Location: South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia
Capital: Wellington
Tourist Attractions: New Zealand is popular with the tourists for its natural beauty in the form of caves, glaciers and geysers as well as its cultural heritage. Te Papa, the 'Museum of New Zealand', is a great introduction to the Maori past of New Zealand. The city of Christchurch is popular for its mountains, ocean beaches, and beautiful Cathedral Square. Auckland city is known for its great harbor and the Victoria Park Market. The Art Centre comprising of art galleries, craft studios, theatres and cinemas along with ethnic food stalls is a must-visit for all. The Antarctic Centre is where tourists can experience the real Antarctic. The Wakiki Beach is also a favorite haunt. Cruises liners that visit the fjords and Lord of the Rings Tours that cover the destinations shown in the epic movie trilogy are other attractions of New Zealand.
Access: Zealand has seven major airports at Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Queenstown and Wellington that handle international flights. Entry by sea is sporadic as there are no fixed schedules for cruise ships.
Climate: New Zealand has an overall maritime climate, but it differs from region to region. Rainfall is more in the west than the eastern part of the island. It also receives snow in the winter months.