The Youngest Country in the World
New Zealand is a young country, being the last large landmass in the world to be discovered by explorers – first by Maori and then by Europeans. As New Zealanders we can relate well to the experience of International Students – after all we all came here from somewhere else too.
New Zealanders enjoy a fantastic lifestyle - but we are also outward looking, travelling abroad and exporting our quality products and services all over the globe. A long-established democracy, New Zealand has a safe and stable political environment. We are a multi-cultural society, reflecting many years of migration from all parts of the globe. The largest non-European group is the indigenous Maori, the tangata whenua - the people of the land. We are also home to many people from the Pacific Islands and Asia.
New Zealanders are famous for their warm hospitality to overseas visitors and you’ll be safe studying here. We are friendly, welcoming, love travel and enjoy meeting people from other cultures. And as a young country we are also known for our positive, 'can do' attitude - a pioneering spirit, which is behind some of our biggest achievements on the world stage.
Maybe you’ve already heard of these famous New Zealanders?
Sport
- Sir Richard Hadlee and the New Zealand Blackcaps team in Cricket
- the world famous New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ in Rugby and the World Champion Kiwi team in Rugby League
- Sir Edmund Hilary – first man to climb Mount Everest in 1953
- Sir Peter Blake – winning the Americas Cup Yacht Race
Science
- Sir Ernest Rutherford – first man to split the atom
The Arts
- Peter Jackson, Director of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films which were made right here in NZ
Summers are warm and dry with temperatures ranging between 18 to 30 degrees celsius. Winters are mild with temperatures ranging between 4 to 14 degrees celsius.
This guide sets out some information about what it's like to live and study in New Zealand. It was prepared by the New Zealand Ministry of Education.
Guide to living and studying in New ZealandWe strongly encourage you to download this guide and share it with your classmates, friends and families. It provides comprehensive information on living in New Zealand including accessing important services, with phone numbers and links to web sites for further information on particular topics.
See Tourism New Zealand’s website www.newzealand.com for facts about New Zealand.
