it is possible to drive around in just a few days - albeit you will have to jump on a ferry to traverse the 92km wide Cook Straight between Wellington and Picton in the South Island. Much of the country is mountainous terrain and the South Island has 18 peaks over 3000 m high at the summit (Mont Blanc as a comparison is 4810 m). The North Island is comparatively flatter but offers an active volcano, Mount Ruapehu (2800m). In terms of climate the country is akin to the UK, with temperate year round weather although some stark regional differences mean snow falls on the South Island peaks. The mild climate has created a renowned wine industry (UK imports in joint first position). On the downside the climate is quite capable of producing long rainy periods on public holidays! Taking its lead from the country's best known adventurer, Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand tourism exploits its vast mountainous terrain to offer itself as one big adventure play ground to the global thrill seeker. Adrenalin activities range from white water rafting, skiing and snowboarding in the South Island's Queenstown, abseiling, ballooning and mountaineering to the bizarre zorbing, parapenting and heli hiking.

Historically New Zealand is a relatively youthful country although the land was settled on by Polynesian tribal Maori. There is no Maori name for 'New Zealand' although the North and South Islands are known as 'Te Ika a Maui' and 'Te Wai Pounamu' respectively. Dutch explorers were the first westerners to arrive in 1642 naming the country Staten Landt. Indeed, the picturesque Abel Tasman national park at the top of the South Island is named after the Dutch cartographer leading the exploration. The British ousted the Dutch around 1840 and the country became a key player in the whaling and sealing industry – the humpback population taking years to recover. Relations with the indigenous Maori (around 14.6% of the population mainly concentrated in the North Island), do not appear to have been as destructive as of that between the settlers and the Aboriginals in Australia, perhaps due to the Maori fighting spirit, links to other Polynesian indigenous peoples, and a self identity as 'warriors'. Indeed, any one who has witnessed the New Zealand rugby team's Haka can testify it's a fearsome spectacle. The 1970s saw something of a cultural shift in Maori, European relations as some Maori people, dissatisfied with their lot in life as farmers and fishermen began moving towards the cities. This congregation led to a shared sense of consciousness and the Maori fought for its role in mainstream cultural life. Films such as Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider attracted global recognition.

Challenges facing New Zealand include the protecting the native animal and plant species from the threat of deforestation, soil erosion and invasive species. National Parks have been created to protect flora and fauna and there are moves to trap and destroy invading weasels, cats, goats, deer and most notably the pesky Australian possum. There are pubs that even offer a free beer to anyone bringing in a dead possum as payment. An estimated 70 million possums now thrive in New Zealand since their introduction in 1837 when it was hoped a blossoming fur industry could be developed. A dearth of natural predators has led to an onslaught to native plants, birds and animals and possums have even been caught on CCTV literally pushing Kiwi birds from their nests as the naughty marsupials seek a dry warm place to sleep!

New Zealand is a safe and easy destination with a high living standard and little threat of disease or crime. Its proximity to Australia and cheap flights between the countries mean the best of both countries can be explored. However, if you fancy a bit of Antipodean action and your wallet is an issue you get comparatively more for your buck in New Zealand than Australia. The currencies had been running in sync but with the recent rise of the Aussie dollar against the British pound New Zealand might be quite a bargain.

Virtually no one needs a visa to go here - not having enough money for the airfare usually gets rid of the real undesirables.

No special shots here. But like it’s neighbour Australia not a good idea to get bitten by anything.

Where to Go - Australia and New Zealand

New Zealand

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Country Guide