I've been to New Zealand multiple times now, and yet I'm still constantly learning new things about it. Even though the country may not be as “exotic” as other destinations around the world, it still has characteristics and quirks that many people may not be aware of.
Sure, you probably know that Kiwis (AKA New Zealanders) drive on the left, love rugby, and have a lot of beautiful scenery to look at. But do you also know they were the first to give women the right to vote, or that the country only has one native mammal? I didn't.
So, allow me to shed some light on some things you may not know about New Zealand.
First, here's a cool video from New Zealand:
15 Fun Facts About New Zealand
1. There are no snakes
Much like Hawaii, New Zealand is an island grouping devoid of native snakes. It also has no deadly spiders, killer jellyfish, or other creepy crawlies that are likely to kill you. Australia is home to all of those.
(Edit: New Zealand does have a couple venomous spiders – only one of which is native – but it's very rare to see or be bitten by one.)
2. New Zealand has only one native mammal
Before settlers began arriving, the country had only one mammal – a bat the size of your thumb. Most of the country's native fauna come in the form of birds, and many of the native bird species in New Zealand are flightless (like the kiwi, takahe, weka, and kakapo) because there were, historically, no large land predators to endanger them.
When Europeans arrived, however, they brought with them invasive species like possums, stoats and rabbits that threatened a lot of the native birds (which is why many of them are now endangered).
3. Very high sheep-to-human ratio
There are roughly a little over 4 million people in New Zealand, and about 30 million sheep. You'll find sheep farms all over the country, including huge sheep stations (where they farm thousands of sheep) on the South Island.
Because of the large number of sheep, you can find lamb and mutton on just about any menu in New Zealand – including the one at Subway.
The number of sheep in New Zealand has actually dropped, though. Dairy farming is on the rise (in fact, New Zealand is the world’s largest exporter of dairy products!), and New Zealand also farms deer for meat (NZ venison is delicious!).
4. New Zealand was home to Sir Edmund Hillary
Yes, the first man to summit Mount Everest was a Kiwi. Quite fitting, isn't it, considering New Zealand's claim of being the “adventure capital of the world”? Hillary is even on the NZ $5 bill.
Other famous people from New Zealand include actors Russell Crowe, Sam Neil and Anna Paquin, and director Peter Jackson.
5. A country of firsts
My favorite “first” from New Zealand is the fact that the country was the first to give women the right to vote in 1893. Kate Sheppard, the country's most famous suffragette, is now on the NZ $10 bank note.
Another fun “first”? The town of Gisborne on New Zealand's east coast is said to be the first city to see sunrise each day!
6. New Zealand has 3 official languages
While English is the predominant language spoken in New Zealand, Maori is also an official language, in honor of the native people that originally inhabited the islands.
When looking at the numbers, only about 3 percent of the population actually speaks Maori, but the two languages can be found everywhere. Most place names in New Zealand have both a Maori and an English name, with many of them going by just the Maori name. (The Maori name for New Zealand, by the way, is Aotearoa, which means “the land of the long white cloud.”)
And, as of 2006, NZ Sign Language is the country's third official language. Way to go, NZ, being one of the first countries to do this.
7. There's a range of climates
Want mountains? Beaches? Volcanoes? Rainforests? You'll find all of it (and more) in New Zealand. The country is amazing for the fact that you can drive for 4 or 5 hours and experience so many different landscapes and climates.
There are deserts near snow-covered volcanoes, and glaciers that descend down through temperate rainforests. Crossing from one side of the Southern Alps to the other can mean the difference between 2 meters and 8 meters of rainfall per year.
8. Never far from the coast
Even though New Zealand has a ton of different climates, the country is shaped so that nobody living in the country is ever more than 120 kilometers from the coast.
Granted, that coast (which stretches for more than 9,300 miles!) changes drastically depending on where you are in the country. But you'll never be far from it.
9. Kiwis, kiwis, and kiwis
The word “kiwi” refers to three different things in New Zealand. First, there's the nocturnal flightless bird with the long beak that's one of NZ's most famous native species. The people of New Zealand have also been nicknamed “Kiwis.” And then there's the kiwi fruit, which, yes, you'll find all over New Zealand, even though technically the fruit came from China!
10. Bungee jumping was born here
Even though some Vanuatu tribes have been jumping off high structures with vines tied around their ankles for decades, bungee jumping in its current form began in New Zealand in the 1980s. AJ Hackett designed the elastic bungee cord, and began bungee operations off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand.
RELATED: Completing the Bungee Jumping Trifecta in Queenstown
11. The government is unicameral
New Zealand is run as a form of parliamentary democracy, and is part of the British Commonwealth, meaning it is technically still tied to the Queen in England.
Unlike the British government which has two governing houses, however, New Zealand only has one – the House of Representatives. They have a Prime Minister, and also have a truly representative form of government, with all of the country's active political parties being represented in Parliament.
12. Milford Sound is No. 1
Milford Sound – the stunning fjord located in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island, is renowned the world over for being a must-see spot.
In 2008, Milford Sound was judged the world's top travel destination in an international TripAdvisor survey, and Rudyard Kipling even once called it the eighth wonder of the world. (Though I can personally argue that Doubtful Sound is just as amazing, if not better.)
This is one New Zealand cruise worth taking.
RELATED: New Zealand Fjord Smackdown: Milford Sound vs. Doubtful Sound
13. No tipping necessary
Going out for dinner in New Zealand? No need to leave a big tip like you would in the USA. Either it's not expected, or it will be automatically tacked on to your bill as a service charge. This goes for taxi drivers, too, although none of them will turn down a couple extra dollars if you offer them in thanks.
And speaking of eating out… it's different from what you're probably used to in the US. Servers won't check on you 17 times, and they usually won't deliver a bill to you at your table. You have to go up to the register to pay, and some smaller cafes won't even keep track of what you ordered; they just trust you to tell them what you ate.
14. Forget the change
New Zealand phased out its 1-cent and 5-cent coins a few yeas ago, which means most prices either end in a 0, or are rounded up. But, this doesn't necessarily cut down on coins in your wallet, since NZ has $1 and $2 coins instead of paper bills.
15. A great place to go for the apocalypse
This is kind of a joke I have with some New Zealand friends, but it really would make a great place to hide out during the apocalypse. NZ is a nuclear-free zone. Nearly 30% of the country is protected as national parks. And Kiwis really are some of the nicest, most laid-back people you'll ever meet.
Essential New Zealand info
- Looking for packing suggestions for New Zealand? Head over to my New Zealand packing list to see all my favorite travel gear!
- Pick up a New Zealand travel guide before you go (or how about a Lord of the Rings guidebook?).
- Don't leave home without a good travel insurance plan – because you never know what might happen! I recommend World Nomads for affordable basic travel insurance.
For further reading, check out these top NZ posts:
- New Zealand Smackdown: North Island vs. South Island
- The Ultimate New Zealand Bucket List
- New Zealand Road Trip: The Perfect Itinerary if You Only Have 2 Weeks
- Lupin-Spotting in New Zealand
- Visiting Hobbiton (Yes, This Place is Real!)
Want to get to know NZ better? Watch these movies:
Have you been to New Zealand? Did any of these New Zealand fun facts surprise you?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Interesting! I haven’t been there but enjoyed learning some new things about NZ and looking at your beautiful photos. Milford Sound is stunning! And I love that NZ adopted their sign language as an official language.
Thanks, Jenna! New Zealand is full of surprises — I didn’t even know about the sign language at first , but I agree that it’s awesome that it’s now one of the country’s official languages.
And just about all of NZ is stunning — but Milford is definitely special.
I definitely have to get there someday. Honestly, I didn’t think much about it until I saw a friend’s pictures and read stories from you and other travel bloggers who absolutely love it there.
#6 There’s a range of climates.
that is why I love New Zealand – it so small but so different.
I’m not sure you can find another country as diverse in landscapes as New Zealand. Perhaps the US… But when you do a size comparison, NZ certainly packs the most punch!
Wait…adventure, no snakes, no tipping, fantastic scenery and sheep? Sign me up!
Haha, yup, that pretty much sums up New Zealand!
This made me ‘homesick’ for New Zealand. I knew most of this (although kudos to them on the sign language thing), but the photos? Love that country.
It makes me “homesick,” too. 🙂 And as for the photos, there are plenty more to come!
You had me at ‘no snakes.’ (Sniff, sniff) You had me at ‘no snakes!’
Haha, you’re not alone there! NZ is appealing to many people for that same reason.
I love the pay at the counter type of service! Those are my favorite types of places to eat, way less stress for everyone:-)
And I guess you didn’t hang out in AKL too much, because I have never seen a city (maybe except for NYC) where cars don’t stop for ANYONE! There are accidents allllll the time of cars hitting people. My reasoning is because hardly anyone lives there, they just aren’t in the habit of looking out for people. I flipped so many birds to drivers coming so close to peds, it was insane!
No, I spent no time in Auckland at all on this trip. In fact, I’m not really a fan of Auckland at all (and it’s not just the Wellington bias in me talking!). To me, Auckland is no different than any other city in the world. It doesn’t have a distinct NZ character about it. And, apparently, it has the same “rush rush rush” mentality that any large city would have!
Having learned to drive in NZ, I consider us the worlds rudest drivers? Stop for a pedestrian? You are kidding, right? Was not taught to, and my wife still thinks I am a rude driver and is certain my attitude is illegal here. The politest drivers I ever came across were in Housten, where a gap would open in traffic if I merely indicated my desire…
In NZ, if someone indicates to change lanes, in all likelihood, any sign of a gap in the traffic will disappear as drivers speed up to close it. Things may have changed now, but I still consider ‘us’ to have appalling road manners.
I live in Houston and see both the situations you described: people resent your desire to “intrude their space” or some will offer you the courtesy if they think that is what you are doing.
In Maryland so many pedestrians have been killed it’s ridiculous. I myself don’t drive and have to walk places and I abide by the traffic light and crosswalk. The big thing here is a lack of patience,need for speed,texting while driving, drunk or on drugs nonsense like that. I have seen pedestrians cross against the light,not pay attention, and cross at the wrong spot all at the same time or one of the other but mostly drivers preoccupied with their damn phones .
I live in Seattle where cars almost always stop for you in crosswalks like that. I’m from the Mid-West like you are, and was pleasantly surprised by it when I moved here. When I visit family in Illinois I always stop for pedestrians and always worry about being rear-ended. The Mid-West is a very pedestrian unfriendly place, the West is much better in that respect.
I also work as a waitress in the U.S. and would love if the gratuity was already included on the bill or we would be paid a higher wage instead of minimum wage which is entirely unlivable. Never having any idea of how much money I will make is very stressful.
That’s awesome that Seattle is pedestrian-friendly. I knew I really liked that city! 🙂
And I feel your pain about waitressing wages — I waited tables for about a year before I got my “real” job, and it was tough never knowing how much money you were going to take home. Because, for every patron who gave you a good tip, it seemed like there were 2 or 3 who would leave bad ones…
I didn’t know any of the facts listed here! I’m ready to go if there aren’t any poisonous critters. I still love the fact that people actually stop when you cross the street. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful facts and including the amazing pictures.
The lack of lots of creepy crawlies is nice, and you really can’t beat the scenery! I’m glad I could share some things you didn’t know about NZ. This is what travel is all about, isn’t it – learning new things about far-off places? Thanks for reading, Debbie!
we do have the weta though haha don’t like them at all!
Haha, fair enough! At least they aren’t poisonous, though!
I’m a big fan of the ‘pay at the counter after your meal’ system.
In other places you often wait far too long for (1) the bill to be brought to the table (2) your credit card to be accepted and the slip brought back for signing (3) a waitperson to come back and collect the signed slip.
This usually happens when even after a good night and nice meal you want to be on your way out of there. Much better to just go to the counter when you’re ready!
It really does make a lot of sense! You are free to end your meal as quickly or as slowly as you’d like. I don’t think it would work in the US though… haha.
I have found one restaurant in Houston, Texas that I paid at the counter after my meal: Quan Yin Vegan Restaurant.
There are a few places here in Florida where you pay at the counter after you eat .
It’s great to see what others think of New Zealand. Especially the tipping thing. We don’t even think about that:) By the way, there are actually three official languages in New Zealand. NZ Sign Language is the other one.
I’d be interested to see what a New Zealander would find weird or quirky about the U.S.! This sort of stuff is really cool to me.
And I had no idea NZ Sign Language was also official! (And neither does the CIA World Factbook, apparently, which is what I checked to make sure…)
Re: NZSL
NZ is a social world leader in many ways, as evidrnced by this comment. Not mentioned was the fact that NZ was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. So, recognising sign language like this comes as no surprise.
South Australia was first to give women vote and be elected to Parliament 1894.NZ vote 1883 but note elected to parliament
the territory of wyoming beat them both. women could vote in 1869.
Ah, this is why I love New Zealand. Being from the Uk I hate small change so the dropping of 1 and 2 cents makes total sense.
This post makes me miss New Zealand even more 🙂
Paul / MyPostcardFrom
New Zealand is just so damn lovable, isn’t it?? Haha. I love not having to worry about the small change, too. It makes the wallet a lot lighter!
I love reading fun facts about a country. Number #13 and #14 is good to know. I often forget many countries don’t do tips.
I like learning random facts about places, too, and I’m glad I’m not alone in that! I could have probably easily made this list a lot longer, but I figured this was a good start!
After reading number 1… Why on earth does anyone go to Australia? Really interesting post, I knew almost none of these facts.
Haha, I know, right? I’d take NZ over OZ any day!
And thanks for reading, Phil! I’m glad you learned some things. 🙂
Oh, there are reasons, trust me. Many kiwi’s move there (I am one of the many) and not solely for reasons of work. Having lived in 4 countries and visited or worked in many others, I think Aussie is one of the best places in the world to live. And yes, I must concede NZ is on that list, but IMHO, not at the top.
To get jobs and have a warmer and more diverse lifestyle…..new zealand is the only country in world where its citizens are allowed to live and work full time without a visa and travel unrestricted at will for life .The same for Australians in New Zealand in fact Australians can vote in new zealand elections after staying their for longer than 3months.Australias only country allowed.So the movement of people back and forward is the same as people in your country moving interstate at will.
So many interesting things I didn’t know about New Zealand.. all making it an even more attractive place! Thanks!
My pleasure! New Zealand is a pretty interesting place.
Very interesting! I like these kinds of posts, straight to the point and informative. I had no idea New Zealand had no snakes or poisonous spiders – is this my new heaven?
And I still have trouble with the no-tip thing. It’s the same in France – your tip is automatically added to your bill, so technically you don’t have to leave any unless you received an exceptional service. But I feel so cheap leaving the restaurant with my pockets full of change! It takes a bit of getting used to.
Thanks, Marie! I like reading these sorts of posts about other countries, so I figured why not write one up about New Zealand?
The no-tipping thing does indeed take some getting used to… And then, once you get back to the U.S., you have to remember to start again! Haha.
I live in New Zealand and we have lots of native animals and insects;
http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/ these are some of the birds. we have lots, including the Kiwi, our national bird that we are known for (we are called the Kiwi’s). We are also the best at Rugby.
We actually have 3 official languages in New Zealand. 1) English, 2) Maori and 3) NZ Sign Language. Thanks for a lovely post. As a migrant of 16 years who now calls New Zealand home, I could not agree more with your thoughts especially the one about Milford Sound.
English is not an official language of NZ it’s just predominantly spoken
You didn’t mention the Kia bird that picks the molding around the car windows.??
You can still tip a NZ’er! Altho it’s no neccessary, we still like it! 🙂
Haha yes I’m sure you do! And I usually did tip, at least a little. 😉
Actually most business policies forbid employees taking things from customers this includes tips.
Actually, no tip is added to the bill either. You pay for your food. The wait-staff get paid a regular hourly rate. We’ve never had a topping system.
There may have been at least one important New Zealander missed on the famous list, Lord Earnest Rutherford who split the atom was also a New Zealander.
In 1893 we were the first country to give women the vote.
Also we have some amazing seafood, wines and all of our red meat is grass-fed. You can taste the difference. No hormones allowed.
Yes, I love that NZ was the first country to give women the vote! That’s awesome.
And the food there definitely tastes better!
Very interesting and informative article. Have to correct the common myth that New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote though.
The Isle of Man (a Crown Dependency and also an island devoid of snakes) gave women the vote 12 years before NZ.
In fact, the mother of famous suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, was Sophia Goulden (neé Craine) was born and raised in the Isle of Man
“Women who owned property gained the right to vote in the Isle of Man in 1881, and in 1893, women in the then British colony of New Zealand were granted the right to vote.”
I did not know that! What a fun fact. I’ll have to go read more about this.
Aha but the difference is that in NZ you did not have to be a land owner! We all got it! universal suffrage – way to go!
All this sounds fantastical. Hope to visit someday. Can a Yank retire there?
It made me feel so uncomfortable as a kiwi in the states when giving a tip. In NZ if you give a tip, the waiter will most likely say no, and offer it back to you. If you insist they will express sincere thanks and put it in a communal tip jar for the entire staff and it will get split or spent on something for the crew. Very different.
Tips are not a NZ thing, I guess its because we have a minimum law wage which is now at $15.50 if I am correct. This goes up every year and employers who pay below that rate are in breach of the law and are liable to be prosecuted.