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New Zealand's spectacularly beautiful landscape includes vast mountain chains, steaming volcanoes, sweeping coastlines, rolling surf beaches, deeply indented fiords and lush rainforests.

With such a diverse natural environment, it's hardly surprising that this is one of the key attractions that draws visitors from other countries. And the great advantage of New Zealand is there are many different landscapes, environments and ecosystems so close to each other.

Geography

New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific ocean and the country runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. The two main islands (North and South) cover 266,200 sq km and are about the size of Colorado or Great Britain.

Natural Environment

New Zealand's separation from other land masses about 100 million years ago allowed many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in isolation. Complementing our unique flora and fauna is a landscape that contains an unrivalled variety of landforms. In a couple of days it is possible to see everything from mountain ranges to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, glaciers and fiords and active volcanoes.

Flora - In spite of around 800 years of native bush clearance by humans, about a quarter of the country still remains forested - mostly in high country areas. Most of these remaining areas are protected form exploitation in national and forest parks where they can be enjoyed by all. The giant kauri, among the largest trees in the world, is restricted not to relatively small pockets in Norhtland and on the Coromandel Peninsula as well as in the Bay of Plenty.

Fauna - New Zealand is a land of unique birds. The best known is the flightless kiwi, New Zealand's national symbol. Also flightless are the weka and the endangered kakapo, the world's largest parrot. Another unique bird, one capable of flight, is the inquisitive Kea, which is renowned for its fearlessness of humans, cheeky personality and great intelligence.

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