New Zealand
Situated in
the South Pacific Ocean between latitude
34'S and 47'S New Zealand is
composed of three islands: North and
South Islands and the smaller Stewart Island.
comprable in size to Great Britain or
California, but with a population of only
four
million or so people, most of whom live
in the the North Island.Natural
Heritage
After only
1000 years of human settlement New
Zealand has lost many native
species. But impressive gains have been
made to protect what is left.
These
include the establishment of 14 national
parks, three maritime reserves two
world heritage areas and hundreds of
nature reserves. Around 30 percent of
New Zealand's land area is protected Conservation Land.
Conservation
Projects
include removing pests from wildlife
sanctuaries and recovery programmes
to help restore endangered native bird
species such as the Kakapo
and Takahe.
Climate
Summer and
winter temperatures vary by only about 10ºC
over most of the country
making New Zealand an ideal holiday
destination all year round. New Zealand
has
4 distinct seasons - Spring (Sept-Nov),
Summer (Dec-Feb), Autumn/Fall (Mar-May)
and Winter (June-Aug). In summer there's
plenty of sunshine, and activities in and
around the water include rafting,
snorkelling, diving and kayaking.
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