A holiday in New Zealand opens the eyes to a world of spectacular scenery and friendly cheerful people. Sometimes referred to as Australia’s seventh state, New Zealand is a favoured holiday destination for Aussies seeking a landscape of breathtaking beauty, a community that is stable and peaceful (except on the sporting field) and a welcome as warm as Rotorua’s famous thermal springs. Holidaymakers find the New Zealanders, referred universally as “kiwis” are proud and cheerful, and blessed with a country of extreme natural attraction.

New Zealand is two main islands, creatively called North Island and South Island. The country measures 1,600km from north to south and is 1900km off the east coast of Australia. Dominated by mountains, with vast plains, fjords, bays and thermal springs, the variety of natural attractions is mind-boggling. The two main islands are relatively narrow so no inland location lies more than about 110km from the sea.

Capital city, Wellington, known locally as the windy city, is a vibrant maritime city with a wealth of cultural attractions, a thriving coffee and gourmet culture and is surrounded in the hinterland by world-class vineyards.

The unofficial capital and largest city, Auckland is on a breathtaking natural harbour teeming with yachts and all manner of watercraft. Within a few hours’ drive from Auckland you can be in the breathtaking Bay of Islands or dramatic geothermal sites with geysers and bubbling lakes at Rotorua. Napier, on Hawke’s Bay is world-renowned as an art deco city after its reconstruction following a devastating earthquake in 1931.

On the South Island, you’ll find Christchurch, a city reminiscent of Britain’s university towns; Dunedin with a climate only a Scot could love; and Queenstown, surrounded by mountains, is the adventure capital of the Pacific with a six-month ski season.

The larger of the two islands, the South island boasts more dramatic landscapes than the North. Known as a leading adventure holiday destination (the kiwis invented bungee jumping and jet-boating), other activities include heli-skiing, mountain biking, mountaineering, hiking and rafting. The less active are catered for with thermal spa resorts, museums, sight-seeing, and wineries galore.

The Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa – land of the long white cloud

Abel Tasman was the first European to see NZ in 1642, but Captain Cook was the first to set foot on NZ in 1769

At 41.2 degrees south, Wellington is the most southerly capital in the world.