Destination Guides & Maps - New Zealand   

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Capital City: Wellington

Language: English. Official second language is Maori.

Population: 3.9 million

Ethnic Mix: 13% Maori, 80% European (Pakeha), 7% other

Area: 104,454 sq miles (268,000 sq km)

Currency: New Zealand dollar, made up of 100 cents.

There are no 1 or 2 cent coins. Items are rounded to the nearest 5 cents, unless paying electronically or by cheque. $1 and $2 coins are also available. Notes are in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

£1 = $NZ3.18

ATM's are located everywhere. Eftpos cards (electronic funds transfer point of sale) are debit cards. All major credit cards are acceptable in most places. Visa and MasterCard are more widely accepted.

Passports: All visitors to New Zealand must carry a passport that is valid for at least three months beyond the date you intend to leave the country.

Visa Waivers: Currently travellers from more than 50 countries do not require a Visitor's Visa for stays less than three months. You do require:

- An onward or return ticket to a country that you have permission to enter

- Sufficient money to support yourself during your stay - approximately NZ$1000 per month per person

- British citizens and other British passport holders who have evidence of the right to live permanently in the UK may be allowed to stay for up to six months.

Study and Work Visas: The New Zealand Immigration Service also has information on work, business or student visas. Click on www.immigration.govt.nz for more information.

Geography: Positioned like a median strip between the Pacific Ocean and the tumultuous Tasman Sea, New Zealand has coastline on a grand scale. Beaches, bays, harbours and cliff edges add up to a total length of 18,000 kilometres. You'll find everything from the tropical prettiness of turquoise water and crystalline sand, to the soulful drama of surf exploding against ancient sandstone.

New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 995 miles south-east of Australia. (Contrary to popular myth, there is no bridge joining the countries!)

Comprised of two main islands (North Island and South Island) and several smaller islands, its total landmass is 104,454 square miles. It is similar in size to Colorado and somewhere in between the size of Japan and the United Kingdom.

Spectacular landscapes incorporate the backbone of the South Island - a vast mountain chain named the Southern Alps. These are bigger than the French, Austrian and Swiss Alps combined. Active volcanoes dot the North Island and fiords, glaciers, lakes, rainforests and extensive grassy plains make up the remainder.

Religion: Christian (81%)

Time: GMT plus 12 hours (depending on Daylight Saving). Two hours ahead of Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Electricity: New Zealand's AC electricity supply operates at 234/240V, 50Hz (the same as Australia). Most hotels and motels also provide 110 V, 20 watt AC sockets for electric razors. You'll need to pick up an adapter to operate other electrical appliances.

Emergencies: Dial 111 for Police, Fire or Ambulance.

Telephone:

To dial New Zealand from the UK: 00 64 + area code + number

To dial the UK from New Zealand: 00 44 + city code (minus the first 0) + number

New Zealand Telecom is the main telephone provider and they offer competitive calling rates especially on weekends. Calls lasting up to 3 hours are capped at $8.

Avoid making international calls from hotels as their surcharges can be astronomical.

Post: Main post offices (called Post shops) are located throughout the cities and often in book and stationery shops in smaller towns. They are open from 9am to 5pm and most also open on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.

Local postage rates are 40c for a regular letter size and are delivered within two days. Fast Post provides next day service.

To send a postcard to the UK by airmail costs $1.50, letters $2. Airmail takes about 5 days.

Business Hours: Banks are open Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm.

Shops are generally open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Most open on Saturdays (10am to 4pm) and some open on Sunday for part of the day. Late nights are a feature of most main centres and are usually Thursday or Friday till about 9pm.

Supermarkets in the main cities are open till 10pm and some are 24 hours. Dairies (corner stores) are open till 10pm, 7 days per week.

Petrol stations are a one-stop-shop for food and many grocery items. Some are open 24 hours.

Internet/Email/Mobile Phones: Cybercafés are located in most cities and towns. Dial-up internet access can be arranged from several internet providers.

Xtra (www.xtra.co.nz) offers a package of flat rate internet access for $27.95 per month, plus an initial $27.95 registration fee to get you up and running straight away. Call toll-free within NZ on 0800 28 99 87.

Ihug is another leading ISP offering no set up fee. Unlimited access is $29.95 per month, 250 hours per month $24.95, 20 hours $15 or pay as you go for $2.50 with no minimum. They need 30 days notice for disconnection so you should state your start and end dates at the time of registering. Call toll-free within NZ on 0800 438 448 or click on www.ihug.co.nz.

Mobile phones can be hired on arrival from outlets at the international airports. Just make sure you have an international roam facility to work in New Zealand.

Tipping: Tips are not expected, but are becoming more widespread, especially in the main cities where foreign tourists are more likely to leave them. It is certainly much appreciated. Service charges are not added to hotel or restaurant accounts.

GST (Goods and Services Tax) of 12.5% is added to the cost of all goods and services and is generally included in the price. GST is not included on duty-free items or where the goods are posted by the retailer to an international address. GST is also not included on international airfares purchased in New Zealand. GST cannot be claimed back from purchases.

BBC World Service:

Auckland: 1476 AM (24 Hour Relay)

990 AM (Mandarin / Cantonese)

Christchurch: 96.9 FM

Hamilton: 1206 AM

Kapiti Coast: 93.5 FM

Want to get a closer look at New Zealand? http://earth.google.com/

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