20 Interesting Facts About New Zealand

We’ve looked at Australia’s quirkiness and some amazing facts about South Africa… This month, we turn our attention to New Zealand, with the Top 20 Interesting facts about this nation.

1. The world’s first commercial bungee jump was a 43 metre leap off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown in 1988.
2. New Zealanders love their cars! 2.5 million cars for 4 million people (including the kids) makes New Zealand’s car ownership rate one of the highest in the world.
3. Although it is around the size of Japan, New Zealand’s population is just over four million, making it one of the world’s least populated countries.
4. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.
5. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1953, was a New Zealander.
6. Baron Ernest Rutherford, the first person in the world to split the atom in 1919, was also a New Zealander.
7. It’s no wonder New Zealanders have always been ahead with regards to things like inventions and politics…. New Zealand is after all the very first country to greet each new day!
8. While Rugby remains the most popular spectator sport in New Zealand, golf is the most popular participation sport, with more golf courses in New Zealand per capita of population, than any other country in the world.
9. Auckland also has the largest number of boats per capita than any other city in the world.
10. New Zealand won the first ever Rugby World Cup, held in 1987.
11. New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals per capita, than any other country.
12. The Hector’s Dolphin, the world’s smallest marine dolphin, which grows to a maximum length of 1.5 metres, is found nowhere else in the world but in New Zealand waters.
13. New Zealand is also home to the world’s only flightless parrot, the Kakapo.
14. Dairy farmers produce a whopping 100 kg of butter and 65 kg of cheese each year, for each person who lives in New Zealand!
15. Notable New Zealand filmmakers include ‘The Piano’ director Jane Campion and Peter Jackson, who made King Kong and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
16. The most popular New Zealand films include ‘Once were Warriors’, ‘The Whale Rider’, ‘The Piano’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
17. Here’s a really good reason to visit New Zealand – there are no snakes in the country!
18. There are also no nuclear power stations in New Zealand.
19. The Maori name for New Zealand is ‘Aotearoa’. It means “the land of the long white cloud”.
20. Another great reason to live in New Zealand if you love surfing and other watersports is that nowhere in New Zealand is more than 120 km from the coast.

If this article has piqued your interest and you want to visit sunny New Zealand, speak to a 1^st Contact visa consultant by calling 0808 141 2290 (UK) or visit www.1stcontactvisas.com.

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