Facts and Figures
New Zealand Land Mass, Population, Holidays, Time

New Zealand, Aotearoa.

New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific ocean, between latitude 34'S and 47'S. The country runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. The two main islands (North and South) cover 266,200 sq km (103,735 sq miles), roughly the size of Japan or California and slightly larger than Great Britain.

A multi-cultural nation New Zealand's population at the time of writing was 4, 369, 163 according to the Department of Statistics Population counter.

The Capital of New Zealand is Wellington at the bottom of the North Island. New Zealand's largest city is Auckland with approximately a quarter of the population, the largest cities of the South Island are Christchurch and Dunedin.

Public Holidays

2012
New Years Day 1-2 January*
Waitangi Day 6 February
Good Friday 6 April
Easter Monday 9 April
ANZAC Day 25 April
Queen's Birthday (The first Monday in June) 4 June
Labour Day (The last Monday in October) 22 October
Christmas Day, Boxing Day 23-26 December*

2013
New Years Day 1-2 January*
Waitangi Day 6 February
Good Friday 29 March
Easter Monday 1 April
ANZAC Day 25 April
Queen's Birthday (The first Monday in June) 3 June
Labour Day (The last Monday in October) 28 October
Christmas Day, Boxing Day 25-26 December*

*When a holiday falls on a weekend, some of that holiday will be observed on the following working day. We recommend that visitors check the open dates and times with the operator/owner of those attractions you plan to visit.

New Zealand Time

New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the new day, 12 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). In summer we use 'daylight saving', with clocks put forward one hour to GMT+13.

Daylight saving currently begins on the last Sunday in September and ends on the first Sunday of the following April, when the clocks are put back to GMT+12

In An Emergency

When traveling in New Zeland the emergency number to remember is 111. Emergency Calls to this number are Free from any Public phone box and most other phones in New Zealand.

If you need to use this please, remain calm, try to identify your location, look for signs, landmarks etc. Dial 111 and ask for the service you need, ie: Police, Fire or Ambulance.

Be precise, speak clearly and answer any questions asked, do not terminate the call until the operator does. If other emergency services are required, tell the operator you speak too.

Dress for the Occassion

Dress is generally informal and relaxed on most occasions in New Zealand. Smart casual clothing is acceptable in most restaurants and night-spots. With the exception of a few top formal bars and restaurants in major cities men are generally not expected to wear suits and ties.

Your summer wardrobe should include a jacket and sweater in your luggage incase the weather turns cooler or you are planning on visiting higher altitudes. You can expect some rain, so also include a light rainproof jacket or coat. When visiting between May and September, pack warm winter garments and layer your clothing.