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I know a large number of the people who view this site are not familiar with New Zealand, so here is a little bit of info about our wonderful country.
New Zealand is a very beautiful and diverse country, known in the Maori language as "Aotearoa" which is translated "The Land of the Long White Cloud". It is made up of two main islands, North and South (the South island is known locally as the 'mainland'). There are also a number of smaller islands scattered about, such as the Hen and Chicken Islands, Poor Knights Islands and Great Barrier Island in the North, and Stewart Island in the far South.
At approximately 425km long (264 miles) New Zealand's longest river is the Waikato, situated in the central North Island. Rising in Mount Ruapehu, it flows through Lake Taupo to enter the Tasman Sea south of Auckland. It passes through Rotorua, Cambridge, and Hamilton. It is a major source of hydroelectric power for eight power stations built between Taupo and Karapiro. Lake Taupo is the largest freshwater lake in Australasia, and is also the largest lake in the world to have been formed by a volcanic erruption. Mt Ruapehu, one of the three nearby volcanoes forming the heart of the Tongariro National Park errupted hundreds of years ago, and in 1995 it errupted again.
Our largest city, Auckland, is toward the top of the North Island and was built on seven or more extinct volcanoes. It's New Zealand's largest city, and is situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea, and the Waitemata and Manukau harbours. To learn more about Auckland, click here.
Our Capital City, Wellington is further down, at the bottom of the North Island and is home of the beehive - yes it's a 'hive of activity' but not bees - it's our parliamentary building! Wellington enjoys a well-earned reputation as New Zealand's arts and entertainment capital. It is home to the Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and The Royal New Zealand Ballet. To learn more about Wellington, click here.
In the South Island, Queenstown has become widely known as the adventure capital of the world. A J Hackett is the original bungy jump operator, and is based in this exciting city. But bungy jumping isn't the only extreem sport, you can try the shooting the rapids in the shot-over jet, sky-diving, rafting, tandem hang-gliding, skiing, snowboarding, and so much more. To learn more about what Queenstown has to offer, click here.
Now, I've conversed wiih a lot of people from America and Canada, and there seems to be some confusion in regards to the English language (more so in America) so I'm here to set a few things straight!
In New Zealand there are three main meals in the day - breakfast, lunch and tea. In between meals are morning tea, afternoon tea, pudding and supper. The first two are self explantory and as far as I am aware, the same in Canada and America. Tea however, is not just a drink, but the evening meal. Just to confuse you, morning and afternoon tea usually IS a cup-of-tea and a snack. "Pudding" is used interchangeably with "dessert" and "supper" to us, is a late night snack before bed.
Instead of peanut butter and jelly, New Zealand sprogletts (translate "kids") grow up muching on Vegemite (or Marmite) sandwiches. Jelly is what you lot call "jello" and what we call Jam and comes in a vast array of flavours, including (but not limited to) Kiwifruit, Apricot, Blackberry, Plumb and Strawberry and is delicious on sandwiches too!
In translating New Zealand jargon, you will find that candy bars are called chocolate bars, sweets are called lollies, soda-pop is called fizzy-drink, cookies are called biscuits, biscuits are called scones (but apparantly taste a little different). The bonnet of a car is called the hood, the trunk is called the boot, and elevators are lifts. The "middle of no-where" is the "wop-wops" or the "sticks".
I moved to Canada at the beginning of August 2003 and have come across some other differences, especially in the pronunciation of certain words. I'm beginning to pick up some of the Ontario accent, although my husband says he can usually tell when I've been talking to family in NZ because my NZ accent becomes "much stronger" for a while. Here, oregano is pronunced Oh-rag-eh-no, in NZ it is Oh-re-ga-no. Margarine is pronounced Mah-ja-rin, and in NZ is Mah-ja-reen. Of course there is also the well known US/Canadian Toh-may-to and the NZ Toh-mah-to for Tomato.
There are differences in spelling too. If there is a 'z' in the middle of a word, most of the time we use an 's' for example: recognise and organise, In many words we add a 'u' after an 'o' for example labour, favour, and colour. Another spelling difference is Aluminum, we spell it Aluminium.
Chocolate Bars: My personal favourites are Bounty bars - a moist sweet creamy coconut centre covered in a fine layer of chocolat. New Zealanders are also very fond of Crunchie Bars. (Since arriving in Canada, I have discovered both of these are widely available - it's just the US that doesn't have them!!) They are Cadbury chocolate-covered hokey pokey bars. It's hard to describe what hokey pokey tastes like if you've never had it, I sent some to a friend in America who says it looks a little like the inside of a Butter Finger candy bar. It has a similar consistency to malted milk balls. The following ditty, was written back in the 70s or 80s when Cadbury first created Crunchie:
Life's a whole long journey boy, Before you grow too old,
Don't miss the opportunity, To strike a little gold.
Out West the folks are crossing you,
The way to make them stop,
Is to quick draw your Crunchie bar, And fill them full of choc.
Have a Crunchie, Hokey pokey bar
Golden Crunchie, Hokey pokey bar
For such a small country, New Zealand has had quite an impact on the world. A couple of famous Kiwis include Sir Edmund Hilliary (the first man to successfully climb Mount Everest), Sir Ernest Rutherford (the first man to split the atom), Sir William Pickering (NASA, electrical engineering) and Kate Shephard (first to get the vote for women).
To finish my little blub on my home country, below is a copy of New Zealands wonderful anthem.
NZ National Anthem |
| English |
Maori |
God of nations! at Thy feet
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our Free Land.
Guard Pacific's triple star,
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand
Men of ev'ry creed and race
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our Free Land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our State,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.
Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our Free Land.
Lord of battles in thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.
Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our Free Land.
From dishonour and from shame
Guard our country's spotless name
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.
May our mountains ever be
Freedom's ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our Free Land.
Guide her in the nations' van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy Glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand |
E Ihoa Atua,
O nga Iwi Matoura,
Ata whaka rongona;
Me aroha noa.
Kia hua ko te pai;
Kia tau to atawhai;
Manaaki tia mai
Aotearoa
Ona mano tangata
Kiri whero, kiri ma,
Iwi Maori Pakeha
Repeke katoa,
Nei ka tono ko nga he
Mau e whakaahu ke,
Kia ora marire
Aotearoa
Waiho tona takiwa
Ko te ao marama;
Kia whiti tona ra
Taiawhio noa.
Ko te hae me te ngangau
Meinga kia kore kau;
Waiho i te rongo mau
Aotearoa
Tona pai me toitu;
Tika rawa, pono pu;
Tona noho, tana tu;
Iwi no Ihoa.
Kaua mona whakama;
Kia hau te ingoa;
Kia tu hei tauira;
Aotearoa |
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