It's another Monday, and with that, it's time for another blog post! Because I come from the most beautiful country in the world, Aotearoa (also known as New Zealand), and it is close to our national day, Waitangi Day, February 6, here are 10 cool things about New Zealand that you may not know.
- Last place to be settled by humans: It may surprise many, but humans got to New Zealand really late. Scholars and Indigenous oral histories place the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand sometime between 1250 and 1300 AD. The settlers, skilled seafarers using double-hulled canoes, came deliberately from Eastern Polynesia on voyages of exploration. (If you've seen Moana, you probably know the basics!). The settlers brought resources such as kumara (a South American sweet potato whose migration to Polynesia is shrouded in mystery) and the culture that would become Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand.
- Three main islands (and far from everywhere): If you have never been to New Zealand, your knowledge might be limited to images from Lord of the Rings. Many people do not realize that New Zealand has three main islands: Te Ika a Māui (the North Island), Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island), and Rakiura (Stewart Island). As a South Islander, I have no doubt which island is best, but others may disagree! The South Island has the most beautiful beach in New Zealand (although that title is hotly contested!). New Zealand is also really far from every other country in the world - our closest neighbors are Tonga, a tiny island nation about 1,100 miles away, and Australia, a not-so-tiny continent about 1,300 miles away.
- No mammals: New Zealand has abundant bird life (newcomers from Polynesia found now-extinct Moa and giant Haast's Eagles) and marine mammals such as seals and sea lions. But did you know New Zealand separated from the Gondwana supercontinent before mammals evolved, so it has no native land mammals? In the 19th Century, European settlers introduced rabbits, deer, weasels, stoats, Australian possums, cats, dogs, and rats, devastating New Zealand's plant and animal life. A government initiative, Predator Free 2050, set a target of eradicating predator animals by 2050, and many conservation groups are working hard to achieve that goal (Predator Free Wellington is my husband's former workplace, so they get special mention)! This leads me to number four on the list……
The kiwi is a bird (not a fruit): Despite what Jon Oliver may have led you to believe, New Zealand's national animal is the kiwi, a flightless nocturnal bird that most New Zealanders rarely see. Kiwi are ratites and are distantly related to ostriches. Found only in New Zealand, kiwi are considered taonga (sacred/precious) by Māori. Kiwi remain vulnerable to predation by rats, stoats, weasels, cats, and dogs and are extremely endangered. Many conservation projects are focused on their protection. Fun fact: The plural of kiwi is also kiwi, so don't add an s to the end of the word, even when talking about the fruit. And if you want to sound like a New Zealander, call the fruit a kiwifruit.
- Earthquake central: New Zealand lies along the boundary of the Australian and Pacific continental plates, making it an extremely shaky place. In an average year, New Zealand will experience around 20,000 earthquakes, most of which are minor. However, larger quakes can and do happen. In February 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch, New Zealand's second-biggest city, killing 185 people and severely damaging infrastructure across the city. Though I was not in New Zealand during the 2011 quake, I grew up in Christchurch and vividly remember 1994 when we had two big earthquakes close together. Being woken in the night by the house shaking violently is not something you easily forget!
- New Zealand has three official languages: That's right - most New Zealanders speak English, one of our official languages, but many now also speak te reo Māori, another other official language (the third is New Zealand Sign Language or NZSL), and the Indigenous language of New Zealand's Māori people. Māori now comprise 20% of New Zealand's population, and speaking te reo Māori is a must for many business, education, and government jobs. If you want to sound like a native or at least a seasoned traveler, greet people with Kia ora (hello or (literally) good health). If you want to sound like you've lived there all your life, start the day by greeting people with Ata marie (good morning in te reo Māori).
- First country to grant women the right to vote: In the 1880s and '90s, New Zealand women such as Kate Sheppard and Ada Wells petitioned parliament relentlessly to extend women the right to vote, at one point getting 32,000 signatures (¼ of New Zealand's adult population at the time). After a hard fight, New Zealand women won the right to vote in September 1893 (notably a full 27 years before American women won voting rights). Although it took some time, this trailblazing event set the stage for New Zealand women to enter public life and politics. Fun fact: New Zealand has had three women prime ministers: Helen Clark, Jenny Shipley, and most recently, Jacinda Ardern.
Rugby dominates: You cannot go far in New Zealand without encountering rugby - kids play it, adults follow local and regional teams religiously, and our national team, the All Blacks (named for their black uniforms), is the closest thing New Zealand has to royalty (well, except for our actual royalty, but please don't get me started on that issue). New Zealand punches well above its weight in men's rugby, and the last few years have also seen major breakthroughs in New Zealand women's rugby dominance. Though we lost to South Africa by a hair in 2023, 2027 should be our chance to return the Rugby World Cup back to its rightful home in New Zealand.
As Kiwi as: Though I have had Americans tell me I speak the Queen's (now the King's) English, New Zealand English (NZE) is quite different from British English. It's also different from Australian English, which I swear sounds completely different! Ok, probably just to us. New Zealand English has a lot of slang and local innovations. In New Zealand, we often like to call things by the shortest name possible:
Togs = bathing suit
Arvo = afternoon
Cuz = cousin (or friend)
Ta = thank you
Smoko = morning tea
Jandals = flip-flops
Scarfie = university student
Chilly bin = cooler
Bach = holiday house
NZE also incorporates many Māori words:
kia ora = hello
kai = food
mahi = work
moe = sleep
hui = meeting
whanau = family
hoa = friend/friends
Fun fact: It is now summer in New Zealand, so if you were there, you could say to your hoa, "Grab your togs and jandals, put some kai in the chilly bin, let's have a hui, and plan our trip to the bach."
Southernmost capital in the world: New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, sits at a latitude of -41.28, making it the southernmost capital city in the world. It is also one of the world's windiest cities (having lived there for two years, I can attest that Wellington's high winds ensure a strong demand for roofers). Don't be discouraged, though; Wellington is a lovely city with gorgeous views of the harbor and Cook Strait, great culture and nightlife, and tons to do (including fabulous botanical gardens, Wellington Zoo, Zealandia, and lots more).
I hope you enjoyed this quick dive into what makes New Zealand special and interesting. Look out for another blog from me around ANZAC Day!
Think you know a thing or two about New Zealand's movies and television shows? Test your knowledge with our special trivia quiz, The Movies and Shows of New Zealand!
Hailing from New Zealand, Ngaire Smith currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina. She has worked in academic libraries both in the USA and New Zealand for many years and believes strongly in the power of librarians to help students succeed in their studies.