101 Crazy Interesting Cool Fun Facts about New Zealand

(Last Updated On: October 10, 2021)

101 facts about New Zealand are full of surprise and fun. The islands were initially inhabited by eastern Polynesians between 1250 and 1300, according to early New Zealand history. Since then, these people have established their own separate culture known as ‘Mori.’ This article will feature 101 facts about New Zealand.

Abel Tasman, a Dutch adventurer, is considered to have been the first European to land on New Zealand’s beaches in 1642. It was a tense standoff between his team and the local Mori. The first Europeans arrived in New Zealand in 1769, when British explorer James Cook surveyed the whole coastline, 101 fun facts about New Zealand. Early in the nineteenth century, there was a lot of fighting between the Mori and the British.

The Treaty of Waitangi established New Zealand as a colony in 1840. This resulted in a large number of immigrants settling in New Zealand, but it also contributed to increased violence, which culminated in the New Zealand Wars, 101 interesting facts about New Zealand. From 1845 until 1872, these battles were largely over property ownership and the people who lived in the contested area. However, today’s historical issues are still being litigated in the courts and via negotiation.

While the landmasses of the North and South Islands are comparable, the North Island has around two-thirds of the people and the South Island has the rest. The majority of New Zealanders are of European descent, although Auckland, the country’s largest city, is the most ethnically diverse in the country and boasts the world’s largest Polynesian population, 101 cool facts about New Zealand. Auckland has roughly a third of the population (about 1.3 million), followed by Wellington, the capital, and Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city (each has approx 400,000). Gisborne, with a population of about 35,000 people, is ranked 15th.

101 Facts about New Zealand

1. New Zealanders love their automobiles. There are 2.5 million automobiles for 4 million people, giving them one of many highest possession rates on the planet.

2. The British and Māori signed The Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, which established New Zealand as a colony of the British Empire.

3. New Zealand was the primary nation to provide girls the fitting to vote, in 1893.

4. New Zealand has 44 native reptile species. The tuatara is the biggest, rising as much as 2 feet (60 cm) long. It is believed to be the one surviving species of a household of reptiles that turned extinct in different components of the world 60 million years in the past.

5. The indigenous people of New Zealand are the Māori, who belong to the Polynesian group and communicate a Polynesian language.

6. Māori makes about 15% of New Zealand’s inhabitants.

7. Bats are the one land mammals native to New Zealand. All of the others have been launched by people.

8. Most of the scenes in “The Lord of the Rings” films have been filmed in New Zealand.

9. The casualty rate in World War I for New Zealand was 58%.

10. New Zealand legalized identical intercourse marriage in 2013.

11. When it involves New Zealand’s prisoner inhabitants, 94% of them are male.

12. New Zealand’s islands are elongated and never very vast. As an end result, there is no such thing as a place in New Zealand that’s more than 128 kilometers (79 miles) away from the ocean.

13. Per yr, New Zealand produces around 65 kg of cheese and 100 kg of butter per particular person, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

14. There are three official languages in New Zealand: English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language.

15. The Māori name for New Zealand is “Aoetaroa”. The name means “land of the long white cloud”.

16. In order to show the intelligence of shelter animals, two rescue canines in New Zealand have been taught to drive an automobile around an observation.

17. Wellington is the southernmost capital on the planet, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

18. Despite being the biggest city in New Zealand and dearer than other cities within the nation, Auckland is among the many most reasonably priced cities to dwell on the planet.

19. Most of the New Zealand residents residing overseas are in Australia. It is estimated that three-quarters of these residing overseas are in Australia.

20. Almost all private monetary transactions in New Zealand are accomplished with a card. Cash is used very hardly ever.

21. According to the Corruptions Perception Index, New Zealand is the least corrupt nation on the planet, tied with Denmark.

22. New Zealand drives on the left-hand facet of the street.

23. New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language.

24. In 2008, TripAdvisor named Milford Sound (pictured under) the world’s prime journey vacation spot, primarily based on a global survey.

25. Organized industrial bungee leaping first started in New Zealand, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

26. In 1926, a Hunterville, New Zealand, farmer named John Lambert promoted the thought of utilizing small airplanes from which to drop fertilizers. This is believed to be the primary use of aerial topdressing, or crop-dusting, on the planet.

27. Cricket has been performed in New Zealand for over 150 years and is New Zealand’s oldest organized sport. The nation secured its first check win in opposition to the West Indies in 1956 and its first check collection in opposition to Pakistan in 1969.

28. In a neighborhood of Bluff, New Zealand, Jim Burke is the world report holder for opening probably the most oysters (1,719) in an hour. That equates to opening 28 oysters a minute for a stable hour.

29. New Zealand has more Scottish pipe bands per capita than every other nation on the planet.

30. Blue Lake, in Nelson Lakes National Park, has the clearest water on the planet.

31. Pelorus Jack was a dolphin who guided ships by means of harmful and rocky waters around NZ within the early 1900s.

32. The filming of those films pumped around $200 million into the nation’s financial system. The New Zealand authorities even created a Minister for Lord of the Rings, to make sure probably the most cash could possibly be produced from the movies.

33. In 2007, the NZ courts banned a pair from naming their youngster 4Real. In the tip, they named him Superman.

34. One in three Auckland households personal a ship, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

35. NZ excessive faculties and universities are permitted to maintain a pound of uranium or thorium for instructional functions. However, there’s a $1 million positive if it explodes.

36. There is a huge carnivorous snail residing within the South Island.

37. The weta bug is a wingless insect present in New Zealand that has hardly been modified within the final 190 million years. The innocent large weta is the world’s heaviest insect at 2.5 ounces (71 g), nearly as a lot as a thrush.

38. Auckland, New Zealand, is named the “city of sails.” It has the best boat possession per capita on the planet. On the last Monday of January, the Auckland Anniversary Regatta takes place. With more than 1,000 entries, it’s the world’s greatest one-day yachting occasion.

39. All tv promotion is banned in New Zealand on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, ANZAC Day, and Christmas Day, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

40. New Zealand’s Milford Sound was named the world’s top journey vacation spot in 2008, primarily based on a global survey by TripAdvisor.

41. New Zealand is the house of the organized industrial bungee leaping. This is one of the New Zealand facts 2021.

42. Sir Edmund Hillary, the primary man to climb Mt. Everest, was a New Zealander, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

43. New Zealand’s inhabitants would hit 11 million if the nation would settle for everybody who wished to settle there, based on Gallup, which rated it third in its 2009 Potential Net Migration Index. This is one of the 5 facts about New Zealand.

44. When it was decided by Dutch explorers that New Zealand was not connected to the South American continent, they modified its name from Staten Landt (South America) to Nova Zeelandia (New Zealand), after the Dutch province of Zeeland.

45. There are more people residing in Auckland than in the whole South Island of New Zealand. This is one of the amazing facts about New Zealand

46. New Zealand’s authorities had a preparation measure set for shipwrecks between 1867 and 1927. The measure? Huts stuffed with provides on distant islands.

47. New Zealand’s Baron Ernest Rutherford was the one who found the proton.

48. In the previous, New Zealand had a dolphin Pelorus Jack who guided ships by means of harmful waters.

49. For many sailors, New Zealand is the “promised land”, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand. This is one of the New Zealand geography facts.

50. Rugby is by far the most well-liked sport in New Zealand. It was born on the English college of Rugby in 1823 when a boy by the name of William Webb Willis turned bored with kicking a soccer ball and picked it up and ran with it. Today it’s the nationwide sport of New Zealand and is performed by 250,000 on the membership stage. The nationwide staff is called the All Blacks.

51. The kiwi fruit earns New Zealand over a billion {dollars} a yr. The fruit originated in China the place it was referred to as the monkey peach as a result of they have been thought of ripe when the monkeys ate them. They have been renamed first the Chinese gooseberry after which kiwi fruit in New Zealand and New Zealand started exporting them within the 1950s. Today, the fruit is available in two varieties: the widespread, fuzzy-covered inexperienced, and the gold with its smoother complexion.

52. From 1867 to 1927, the federal government planed forward for shipwrecks by constructing supply-filled huts on distant islands. This is one of the fun facts about NZ.

53. There is a clock in Dunedin which has been working since 1864, regardless of by no means having been wound because it was made. This is one of the interesting facts about NZ.

54. New Zealand was the primary nation on the planet to permit common suffrage, permitting girls to vote in 1893.

55. New Zealand’s first sheep have been set ashore by Captain Cook in 1773, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand

56. According to witnesses, Richard Pearse—a Canterbury, New Zealand, farmer who started development on his first plane within the late 19th century—flew his plane for about 0.6 miles (1 km) on March 31, 1903, months earlier than the well-known Wright Brothers made their first flight in America. This is one of the interesting things about New Zealand.

57. New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary turned the primary man in the world, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, to summit Mt. Everest in 1953. He additionally turned the primary man to drive overland to the South Pole in 1958. He achieved that feat by driving a specifically tailored New Zealand farm tractor. He is featured on the New Zealand $5 notice.

58. New Zealand’s highest-earning exports are dairy merchandise. This is one of the New Zealand fun facts 2021.

59. New Zealand has really various chicken inhabitants. There are many chicken species to search out within the nation, notably completely different species of parrots.

60. The Māori oral custom says that they got here to Aotearoa (New Zealand) from a spot they referred to as Hawaiki. The exact location of this land is unknown, however, it’s believed that it is likely to be within the area of Cook Island. This is one of New Zealand is in fact.

61. According to New Zealand Māori legend, the lifeless leap off the Pohutukawa tree at Cape Reinga’s level to start their journey to the underworld within the churning waters the place the Pacific Ocean, and the Tasman Sea meet.

62. New Zealand has seven occasions as many sheep and 3 times as many cows as people, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand. This is one of the New Zealand facts and figures.

63. The kauri tree in New Zealand takes about 200 years to mature. The largest Kauri tree on the planet, Tāne Mahuta (Lord of the Forest), positioned within the Waipoua Forest, has a circumference of over 43 ft (13 m) and a general peak of 169 ft (51.5 m). It can be reported to be about 2,100 years old.

64. The sole land mammals native to NZ are bats. The relaxation has been launched by Maoris and Europeans.

65. The flightless kiwi chicken is native to New Zealand. In relation to the chicken’s body measurement, the kiwi’s egg is the biggest egg on the planet, weighing roughly one-third of the feminine chicken’s weight. The kiwi is the one chicken on the planet that has a way of odor. Its name comes from the male’s distinctive, shrill name.

66. Wellington is the southernmost capital city on the planet, which is a crucial part of 101 facts about New Zealand.

(67) 94% of all prisoners in NZ are male, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

68. NZ has banned all tv promoting on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, ANZAC Day, and Christmas Day.

68. There are two principal islands in New Zealand and quite a few smaller ones. The principal islands are referred to as the North Island and the South Island. The smaller islands are quite a few and plenty of them are uninhabited to this present day. Some of probably the most well-known smaller islands are Stewart Island, Waiheke Island, Chatham Island, and Great Barrier Island.

69. New Zealand boasts over 400 golf programs, each private and non-private. That’s one for every 9,000 people, the best variety of golf programs per capita on the planet.

70. The first man to climb Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary, was a Kiwi. This is one of the curiosities about New Zealand.

71. The lowest denomination in NZ currency is the 10 cent piece, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

72. More people die in New Zealand every year enjoying garden bowls than scuba diving.

73. NZ is dwelling on more species of penguins than every other nation.

74. The highest mountain in New Zealand is Aoraki Mount Cook. It is positioned on the South Island and it’s 3,754 meters (12,316 ft) excessive.

75. Aoraki Mount Cook was initially named by Māori people as “Aoraki”, which suggests “Cloud Piercer”.

76. In 2006, the entire highest positions in New Zealand have been held by girls: the Queen, the Governor-General, the PM, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chief Justice.

77. Niue, a self-governed island of NZ, has pictures of Pokemon on its authorized tender cash. There can be a restricted assortment of cash with pictures from the Star Wars movies.

78. There are more merchandising machines in Japan than there are people in New Zealand. Learn more about Nagoya, Japan.

79. New Zealand is a rustic consisting of islands within the south-western Pacific.

(80) 15% of NZ’s inhabitants are Māori, which is a part of 101 facts about New Zealand.

81. Politically, New Zealand is dominated by Queen Elizabeth II, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

82. New Zealand prides itself on having a really liberal media environment. In reality, it’s typically thought of among the many most liberal in the entire world.

83. In New Zealand, more people die yearly from enjoying garden bowls than from scuba diving.

84. A person broke right into a radio station in Wanganui and took the supervisor hostage in 1996. His demand was for the station to play the Muppet tune “Rainbow Connection”.

65. New Zealand is comparable in measurement to the UK, however solely has inhabitants of about Four million (in comparison with 63 million within the UK).

86. New Zealand is the world’s second-largest producer of wool (after Australia). Learn about the Australian Flag. This is one of the New Zealand flag facts.

87. New Zealanders are hooked on the outside, and “tramping” (strolling or climbing) is the most well-liked nationwide pastime, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

88. Moa has been flightless birds that have been native to New Zealand. The largest species, the large moa, reached about 12 ft (Four m) in peak and weighed about 550 lb. (249 kg). Some of the biggest birds ever to inhabit the earth, have been the dominant herbivores within the nation’s ecosystem for hundreds of years earlier than they have been hunted to extinction by the Māori by 1500.

89. New Zealand first competed as an impartial nation at the 1920 Summer Olympics

90. New Zealand has received more Olympic gold medals, per capita, than every other nation.

91. Wellington, New Zealand, is the southernmost nationwide capital on the planet at latitude 41.2° South. It additionally shares the dignity of being probably the most distant capital with Canberra, Australia, over 1,243 miles (2000 km) away.

92. New Zealand has two nationwide anthems: God Save The Queen and God Defend New Zealand.

93. The 10 cent piece is the bottom denomination in NZ currency. This is one of the 10 interesting facts about New Zealand.

94. Kiwi shouldn’t be a reputation for fruit in New Zealand – it’s a name for a chicken and slang for a New Zealander. The people of New Zealand name the fruit “kiwifruit”; it’s by no means “kiwi”.

95. New Zealand’s badminton staff was named “The Black Cocks”. The name was modified after a yr on account of complaints. This is one of the 5 interesting facts about New Zealand.

96. In 2013, NZ legalized same-sex marriage.

97. Lake Taupo was fashioned by a supervolcanic eruption 26,000 years in the past. The mud from the eruption could possibly be seen in modern-day China.

98. Only 5% of NZ’s inhabitants are human- the remaining are animals, one of the 101 facts about New Zealand.

99. NZ is the least corrupt nation on the planet (tied with Denmark), based on the Corruptions Perception Index. This is one of the New Zealand facts 2021.

100. New Zealand produces 100 kg of butter and 65 kg of cheese every year per particular person. This is one of the New Zealand cool kid facts.

101. A New Zealand man legally modified his name to Full Metal Havok More Sexy N Intelligent Than Spock And All The Superheroes Combined With Frostnova. The 99-character name was nearly denied as a result of the authorized restriction is 100 characters, which is one of the interesting facts about New Zealand.

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