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Clements, Fraser. New Zealand People. NewZealand.com. (Missing date). https://www.newzealand.com/sg/feature/new-zealand-people/ (Accessed 2018-12-15).
Aurelie. Auckland, the City of Sails. iwheeltravel.com (2017-06-19). https://www.iwheeltravel.com/en/2017/06/19/auckland-city-of-sails/ (Accessed 2018-12-15).
Barnard, Hugh. New Zealand Plants and Animals. NewZeeland.com.(Missing date). https://www.newzealand.com/us/feature/new-zealand-flora-and-fauna/ (Accessed 2018-12-15).
Swarbrick, Nancy. Animal Welfareand Rights. TeAra.govt.nz.(2017-07-01). https://teara.govt.nz/en/animal-welfare-and-rights/print (Accessed 2018-12-18).
Center for Biological Diversity. Yellow-Eyed Penguin. Biologigaldiversity.org (Missing date). https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/penguins/yellow-eyed_penguin.html (Accessed 2018-12-18).
Backpackerguide.nz. ‘New Zealand Travel Advice: How to Plan a Trip to New Zealand’. https://www.backpackerguide.nz/travel-advice-how-to-plan-a-trip-to-new-zealand/ (Accessed 2018-12-19).

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The Spinoff

Society Today at 5.00am

The spinoff essay: remembering norman kirk, new zealand’s great internationalist.

Fifty years ago today, prime minister Norman Kirk died unexpectedly. Anti-apartheid activist Trevor Richards considers his legacy.

The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous support of our members.

S aturday, 31 August 1974. I had been out at a party in Wellington. Returning home, I switched on the radio to catch the midnight news. The lead item was one of those “where were you when…” moments. It was news that probably no one in the country was expecting: Norman Kirk, elected prime minister in the November 1972 Labour landslide, was dead. He was 51. He had been in power for less than two years.

In the days that followed, people flocked to parliament to pay their respects. More than 30,000 filed past his casket. Queen Elizabeth sent Prince Charles to New Zealand to represent her at the funeral. According to The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, the outpouring of grief was paralleled only by that which had followed the death of Labour’s first prime minister Michael Joseph Savage in 1940.

I remember the 1972 election campaign well. National had been in power since 1960. The line in Labour’s campaign, “It’s time for a change, it’s time for Labour,” captured the nation’s mood. Claire Robinson, a former communications professor at Massey University, has called “It’s Time” New Zealand’s best election slogan. Kirk dominated the 1972 campaign. It was a personal triumph.

Cinemas around the country screened Labour’s striking, full-colour, split-screen campaign advert. Kirk, against some initial personal opposition, had been persuaded to grow his hair a little longer for the campaign. Once a hulking 130 kilos, by 1972 he had slimmed down. His suits were fitted and stylish. Filmed racing up the steps of parliament, he looked dynamic; like a prime minister in waiting.

On election night 1972, my flatmates and I had celebrated Labour’s election victory with gusto. Twelve years of National party rule had finally come to an end. It was such a relief. The defeated National candidate for Papanui lived directly across the road from us. As the results of the election became clear, we blasted out ‘The Internationale’ and ‘The East is Red’ into the cool, late-night air. I did not believe Labour had all the answers to what was needed – at the time, I thought they had very few of the answers – but there was at last room for some hope.

Any assessment of Kirk’s premiership needs to begin with an appreciation of what New Zealand was like in 1972 and where it had just come from.

I was born in 1946, one of the baby boomer generation. The New Zealand of my childhood and early teenage years was largely rural, male-dominated and conservative. Men wore the pants; women an apron. Male hairstyles ranged all the way from short back and sides to bald. Liquor licensing laws required hotels to close their bars at 6pm.

Pākehā citizens – well, most of them – believed the country had the best race relations in the world. Prime minister Keith Holyoake had assured my Northland College school assembly that this was the case. Rugby was God, especially when played against South Africa. Since 1921, all-white South African rugby teams touring New Zealand had been welcomed by almost all Pākehā. The breadth of Māori opposition to such visits was never appreciated.

Frank Corner recalled, before leaving for New York in 1961 to take up the position of permanent representative to the United Nations, that the only piece of advice Holyoake had for him was to refrain from using the word “abhorrent” in relation to apartheid. “My people don’t like it”, Holyoake had said.

The nuclear issue wasn’t an issue. Nuclear power was favoured by both National and Labour. Abortion and male homosexuality were illegal. In Wellington, coffee bars were seen as hangouts for bohemians. In 1965, Christchurch musician Rod Derrett’s hit ‘Rugby, Racing and Beer’ summarised the culture of a generation.

By 1972, all this was changing. The newly elected third Labour government was facing a society in the midst of transition. The policies and values of post-second world war society were being vigorously challenged, in particular by baby boomers. The issues of concern were many: New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam war, French nuclear testing in the Pacific, the scheduled 1973 Springbok tour, and the presence of US military bases at Washdyke and Mt John. There was a range of issues affecting women’s rights, especially the demand for access to safe and legal abortions. Issues affecting Māori were being vigorously promoted: land loss, te reo and the role of the treaty. A Māori renaissance was underway. Environmental issues also figured in this complex mix.

Labour had come to power in the midst of a developing battle over what sort of country we were going to be. The question was, whose side would Labour be on? For those demanding change, would the new Labour government be a help or a hindrance?

By the time the fourth Labour government left office in 1990, the New Zealand of my childhood was a distant memory. Māori were recognised as tangata whenua. We were proudly anti-nuclear and anti-apartheid. Laws against male homosexuality had been repealed. Abortion access was being liberalised. Coffee became a huge part of daily life. (Wellington today has more cafes per capita than New York City.) The monoculture of rugby, racing and beer was well and truly dead.

This change did not occur overnight. It began in the second half of the 1960s, although the engine-room for much of the change was located in the 1970s. It was driven by ordinary New Zealanders who saw the need for change, who gave their energy and time to a wide variety of causes, who put their bodies on the line. It was an energy political parties and parliament were able to tap into.

Change often seemed slow in coming. It was a long and gradual process, but it had to start somewhere, and it started to gather real momentum after the election of the third Labour government in 1972. The person driving much of that change, especially in the international sphere, was Norman Kirk.

A lthough his tenure in office was brief, his accomplishments were greater than those of many of his predecessors whose time in office had been significantly longer. This was partly a consequence of the timing of his premiership. By the time he was elected, the force for social change was already robust and multifaceted. Kirk’s developing sense of both New Zealand’s place in the world, and the type of society we should strive to be back home, were broadly in step with many (but not all) of those winds of change.

From the outset, Kirk presented the image of a man in a hurry. Within a month of assuming the treasury benches, New Zealand had established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. During the election campaign, he had promised that New Zealand’s military withdrawal from Vietnam would be completed by Christmas. It was. Before the year had come to an end, compulsory military training had been ended. In the months that followed, a grant was made to the United Nations Trust Fund for South Africa, a scheduled all-white South African rugby tour of New Zealand was cancelled, and our navy had become involved in protests against French nuclear testing in the Pacific.

At the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Ottawa in 1973, Kirk established warm personal relationships with the leaders of a number of Commonwealth countries, particularly Indira Gandhi (India), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania) and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bangladesh). Kirk invited Julius Nyerere to visit New Zealand, and in 1974 he became the first African head of state to set foot on New Zealand soil.

Kirk could be openly critical of the United States. In early September 1973, the democratically elected Chilean government of Salvador Allende was overthrown in a bloody coup. Kirk knew Allende and regarded him as a friend. Two weeks after the coup, Kirk addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He was openly critical of the direct role the US had played in the coup. The following day he met with president Nixon at the White House.

Kirk was heading an activist government unlike any seen in the previous 40 years.

Kirk said he wanted New Zealand’s foreign policy “to express New Zealand’s national ideals as well as to reflect our national interests”. This notion was behind two of the Kirk government’s most significant actions: opposition to French nuclear testing in the Pacific, and the cancellation of the 1973 South African rugby tour.

When France first began atmospheric nuclear testing in French Polynesia in the mid-1960s, official New Zealand protests followed. With the 1972 election of Labour governments in both New Zealand and Australia, official opposition to these tests became more strident. In May 1973, in an effort to have these tests banned, both governments took France to the International Court of Justice. The court issued an interim ruling calling for the tests to cease. France ignored the ruling.

In June 1973, New Zealand opposition to French nuclear testing went beyond words and legal challenges. Two navy frigates, HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Canterbury, sailed into the test area. Kirk told the 242 crew of the Otago that their Mururoa mission was an “honourable” one − they were to be “silent witness[es] with the power to bring alive the conscience of the world”.

To emphasise the strength of New Zealand’s opposition to these tests, on board the Otago was cabinet minister Fraser Coleman. Explaining Coleman’s selection, Kirk said that the names of all 23 cabinet ministers had gone into a hat, and Fraser Colman’s, the lowly ranked minister of immigration and mines, was drawn out. Some insiders unkindly suggested that yes, there were 23 slips of paper in the hat, but they all had Fraser Coleman’s name written on them.

The opposition National party declined Kirk’s invitation to send a representative on the protest voyage. National’s leader, Jack Marshall, saw the despatch of the frigate as a “futile and empty gesture” that would only inflame the situation.

These protests grabbed world attention. They didn’t result in an immediate end to French nuclear testing in the Pacific – that was only achieved in 1996 – but they were influential in France’s 1974 decision to conduct its tests underground.

Kirk’s determination to change the way New Zealand viewed itself, the way it presented itself to the world, had first been on display a couple of months earlier. On 10 April 1973, his announcement that the government would not allow a Springbok rugby tour of New Zealand to take place was probably the first major marker of a seismic shift.

It is doubtful that any single issue was more central to New Zealand’s changing political and social landscape than that of our rugby relationship with apartheid South Africa. No issue better encapsulated the differences between those in New Zealand seeking change and those committed to maintaining the status quo. It was a lightning rod for conflict.

Frank Corner, secretary of foreign affairs during Kirk’s prime ministership, told me in an interview in 1998 that Kirk “could see that if he stopped the tour, he could lose the next election. But the tour did not fit in with his view of what New Zealand should do in the world, and what its standing would be should it proceed.”

It was a brave decision to stop the tour, and it engendered strong opposition, much of it absurd. Jock Wells, the president of the Wellington Rugby Football Union, called the tour’s cancellation “the worst news I have heard since 34 years ago when Chamberlain stated that England was at war with Germany.”

The decision to stop the tour had a remarkable but little-known impact on one of South Africa’s most important anti-apartheid activists. In 1995, Nelson Mandela told Norman Kirk’s son Phillip that learning of the tour’s 1973 cancellation from his prison cell was the first time he thought apartheid might actually be able to be ended in his lifetime.

T he extent to which it was Kirk who drove the decision to stop the tour became clear the year following its cancellation. In 1974, former Auckland University Students’ Association president Bill Rudman was teaching at the University of Dar es Salaam. That year’s Commonwealth finance ministers meeting was being held in the Tanzanian capital. Rudman was one of the New Zealand expats invited to meet with finance minister Bill Rowling. Rudman, who had been one of the 14 who had attended the inaugural meeting of the Halt All Racist Tours (HART) movement, congratulated Rowling on the government’s decision to stop the Springbok tour. Rowling’s response took Rudman by surprise: “That was Mr Kirk’s decision.”

Kirk’s understanding of his foreign affairs brief was detailed. In the early 1970s, the politics of South Africa’s liberation struggle were complicated. Meeting with Kirk in early 1974, I was part of a small National Anti-Apartheid delegation discussing recent developments there. We left impressed. Kirk opened the conversation, and after five minutes, we realised there really wasn’t any need for us to be meeting with him. The position he was advocating was much stronger and more detailed than anything we had gone seeking to achieve.

Kirk was fortunate to have Frank Corner at the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was both vastly experienced and on the same internationalist wavelength as Kirk.

Not all senior civil servants were an asset. Kirk was badly let down by the leadership of the Security Intelligence Service. Shortly after the cancellation of the 1973 rugby tour, HART became aware that the previous National government had given the SIS approval to bug HART’s headquarters in Christchurch. An agent had been installed in the house next door. Electronic equipment enabled conversations to be picked up and recorded. One of my flatmates, HART activist Piers MacLaren, wrote a detailed letter to the prime minister advising him of this.

Kirk’s response was unambiguous. “The Security Service considers that your allegations are unfounded and possibly libellous. In my turn, I can assure you that fears on your part that your name or the names of your flatmates are on Security Intelligence files are groundless.” Kirk had underlined the words “are groundless” with his fountain pen.

The prime minister was shortly to receive a shock. In her book Diary of the Kirk Years, Kirk’s private secretary Margaret Hayward writes, “Brigadier Gilbert [NZSIS director] is overseas and Mr Maling, the deputy director, has called to see the boss. The SIS is in trouble. Mr K told me Maling said they had been bugging Trevor Richards at HART headquarters … Mr K was furious. The SIS had assured him they were doing no bugging at all. When HART had written to him, Mr K had referred the letter to the SIS which stated the allegations were unfounded. What the hell were they doing making a liar out of the Prime Minister?” A memorable phrase from Kirk followed: “As things stood, it was like riding a bicycle downhill with no brakes”.

The matter surfaced again in 1974, a few months before Kirk’s death. By then my relationship with Kirk was good. At the end of a meeting at which a small group of anti-apartheid activists had been discussing the liberation struggle in South Africa, the prime minister followed us to the corridor and called me back into the office. It was the first time I had seen him looking tentative, uncertain. “How is our mutual friend?”, he asked a little awkwardly. I had no idea what he was talking about. “Has he been causing you more trouble?” I knew I was not going to be able to unscramble this one. “I’m sorry prime minister,” I replied, “I’m not sure what you are referring to.” He smiled and said, “Brigadier Gilbert”.

I told him that I was not aware of any trouble, but that I had not of course been aware of the previous bugging until after the event. We stood for a few minutes and chatted. The prime minister made it clear that he was very concerned about what had happened and that he was going to “sort the SIS out”. I left believing him.

Domestically, especially on matters relating to race relations, there had been significant progress since the change in government. In 1973, the Labour government announced that from 1974, Waitangi Day would be a national holiday known as New Zealand Day. With the exception of the 1940 centennial celebrations, Waitangi Day had barely registered with most New Zealanders. A public holiday only in Northland, it was regarded as no more than a local event. Kirk sought to change that; to make the day a celebration of New Zealand’s multiculturalism. A photograph of him walking hand-in-hand across the marae at Waitangi with a young Māori boy remains one of the enduring images of his leadership.

Labour’s record on race was not, however, without serious blemish. Relations with the Pasifika community were badly damaged when dawn raids were instituted against alleged overstayers from Pacific Island nations. Dr Melani Anae, a foundation member of the Polynesian Panthers (an activist group opposing the Dawn Raids) and later an associate professor in Pacific Studies at Auckland University, described these raids as “the most blatantly racist attack on Pacific peoples … in New Zealand’s history”.

Kirk had less success dealing with domestic economic issues. This is unsurprising. Small states have a limited capacity to overcome unfavourable international economic headwinds, and Labour was to encounter these. But not immediately. One of his first actions was to give pensioners a Christmas bonus. Labour’s first prime minister, Michael Joseph Savage, had done the same in 1935. In Kirk’s first year, the country’s books enjoyed a record surplus. The currency was revalued. External factors, however, were about to plunge the New Zealand economy towards recession.

The slowing world economy and an unprecedented rise in oil prices (“the first oil shock”) led to a rapid increase in government expenditure and spiralling inflation. By early 1974, the country’s economy was suffering. Kirk remained determined, no matter what the state of the economy, to implement election promises. To do otherwise he regarded as a breach of faith. His economic views remained firmly rooted in social democrat orthodoxy. He believed that “the role of the welfare state is to set people free”. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography called Kirk “Labour’s last passionate believer in big government.” In the midst of a serious economic downturn, he died.

On issues such as abortion law reform and gay rights, Kirk was a social conservative, opposed to any change to the status quo.

O ver the period of his premiership, I had the opportunity to observe at close quarters, on the anti-apartheid issue, Kirk in action. My opinion of him was to change significantly.

At the time that Kirk became prime minister, there was little indication that he would be remembered as a great internationalist. I had been enthusiastic about the Labour campaign advert I had seen in cinemas – I wanted Labour to win the election – but on the issue that concerned me the most, my view of Kirk was decidedly unenthusiastic.

During the 1972 election campaign, his views on the scheduled 1973 rugby tour had inspired no confidence in me. National had prominently displayed full-page newspaper advertisements promising that it would not be blackmailed into stopping the rugby tour. Labour, on the other hand, had assiduously sought to avoid the issue. In the run-up to the election, Labour promised not to interfere with the tour.

Once in power, Kirk seemed to be holding true to Labour’s election promise. He clearly had concerns about the tour, but there was nothing publicly to indicate that he was going to move in to stop it. Concerned by this apparent lack of commitment, in early February 1973 I issued a press release outlining what HART would do if the tour proceeded. My statement suffered no ambiguity. It received wide attention. The prime minister’s response was immediate and sharp: “Richards, you are not running the country.”

I had always thought that Kirk and I had little in common. He was someone for whom 1960s counterculture had completely passed by. I had hair that my girlfriend’s mother said resembled a coprosma bush in a southerly. We were an unlikely pair to hit it off.

It was a difficult time for both the government and the anti-apartheid movement. We doubted the government’s commitment to stopping the tour, and Kirk – who, unknown to us, was becoming increasingly of the view that the tour should not proceed – was concerned that further statements from HART similar to that of early February would make his task more difficult. Kirk’s solution was to establish back-channel communications between himself and HART.

Following my February 1973 statement, the message Kirk initially wanted relayed to HART was that the job of the anti-apartheid movement was to be calm and quiet. The government believed that our views were well-known, and the ball game was now being played on a different field – theirs. As time went on, although there was little public evidence to suggest it, we were being told to relax – the prime minister had the matter in hand.

Sometimes things dropped off the back of a truck. A few weeks before the tour’s cancellation, the prime minister met with a deputation from the pro-tour lobby. Some time later, a full transcript of the meeting found its way into HART’s hands. Clearly the government had wanted us to see it. The prime minister had told the delegation that his decision on the tour must be based only on one fact and that was what is in the best interests of New Zealand. Here was a PM thinking about who we were, New Zealand’s place in the world. “There is no evidence that I can find,” he told the delegation, “that supports in any way the continuation of the tour.”

In the period following the rugby tour’s cancellation, my relationship with Kirk changed. I settled into a comfortable, cooperative relationship with the prime minister. When he stopped the 1973 tour, Kirk said that “today’s announcement has been the establishment of a principle”.

For the remainder of the government’s term in office, many sports bodies sought to ignore this principle. A number of New Zealand sporting bodies, most notably rugby clubs and the Lawn Tennis Federation, remained intent on either issuing invitations to, or accepting invitations from, whites-only sports bodies in South Africa to tour. HART became energetic little bureaucrats, providing a receptive government with the information they needed to dismantle the often duplicitous claims advanced by sports bodies justifying these tours.

On other issues, Kirk’s relationship with HART was also warm. In the period after the tour was cancelled, the government and HART both developed warm relations with the Tanzanian government: Kirk with Tanzanian president Julius Nyerere, myself with Tony Nyakyi, head of the Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

One day in June 1974, the phone rang. It was the prime minister. I was about to travel to Tanzania as a guest of government to take part in celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the formation of the party that had led Tanzania to independence. The government had also been invited, but the New Zealand Foreign Ministry had failed to alert Kirk to this. He was furious. Would I please explain to Nyakyi and others why there would be no official New Zealand representation at the celebrations? It was all a far cry from “Richards, you’re not running the country.”

More than any other administration since the 1950s, the third Labour government pursued policies which laid the foundation for New Zealand’s shift into a more progressive social and political space. Specifically, it changed how New Zealand related to the world; how it thought of itself. Within that government, no one was more instrumental in that process than prime minister Norman Kirk. Together with Peter Fraser, he was one of New Zealand’s two great 20th century internationalists.

59 Reasons New Zealand Is The Best Place On Earth

New Zealand. It is a country so diverse and so beautiful that there’s no wonder why it plants itself on the top of many traveller’s to do lists. There’s a little something for everyone, from the great walks to the mountains, from the hot springs to the hobbits and from the beaches to the lakes. There’s more than enough reasons to validate this amazing country as the best place on the earth, but we’ve narrowed it down to just 59 (yep that’s right, JUST 59)!

1. No part of the country is more than 128 km from the sea. What does that mean? Yep, in just over an hour’s drive, no matter WHERE you are in New Zealand, you can reach the ocean!

2. There are no snakes (take that Australia)

3. Tongariro Crossing (home to Mt Doom) is a walk like no other on the planet!

4. Fergburger !

5. Only 5% of New Zealand’s population are human (the rest are animals)

6. World class skiing and snowboarding

7. World class mountain bike and hiking trails

8. Abel Tasman National Park will blow your mind

9. The world’s first ever commercial Bungy site is located in Queenstown

10. You’d be unlucky to have visited New Zealand and never spotted a Dolphin

11. The locals are awesome!

12. The Haka will make your body shake

13. Huka Falls is New Zealand’s most photographed national attraction for a reason

14. Cape Reinga Sand Dunes are great for sandboarding

15. Milford Sound has been voted by TripAdvisor as the world’s best travel destination

16. Christchurch’s Restart Mall following the Earthquake is a prime example of just how positive the Kiwis are

17. There’s no other country on the planet that has a town named “BULL” which has each of its local businesses take on the town’s name. Town Hall = Social – a- BULL. The Bank = Bank – a – BULL. It’s unforgetaBULL!

18. New Zealand is home to the longest place name in the world: “Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu”

19. Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park has the clearest water in the world

20. There are too many amazing places to visit that will blow your mind

21. Including Rotorua’s volcanic crater lakes in Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland

22. And Cathedral Cove

23. And Tunnel Beach

24. And Hobbiton

25. Auckland’s islands are stunning – Waiheke Island and Rangitoto are a must

26. Wellington is actually the coolest little city with amazing bars, restaurants and great coffee!

27. There ain’t no party like a Queenstown party

28. Skydiving over Lake Taupo is amazing

29. And Queenstown

30. And Lake Wanaka. In fact, Skydiving everywhere in New Zealand is amazing!

31. The cheese, wine, chocolate and meat are absolutely world class!

32. You can walk up the world’s steepest street in Dunedin

33. New Zealand is home to more species of Penguin than anywhere else on the planet

34. Airport landings are down right spectacular

35. One third of the country is covered in National Park

36. Raglan – New Zealand’s famous surf beach – is way more cooler than Byron Bay

37. There are no nuclear power stations in New Zealand

38. New Zealand was one of the first countries to give women the right to vote

39. There are more vending machines in Japan than there are people in New Zealand

40. Spotting the Glow Worms in Waitomo Caves is an unbelievable experience

41. The Southern Alps are a sight for sore eyes

42. Lake Wanaka is one of the most beautiful towns on the planet

43. You can Jet Boat just like the royals did through Queenstown!

44. Rotorua’s Kaituna River is home the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfalls

45. Wellington’s Te Papa Museum is FREE and one of the best museums EVER!

46. Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers will blow your mind

47. So will Moeraki Boulders

48. and Puzzling World!

49. It is home to black sandy beaches

50. And towering volcanic craters

51. Every major town or city has a nearby Lake or Beach

52. Gisborne is the first place in the world to see the SUNRISE!

53. You can Luge at Skyline Rotorua and Skyline Queenstown!

54. Where else can you SkyJump from a tower with views of a neighbouring volcano?

55. New Zealand’s Prime Minister once appointed a national Wizard

56. Where else in the world can you wear Jandals?

57. There are 9 Great Walks that will blow your mind

58. There are too many off the beaten track places of paradise to choose from and in just a short drive you can find yourself with your own private beach, lake or waterfall

59. It is one of the last habitable countries in the world to become occupied by humans

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New Zealand’s cultural influences are predominantly European and Māori . Immigrant groups have generally tended to assimilate into the European lifestyle, although traditional customs are still followed by many Tongans, Samoans, and other Pacific peoples. Māori culture suffered greatly in the years of colonization and into the 20th century, and many Māori were torn between the pressure to assimilate and the desire to preserve their own culture . However, since the 1950s there has been a cultural renaissance, with a determined effort to preserve and revive artistic and social traditions. The culture of the Pākehā (the Māori term for those of European descent) has come to incorporate many aspects of Māori culture. The biennial Te Matatini festival, first held in 1972, celebrates Māori culture, especially the traditional dance and song performances known as kapa haka . The festival is held over several days, each time in a different region of New Zealand, and culminates in the national kapa haka championship.

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The state has moved progressively to assist and encourage the arts. Creative New Zealand, the national agency for arts funding, gives annual grants in support of theatre , music, modern dance and ballet , opera , and literature . In addition, New Zealand was one of the first countries to establish a fund to compensate writers for the loss of royalties on books borrowed from libraries rather than purchased. The national orchestra is supported by the government through the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The government also provides taxation and other incentives for the motion-picture industry, and New Zealand-made films have received growing international recognition.

The Māori culture has seen a renaissance in wood carving and weaving and in the construction of carved and decorated meeting houses ( whare whakairo ). Māori waiata (songs) and dances have become increasingly popular, especially among the young. Māori meetings—whether hui (assemblies) or tangi (funeral gatherings)—are conducted in traditional fashion, with ancient greeting ceremonies strictly observed. Waves of migrants have also brought different cultures that are celebrated in a variety of ways—for example, in annual festivals such as the Chinese Lantern Festival and Lunar New Year and the Indian festival Diwali .

New Zealand cuisine has also been influenced by the foods of immigrants and the expectations of international tourists. It was originally a combination of traditional British dishes with local delicacies. Fresh seafood was popular along the coasts; mutton , venison , and meat pies were common. Pavlova, a sweet meringue dish, was and remains a popular dessert . Food, however, has become more imaginative and cosmopolitan , and there are many restaurants , bistros, and cafés in the major cities and towns that present a range of classic and ethnic menus. A traditional Māori feast of meat, seafood, and vegetables is steamed for hours in an earthen oven ( hāngī ).

New Zealand celebrates a number of national public holidays . Waitangi Day —February 6, the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (1840)—is considered the country’s national day. Commemorations are centred on Waitangi but are held throughout the country. Public celebrations include Māori ceremonies as well as sporting events, music, and parades. With the increasing attention paid to Māori history and culture, Waitangi Day has also become an occasion for reflection on the historical effects of European settlement on the indigenous people. Another, more sombre, public holiday is ANZAC Day —April 25, the day in 1915 when amphibious New Zealand and Australian (ANZAC) forces landed at the Gallipoli Peninsula ( Turkey ) and began one of the iconic battles of World War I . The holiday honours those who have served in New Zealand’s military forces, especially those killed in war.

The arts in New Zealand have been strongly influenced by the desire to establish a national identity distinct from that of other cultures. Numerous writers were active in the late 19th century, the most successful of whom were historians, such as William Pember Reeves , and ethnologists, including S. Percy Smith and Elsdon Best. The work of the first genuinely original New Zealand writers, the short-story author Katherine Mansfield and the poet R.A.K. Mason, did not appear until the 1920s. In the 1930s, during the harsh years of the Great Depression , a group of poets appeared and established a national tradition of writing. Although influenced by contemporary English literature — T.S. Eliot and W.H. Auden were greatly respected—they wrote about their New Zealand experience. The most-notable member of this group was Allen Curnow . A.R.D. Fairburn, Denis Glover, and Charles Brasch were other major poets. At the same time, Frank Sargeson began writing the superb stories in the New Zealand vernacular for which he became well known.

The work of those pioneering writers was followed by that of such widely published and acclaimed poets as James K. Baxter , Kendrick Smithyman, Ian Wedde, and Elizabeth Smither. A number of novelists have also earned international reputations, notably Janet Frame , Keri Hulme , Sylvia Ashton-Warner , Lloyd Jones, and mystery writer Ngaio Marsh . Authors Witi Ihimaera and Patricia Grace explored the intersection of Māori and Pākehā culture. Poet Hone Tuwhare has achieved an international reputation. Those and other New Zealand writers were greatly aided by the growth of the publishing industry in New Zealand.

The first painter to achieve international recognition, Frances Hodgkins, spent most of her life abroad. In the 1960s, however, an unprecedented art scene began to emerge, created initially by a group of artists, including Colin McCahon and Don Binney, who were helped by the rise of commercial galleries in most large towns and cities. Although New Zealand is often the subject of those paintings, they clearly reflect international influences. That group paved the way for what has become a small legion of artists. Since the late 20th century, Māori arts have experienced growing popularity, and works of visual art are prominently displayed in numerous galleries and museums.

In the 1970s and ’80s, professional theatre companies—including Downstage in Wellington and the Mercury in Auckland—rose to prominence in the major cities, and they have since been joined or succeeded by a number of small, more experimental companies. A national symphony orchestra tours within New Zealand and internationally, and most towns have musical groups or orchestras that play locally. New Zealand singers who garnered an international following include Dame Kiri Te Kanawa , Inia Te Wiata, and Donald McIntyre. Popular music has a long history and was dominated in the late 20th and early 21st centuries by such artists as brothers Neil and Tim Finn and their bands Split Enz and Crowded House, Dave Dobbyn, Bic Runga, and the hip-hop rapper Scribe.

New Zealand has a well-developed film industry, and the country has been the setting for a number of films by international directors who took advantage of the local scenery, skilled production workers, and government tax concessions . The films of New Zealand directors Jane Campion and Peter Jackson had notable success around the world; Campion’s The Piano (1993) and Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–03) in particular received much acclaim. The work of actors Sam Neill , Anna Paquin , Lucy Lawless , and New Zealand-born Australian Russell Crowe has been recognized internationally.

Oceania: New Zealand Expository Essay

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Currently New Zealand is one of the most developed countries, but in the course of its history, this nation had to struggle for its identity and independence. First of all, it should be noted that the first settlements in New Zealand can be dated back to more than 700 years ago (Smith 15). In particular, one can speak about the Māori people who were the native residents of South and North Islands (Smith 15).

Later, the territory of the country was colonized by European colonizers who could come from the Netherlands and most importantly from England. The culture of this country includes several elements, for example, one can mention Polynesian and Western-European cultures. Additionally, contemporary New Zealand incorporates several religions.

First of all, special attention should be paid to various denominations of Christianity such as Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism and Methodism (Smith 222). However, one should not forget about the presence of other religions, especially Rātana (Smith 222). This is the religion of Māori people.

Moreover, New Zealand is inhabited by people who practice Judaism or Islam. Additionally, this country provides a variety of opportunities to people with different lifestyles. For example, a person, who prefers an active lifestyle, may certainly consider mountaineering or bungy jumping.

In turn, the urban areas of the country can appeal to many people. Thus, one can say that contemporary New Zealand incorporates a variety of cultures and religions. This diversity is one of the main aspects of this country and this quality attracts many tourists as well as immigrants.

Special attention should be paid to the struggle of this country for independence from the United Kingdom. In 1841 the territory of this state became an official British colony that had to follow the legislation adopted by the government of the empire. In 1853, New Zealand became a self-governing colony within the British Empire (Smith 67).

One should bear in mind that during the period between 1841 and 1853, the European population of the colony grew significantly and these people were not strongly dependent on the political or legal institutions of the United Kingdom. However, there is an important milestone in the independence movement of New Zealanders, in particular, the World War I. The residents of New Zealand took part in this military conflict and many of them died in Europe.

This event prompted them to re-evaluate their attitude toward the United Kingdom. New Zealanders wanted to become independent. A similar reaction was produced during the World War II when they also had to sacrifice their lives. As a result of this war, in 1947 the government of New Zealand denied England the right to affect the legislation of the country as well as its foreign policies (Smith 15).

To a great extent, this date can be regarded as the moment when the country achieved its independence from the British rule. Since that time, New Zealand has acted as a fully sovereign state. It has been able to achieve sustainable economic development and now it is one of the most prosperous countries in Oceania and the world. This is why it attracts many immigrants from other countries.

These are the most important events in the history of New Zealand. One can argue that this country had a very diverse and rich culture. Its citizens can have different ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Works Cited

Smith, Philippa. A Concise History of New Zealand , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.

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I had yearned to visit New Zealand since age 11. Thirty-four years later, I manifested my dream

Aug 17, 2023 • 9 min read

After decades of dreaming about New Zealand, the author manifested her destiny © Deesha Dyer

Deesha Dyer is the co-founder and executive director of beGirl.world Global Scholars , an organization that empowers teen girls through education and travel. BeGirl has partnered with Lonely Planet to raise awareness about their passport-equity project and to celebrate and continue its mission. In this first-person essay, Dyer shares how she made her travel dream of a trip to New Zealand a reality, confirming that manifesting your travel destiny sometimes really does work.

Science was always my favorite class, especially in middle school, as my inquisitive and creative mind started to mature enough to understand how the world and everything in it connected.

One day in 1990, we were learning about plants: how sun and water conspire to create everything we see around us. When my fabulous teacher Ms Moser instructed us to open our textbooks, I was immediately struck by a photo of a large, lush field with all types of colorful flowers. It curved up a hill and seemed to go on for miles.

Where was this place?

I glanced down to the corner to read the small italicized writing: New Zealand . I folded the corner of the page so I could look at again it from time to time.

A long-distance love affair

This started a love affair with this beautiful country in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But I was just a kid from Philadelphia ; New Zealand was so far away. Traveling to me was going to the Jersey Shore or to visit family in Queens , New York – certainly not boarding a plane or crossing an ocean to leave the country.

In seventh grade, I kept a spinning globe in my room – the cheap kind, with the plastic peel on sections that would slowly creep up after a few years, only to be held down by scotch tape (less expensive than buying a new one). I kept North America pointing toward me, for if I had to turn the globe left or right to see another country, that was a sign that I couldn’t afford to go there. New Zealand seemed like another planet away, one you would need a million dollars and a rocket ship to get to.

I had neither.

As I grew up, graduated from high school (in 1995) and learned more about travel, I realized that while I didn’t need either of those things to explore, I certainly had to find another path to see the world – because I still couldn’t afford it. I jokingly (and, um, seriously) prayed for a job that would pay me to travel. I spent the early 2000s watching Travel Channel host Samantha Brown , who seemed to have the best job in the world: eating, drinking and galavanting around the globe. Someone please pay me to do this! I thought.

This led me to short stints with American Airlines and the Omni Netherland Plaza hotels, where I flew and stayed in places for a huge discount. Yet I was never able to use the benefits for international travel.

Yes, we can (travel internationally)

In 2007, at age 29, after a slew of professional stops (including as a hip-hop journalist, peer counselor, secretary and retail worker), I decided to return to school part-time, at the Community College of Philadelphia. At this point, I had left the airline and hotel worlds, and had on my time off visited international destinations on a budget, including Mexico , Bermuda , France and England . The realm of what was possible and how far I could go began to grow. Then, in 2009, I landed an opportunity that finally did pay me to travel: I went to intern at the White House for the president and first lady of the United States, Barack and Michelle Obama.

I was placed in the Department of Scheduling and Advance, which was charged with creating and managing the president’s daily schedule and arranging travel and event logistics for the first couple. This involved a team traveling ahead of the event (hence, “advancing”). If the event was in the US, we would travel seven days ahead; for international trips (referred to as OCONUS – outside the continental United States), we would leave two weeks before the event.

I traveled all over the world with the White House, and absolutely loved it. In 2011, the president was planning an official trip to Australia , and I joined as part of the advance team working and playing in cities like Canberra and Sydney . Although this was the closest yet I would get to New Zealand, I couldn’t make it there. On the way home, I craned my neck by the window to catch any glimpse of it I could from above. Silly perhaps – but hopeful.

Going places

Fast forward 11 years, to 2022, when I was planning my wedding. I told my now-husband Wes that the only place on Earth I wanted to go was New Zealand. I didn’t care how much it cost; we were going. I had never forgotten the feeling I had at age 10 when I first turned to that page in science class.

We set a budget, put our wedding on a credit card to get the points (yes, we paid it right off) and started to strategize our trip. Because Obama, my former boss, had a speaking engagement in Australia a few months after our wedding, I had taken the chance to “advance” the trip by the former president to get to that part of the world. Which meant we would only need to pay for Wes’ flights and lodging, among other things.

So, in March 2023, I finally touched down on New Zealand soil.

The trip got off to a rocky start, when Wes’ long-anticipated scuba excursion got canceled because of bad visibility. (This is pretty common; if scuba diving is on your New Zealand agenda, you should have a back-up plan.) And given the late hour we arrived, it was hard to find something to eat on the outskirts of Auckland . Thankfully, we came across Sakebar Nippon Epsom , which hit the spot with fresh sushi and beer. The next morning, we cruised to Taupō . On the drive, we saw endless fields of green and lush trees and flowers in bloom. It was an emotional and reflective moment.

I had made it.

Appetite for adventure

En route to Taupō, we stopped for a delicious meal at a roadside diner, Kaiaua Fisheries, before checking out the pristine sands of Waihi Beach . The fall season meant it was less crowded and a little chilly, yet still enjoyable for swimming, walking, fishing, lounging and people-watching.

Back on the road, we observed more farms – and took in the unique scent of sulfur, signaling our entrance into the land of hot springs that were sacred to the Māori and Indigenous people that first occupied the land. (A tip for anyone setting out on a New Zealand road trip: fill up on gas whenever and wherever you can; stations were few and far between, with many closed.)

Before I go further, it is important to note that, like many places in the world, New Zealand was colonized in a destructive fashion. While we could feel, see and hear the presence of the Māori people all around the island through everyday people, the music, the names of streets and landmarks, the effects of land seizures as well as suppressed language, tradition and culture were equally prevalent.

We broke up the drive from Auckland with a visit to a community flea market in the small town of Pōkeno, where we ate delicious home-baked goods. We dipped into Countdown, a chain grocery store, to get some provisions for the week before arriving at the famous Whakarewarewa Forest . We took a walking-bridge tour between each tree (at night – a bit scary, but beautifully lit), and learned that the redwoods (the only ones to be found outside of North America) were imported and planted in the early 1900s. Sure, it was a little touristy – but also the perfect spot for outdoor activities like running and biking.

Paradise found in and around Taupō

We checked into The Village Resort , surrounded by downtown restaurants and walking paths overlooking Lake Taupo . The next five days of our trip were simply magical. We plunged into Hell’s Gate , an active geothermal spa in the Bay of Plenty between Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti. (Another tip: rent a bathing suit and wear clothes that you don’t mind throwing away later: ours smelled of sulfur for weeks, and we ultimately got rid of them). The mud was surprisingly relaxing, and my skin felt great afterward.

We visited several waterfalls, including Okere, Owharoa, Ketetahi and Tawhai (aka Gollum’s Pool) in Tongariro National Park. The park also has endless trails for both beginners (like me!) and experienced hikers. My husband, a lawn bowling enthusiast, joined a game at the small Rotorua East Lawn Bowling Club . Back in Taupō, he relaxed at the Otumuheke Stream while I enjoyed a therapeutic massage at Thai Healing Concepts .

Best-laid plans…

We were most excited about our final day in New Zealand, when we would take a ferry to Waiheke Island . This was the one place that everyone we spoke with consistently recommended. From the photos, it looked like an absolute dream. I got all dressed up and was ready for the fabulous pictures we were going to take on this island…but nature had other plans.

A torrential six-hour downpour completely ruined our itinerary.

We soldiered on in the hope that the rain would eventually stop or lighten up. It did not. In between scrambling to put on our rain gear, running through puddles and the 45-minute ferry ride with a bunch of other drenched people, we tried to make the most of it.

We enjoyed a meal at Fenice , a yummy Italian restaurant, capped off with drinks and dessert at the stunning (if damp) Mudbrick Vineyard . Later, we walked down the town street for as long as our squishy shoes would allow. We boarded the ferry back and laughed. What a way to end a trip!

Since we had booked the trip on separate tickets, Wes and I had to fly home separately. This allowed me an extra day by myself to reflect on this journey, which had begun in seventh grade. There wasn’t enough time to explore everything: and this just means I have to go back. In New Zealand, the beauty of the land goes on and on. It’s a place where the sky kisses the mountains and marries the sea.

Sights that are surely the manifestation of a lifetime.

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Essay on New Zealand Culture

Students are often asked to write an essay on New Zealand Culture in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on New Zealand Culture

Introduction to new zealand culture.

New Zealand culture is a rich blend of native Maori traditions and influences from European settlers. It’s known for its strong connection to nature and a laid-back lifestyle. Sports, arts, and community events play a big part in the lives of New Zealanders, often called Kiwis.

Maori Heritage

The Maori are the first people of New Zealand. Their customs, language, and arts are central to the nation’s identity. The haka, a traditional Maori dance, is famous worldwide. Maori values and history are respected and celebrated across the country.

Outdoor Lifestyle

New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes make outdoor activities popular. Hiking, rugby, and water sports are activities that many people enjoy. This love for the outdoors is a key part of what it means to be a Kiwi.

Food and Festivals

New Zealand’s food is a mix of fresh local ingredients and international flavors. The traditional Maori hangi, a feast cooked underground, is a special treat. Festivals throughout the year showcase music, film, and food, bringing communities together.

Arts and Creativity

New Zealand culture is unique, with its blend of Maori traditions and modern lifestyle. It’s a culture that cherishes its past while embracing the future, full of adventure, community, and artistic expression.

250 Words Essay on New Zealand Culture

New Zealand, a beautiful country far in the Pacific Ocean, has a rich culture that mixes the traditions of its native Maori people with influences from European settlers and other cultures from around the world. This blend has created a unique way of life for the people of New Zealand, known as Kiwis.

Maori Traditions

The Maori are the first people of New Zealand, and their customs are a big part of the country’s culture. One famous Maori tradition is the ‘haka’, a powerful dance used to welcome guests or to show strength in sports. Maori language, stories, and art are also important and are taught in many schools.

New Zealanders love the outdoors. With lots of beautiful landscapes, from beaches to mountains, it’s common for people to spend time hiking, sailing, or playing sports like rugby, which is very popular. This love for nature is seen in how they care for the environment.

Food in New Zealand includes fresh seafood, lamb, and ‘hangi’, a traditional Maori way of cooking food in the ground. There are also many festivals that celebrate the arts, food, and history, where everyone can enjoy music, dance, and good food together.

500 Words Essay on New Zealand Culture

New Zealand, a country in the Pacific Ocean, is known for its rich culture that comes from its native people, the Māori, and the mix of other cultures brought by people from around the world. The culture of New Zealand is a colorful tapestry that includes art, language, sports, and celebrations.

The Māori Influence

The Māori are the first people of New Zealand, and their customs, language, and traditions are a big part of the country’s culture. The Māori language, called Te Reo Māori, is one of the official languages of the country. Traditional Māori art, like wood carvings and tattoos called ‘moko,’ are well-known. The haka, a type of war dance, is performed at important events and has become famous worldwide through New Zealand sports teams.

Sports and Recreation

Sports are a big deal in New Zealand. Rugby is the most popular sport, and the national team, the All Blacks, is known all over the world. People in New Zealand also enjoy cricket, netball, and soccer. Being close to the ocean and having lots of nature, New Zealanders love outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, and bungee jumping.

Art and Literature

New Zealand has a lively art scene. Māori art is still very important, and other artists in New Zealand use paintings, sculptures, and movies to express their ideas. New Zealand literature is rich with stories and poems, some of which are about the country’s beautiful landscapes and unique animals.

Everyday Life and Values

New Zealand culture is a beautiful blend of old traditions and new ideas. From the Māori people to the different foods, sports, and arts, New Zealand has a unique culture that is both interesting and welcoming. It is a country where history is respected, and the future is made by people from all walks of life coming together.

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Essays on New Zealand

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Essay About New Zealand

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Located in the South Pacific, South West of Australia, New Zealand has a population of 4 million, but with a coastline equal to USA, its economic fishing zone covers nearly 1.2 million nautical miles. When you are writing your essay about New Zealand, these should be elaborated. The New Zealand custom essay paper should also mention that being blessed by nature in having such abundant coast, seafood is the country’s major industry.

The essay about New Zealand should take stock of the various art objects crafted by the residents of the country. These are ceramic arts and crafts, decorative hand blown glass, abalone jewelry, etc. Related readings: abortion essay writing, Barack Obama essay writing and biography essay paper writing assistance. The peculiarity of abalone must find a place in New Zealand essay.

Abalone is a tough textured and light shellfish that is an important item of New Zealand exports. In a New Zealand essay, the importance of aqua culture in New Zealand’s economy must be stressed. An essay about New Zealand should contain description of home wares like bed linen and placemats that have a distinctive Maori and/or Pacific design theme. The New Zealand essay should also include information on items like wooden toys, and games made from native timber and some natural cosmetics.

The geography of New Zealand is an important item for any New Zealand essay. New Zealand is a beautiful country filled with wondrous landscapes. It has amazing glaciers, rugged mountains, awe-inspiring scenery and even volcanic plateaus. You should include in your New Zealand essay, all about the hillsides, tropical forests, not to speak of miles of coastline and sandy beaches.

In A New Zealand essay, tourism should feature as an important earner for the country. What is very interesting about New Zealand is that volcanic plateaus on this island can still erupt. This should be covered in your essay about New Zealand. The human characteristics are equally fascinating and can be mentioned in your New Zealand essay.

The Maori doing their ceremonial dances are a great tourist attraction and this can be added into your New Zealand essay. More related readings: interesting research paper topics, cause and effect essay and five paragraph essay. You can also mention the numerous beaches in your New Zealand essay. The socio-economic pattern should find place in your New Zealand essay. Important information about education can also be included in your New Zealand essay. These statistics would be useful when you order essay about New Zealand online.

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New Zealand in Brief

Story: history.

New Zealand’s human history is relatively short: it was the last habitable land mass in the world to be discovered, by the ancestors of Māori, probably in the late 13th century. Large-scale European settlement began in the 1840s, and the subsequent social, political and economic changes changed New Zealand from British colonial outpost to multicultural Pacific nation.

Story by John Wilson

Main image: kororāreka beach, by augustus earle, story summary.

Detail of Wellington plan

The 1913 waterfront strike

‘A view of the Murderers’ Bay’

Ruapekapeka pā

Canterbury woolshed

Māori settlement

The Māori people are Polynesians. Recent research confirms that these first settlers probably arrived from Polynesia shortly before 1300 CE. They lived in tribal groups, gardening, catching birds and fish, and making tools, weapons and ornaments.

The first Europeans

The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to discover New Zealand, in 1642. The English navigator James Cook mapped the country in 1769–70. After this, sealers, whalers and traders arrived. From 1814, missionaries tried to convert Māori to Christianity, and taught them farming skills, reading and writing.

1840s–1850s: a new British colony

As more settlers arrived, the British government decided to take control of New Zealand. In 1840, Māori signed the Treaty of Waitangi with representatives of the British Queen, who sought sovereignty over the country. In return the Queen’s representatives promised Māori ownership of their land, and the rights of British citizens.

1860s–1880s: conflict and growth

Māori were pressured to sell their land for settlements. In the 1860s, war broke out, and land was confiscated or bought. New Zealand made money selling its wool and gold overseas. In the 1870s, the government helped thousands of British people start a new life in New Zealand. Railways were built and towns sprang up or expanded.

1890s–1945: social change and war

Among other reforms, New Zealand became the first country to give women the vote, in 1893. In the First World War, it joined Britain in the fight against Germany. In the 1920s and 1930s many New Zealanders suffered hardship in a world-wide depression. In 1935 they elected a Labour government which passed laws aimed at giving everyone a decent standard of living. During the Second World War, New Zealand troops again served overseas.

The later 20th century

From the 1950s, New Zealand widened its outlook beyond Britain, which had been the main market for the country’s meat, wool, butter and cheese. It began to sell its goods to many different countries, and was increasingly influenced by the United States. At the same time, it kept its identity as an independent nation.

Changes for Māori

Many Māori moved to the cities after the Second World War. It was not until 1975 that their concerns about their treatment by previous governments began to be taken seriously, and breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi were investigated. From about this time Māori began reviving their language and culture.

A more diverse nation

For a long time New Zealand wanted to remain ‘white’. But since the 1970s many more ethnic groups have been allowed to settle – from the Pacific Islands, Asia and every part of the globe.

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John Wilson, 'History', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/history (accessed 31 August 2024)

Story by John Wilson, published 8 February 2005, updated 1 April 2020

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6 top reasons to study in New Zealand

If we were to sum this entire article into a single sentence, it would read like this, “New Zealand is a spellbindingly beautiful country, filled with friendly and welcoming people, and world class universities.” That’s it in a nutshell really, but New Zealand deserves a lot more depth and detail than that.

And since Edvoy has announced new partnerships with two leading universities in New Zealand; Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Waikato , we’ll happily go into a great deal more detail.

Why study in new zealand for international students.

A world class education
Lower tuition fees & lots of scholarships
Natural beauty
A fantastic culture
A warm welcome & a safe experience
Work while you study (and after)

*A word on Covid-19 and studying in New Zealand :

At the time of writing, New Zealand's borders are open to New Zealand citizens and permanent residents only. It’s with good reason too, as the country has had just over 2,000 positive Covid-19 cases — essentially, it’s a covid-free country. However, as we move through 2022 and into 2023, it’s expected that the borders will reopen safely, and prospective students will be able to apply for student visas.

1. A world class education

Every single university in New Zealand is included in the QS World Rankings. Every. Single. One of them.

As a country, New Zealand has spent the recent past pouring resources into their education system, using a similar but equally accredited system to the British one, and it’s already begun to pay off:

The University of Auckland is ranked in the QS world top 100, the Victoria University of Wellington is in the top 1% across 19 different subject areas, while the University of Waikato in Hamilton is ranked 72nd in the world, and number 1 in New Zealand for its research impact and quality.

As well as the great quality education, New Zealand’s universities are also internationally diverse, with over 30,000 international students learning across the country in 2018. Indeed, a significant 20% of students at the Victoria University of Wellington come from outside the country.

Then there’s the support network for international students. Given the financial value that international students have for New Zealand’s universities, they’ve ensured that the student experience is as seamless and hass-free as possible by building a strong and caring student welfare system.

Also Read: Study a Bachelor’s in New Zealand

2. Lower tuition fees & lots of scholarships

While New Zealand’s education system is based heavily on the British one, it comes at a lower cost. Tuition fees for a year tend to cost around NZ$20,000, or just under £10,000. That should leave you with a little more money to have fun with!

On top of the lower tuition costs, there are also lots of options available for scholarships to help fund your studies. It takes a bit of digging and investigating to find one to which you could apply, but we’d recommend starting by checking out the websites of whichever university you’re keen on applying to. Or better yet, just send them an email and ask.

3. Natural beauty

Now we’re getting into the really fun stuff. New Zealand is simply one of the world’s most celebrated countries in terms of natural beauty. It was famously used as the shooting location for the Lord of The Rings films series, so dramatic are its open spaces and rugged countryside. It’s got snow as well as sunshine, a beautiful coastline, epic mountain ranges and rolling vineyards. Indeed, a stay in New Zealand isn’t considered complete until you’ve taken a road trip through these incredible landscapes in a camper van!

Essentially, it’s a perfect place to live a healthy, active lifestyle in the outdoors, while the major cities and towns are cool, hip and contemporary.

4. A fantastic culture

New Zealand has a rich cultural heritage, a meeting point of British influenced Western ways and traditional culture of the indigenous Māori people, who have their own language and mythology. In New Zealand today, you’ll often see Māori culture presented in arts, crafts, as well cooking.

On another cultural note, sport is a serious business in New Zealand. Cricket is exceedingly popular, but it’s in rugby where they really shine. And one other place you’re sure to see the ways of the Māori is in the famous Haka— the ceremonial dance performed by the national rugby team to intimidate the opposition. The national team, known as “The All Blacks” is the pride of New Zealand as, despite the population of under 5 million people, they’re considered the greatest rugby nation on earth.

Also Read: High paid jobs in New Zealand

5. A warm welcome & a safe experience

But don’t let the Haka intimidate you (unless you’re planning to rugby tackle someone). New Zealanders, or Kiwis, are known as some of the coolest, most laid-back and friendly people on the planet. In fact, a 2015 survey by New Zealand’s immigration department revealed that a huge 90% of foreigners in the country considered the people to be very friendly, and highlighted this as a major reason for settling in easily.

Not only are the people friendly, there’s also an extremely low rate of crime in New Zealand. The 2018 global index ranked it as the second-safest country in the whole world. Oh and in case you’re wondering, Iceland came first.

6. Work while you study (and after)

This is a huge advantage! While a lot of countries don’t allow you to take up part time work while on a student visa , New Zealand does. Sure, you may not want to (or have to) work while studying, but for those of you that do want to earn a little extra spending money, you’re free to do so.

As well as being allowed to work while at university, you can also stay and work for a full year after graduating. On top of this, if the job you’re doing is relevant to your degree, you’ll be allowed to stay for two years after graduating, after which you’ll be able to apply for permanent residency. Who knows, perhaps your university stint in New Zealand could turn into a career stint.

If you’d like to learn more about studying abroad and choosing the right university for you, check out our quick guide here. Better yet, get started with our handy search function here.

Also read: New Zealand scholarships for international students

Guest Author | Study Abroad Expert

Disclaimer: The views and opinions shared in this site solely belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily represent t ...Read More

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Home / Essay Samples / World / New Zealand

New Zealand Essay Examples

Maori health and the treaty of waitangi.

During the period of the late 1830s, it was noted that there was an increasing population of British immigrants entering and settling in New Zealand. As a result of the substantial influx of British migrants, there was a great demand for land in order to...

The Treaty of Waitangi as a Fundamental Document for Maori People

Although New Zealand was originally discovered by a Dutch navigator, Abel Tasman in 1642, his crew were shortly killed by the native Maori warriors seeing the intrusion as an attack. It was not until 1840 that British naval captain, William Hobson, formally annexed the Bay...

Proposed Solution of the Plastic Problem by New Zealand

Plastic waste pollution, without any doubt, is a pressing matter of importance. It poses a huge danger to the environment, the results will have execrable effects on marine life. A country within Asia-Pacific, New Zealand is classed as a developed country with one the highest...

The Benefits of Immigration for New Zealand

With the recent terrorist attack at a mosque in Christchurch, more than 40 people were killed, and another 50 people were injured. This is known as one of the biggest threads of national peace and security, and the first terrorist attack for us, New Zealand,...

Neurological Healthcare Services in Australia & New Zeland

Neurological conditions are the principal cause of long-term disability globally. However, for most patients worldwide, the existing neurological healthcare services are poor. In low-income countries, most people do not have access to appropriate neurological care, whereas in developed countries, distance and disability hinder such services...

Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Education in New Zealand

In this discussion I have explained about myself, my hobbies and the strategies I have used for learning te reo Māori. I have also brought out an understanding about karakia and its importance in the Māori world. I believe my discussion has provided a few...

Maori Socio-political Organization in Pre-colonial Period

Precolonial Maori thought elevated land and geographical features as divine, with an individual gaining identity and empowerment from their turangawaewae, literally ‘the place one puts their feet’. Maori creation myths and cosmological belief centre on the birth of man at the union of the ‘earth...

Drug Trafficking in New Zealand

In the first six months of 2019, there were $1 billion dollars worth of drugs seized in New Zealand. Drug trafficking is a social sin. Sinaloa cartel how has been connected to meth trafficking in New Zealand from their super lab in Mexican. Drug trafficking...

Seeing Switzerland: a Cross Cultural Conversation

This article notes how like New Zealand, Switzerland as a country, is portrayed as being a clean and pure country in terms of its landscape, laden with picturesque mountains. Such an image also extends for the Swiss legal and political environment, leading many to adopt...

The Impact of the Treaty of Waitangi on Healthcare in New Zealand

Present-day New Zealand is being shaped by the Treaty of Waitangi, signed on 6 February 1840 by more than 500 Maori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown, named after the place called “Waitangi” in the heart of the bay of islands, where it was...

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Table of Contents

1. A world class education

2. Lower tuition fees & lots of scholarships

3. Natural beauty

4. A fantastic culture

5. A warm welcome & a safe experience

6. Work while you study (and after)

New Zealand Essay Examples

The Treaty of Waitangi as a Fundamental Document for Maori People

Proposed Solution of the Plastic Problem by New Zealand

The Benefits of Immigration for New Zealand

Neurological Healthcare Services in Australia & New Zeland

Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Education in New Zealand

Maori Socio-political Organization in Pre-colonial Period

Drug Trafficking in New Zealand

Seeing Switzerland: a Cross Cultural Conversation

The Impact of the Treaty of Waitangi on Healthcare in New Zealand

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