New Zealand is an island nation in the Southern Hemisphere. The country’s land is made up of three large islands and many smaller islands. New Zealand’s nearest neighbour is Australia, located 1,600 kilometres away.

New Zealand is breathtakingly beautiful, a land of majestic snow-capped peaks and unexplored rainforests, of pristine lakes swarming with trout and turquoise ocean bays speckled with wooded isles, of glaciers and fiords, geysers and volcanoes.

You do not have to travel enormous distances to experience the many aspects of its spectacular landscapes – an alpine peak can be just a short drive from a barren desert, a primeval beach minutes from a busy city. There are kauri forests and kiwi fruit plantations, modern cosmopolitan cities and back-country sheep stations, and a range of wildlife that is quite unique, including the flightless kiwi and the prehistoric tuatara.

North Island has a dramatic landscape. In the centre of the island is an area of active volcanoes. This area also has many lakes, the largest is Lake Taupo. Cook Strait separates North Island and South Island. South Island is New Zealand’s largest island.

New Zealand’s rivers are short and swift. They are not good for navigation, but they do generate much of New Zealand’s energy. Because of the country’s location, climate is mild year-round.