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New Zealand Travel Information

Travel Alert Status

Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions

Time Difference

UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note: New Zealand has two time zones: New Zealand standard time (UTC+12) and Chatham Islands time (45 minutes in advance of New Zealand standard time; UTC+12:45)

Travel Climate

New Zealand lies in the Temperate Zone and has a generally mild, invigorating climate although with sharp regional contrasts. The rugged terrain of the country has a dramatic effect on the weather. Many parts of the country are subject to high winds and rains followed by sharp drops in temperature. January and February are New Zealand’s warmest months with July normally the coldest. Spells of cool, damp weather occur even in the summer, from December through February. Rainy winter days of June, July, and August are interspersed with days of brilliant sunshine and crisp, clear air. October, November, and December are particularly windy months. Winds of 60 mph are not unusual, especially in the Wellington area, and on rare occasions they exceed 100 mph. As the mountainous terrain suggests, New Zealand lies in an area of active earthquakes and volcanism ringing the Pacific Plate. A major fault line runs through Wellington. Earthquakes are sometimes felt but rarely cause damage.

Travel Currency

New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Languages

English (official), Maori (official)

Ethnic Groups

New Zealand European 74.5%, Maori 9.7%, other European 4.6%, Pacific Islander 3.8%, Asian and others 7.4%

National Holiday

Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); Anzac Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)

Geographic Coordinates

41 00 S, 174 00 E

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia

Airports

39

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