Until air travel became available, New Zealand was one of the world's most isolated nations. New Zealand is a land of rich geographic contrast, ranging from Alpine peaks and rugged fjords to bubbling mud pools and boiling lakes. About 53 percent of the land is covered by pastures.

Situated about 1,200 miles southeast of Australia, New Zealand is made up of two large islands, North Island and South Island, and a small island at the southernmost tip called Stewart Island. The two main islands are separated by the Cook Strait. Auckland, on North Island, is the largest commercial and industrial center. With a total land area of 103,883 square miles, New Zealand is about the size of Colorado.

New Zealand was inhabited by the Maori around A.D. 750. The Maori were primarily hunters and farmers, but they were also known as fierce warriors. They called the land Aotearoa, or "long, white cloud," and first settled in what is now North Island. The Dutch navigator Abel Tasman arrived in the area in 1642 and named the land New Zealand, for his home province in Holland. Captain Cook visited the island in 1752, but major European colonization did not begin until 1840.

No point in New Zealand is more than 70 miles from the ocean. North Island is a land of tropical beaches, geysers, bubbling mud holes, boiling lakes, and lush rolling pasture land. South Island has more majestic scenery with towering Alps, waterfalls, lakes, and fjords.

Milford Sound is noted for its magnificent scenery, including Mitre Peak, which rises above the sound's fjord cliffs, waterfalls, and the glowworm cave of Lake Te Anau. Fjordland National Park contains 13 percent of the land area of thecountry.

Auckland is spread over gently sloping hills nestled between two sheltered bays, Waitemala Harbor and Manukau Harbor. Atop Mount Eden, which rises majestically behind the town, a Maori fort once stood. About 140 miles north of Auckland is the Bay of Islands, a recreational wonderland for sport fishing, boating, and wildlife observance. Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is surrounded by steep hills. Visitors are transported by cablecar to sweeping vistas at the top. The scenic Central Route winds from Auckland to Wellington, passing through Rotorua, the site of gushing hot springs and steaming geysers.

In Auckland, the War Memorial Museum is noted foroutstanding displays of Maori art. Mount Eden provides aspectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea. On One Tree Hill is an obelisk honoring John Logan Campbell, known as the "Father of Auckland." In the Auckland Zoological Gardens,visitors can observe the nocturnal kiwi bird, a flightless bird that is nearly extinct.

In Christchurch, the largest city on South Island, are the Town Hall and Cultural Center, the Botanical Gardens with displays of New Zealand's unique plant life, Canterbury Museum,and McDougall Art Gallery. Just outside Christchurch (CHC), the capital of South Island, is New Zealand's highest peak, Mount Cook, called Aorangior ("cloud piercer") by the Maori. At its highest point, the mountain reaches 12,349 feet above sea level. Nearby is an 18-mile-long glacier, the Tasman, named after the island's Dutch discoverer. The fjords of Milford Sound are a magnificent spectacle, including Mitre Peak, which rises above the channel's cliffs, waterfalls, and caverns.

Queenstown, in the pine-clad wilderness by Lake Wakatipu, is an active resort community and the former center of the New Zealand gold rush. Wakatipu is called "the Lake That Breathes" because it rises and falls three inches every 15 minutes. Several ski resorts are found across the lake at Coronet Peak, Bob's Peak, and Walter Peak.

Like their neighbors, the Australians, the New Zealand people are devoted sports enthusiasts. The national sport is rugby, but the country is best known for its world-class sailing and its 325 golf courses. Swimming, surfing, and scuba diving are available at the coastal beaches. Deep sea fishing for marlin, shark, and tuna is in season from January through April. The inland lakes and rivers offer year-round freshwater fishing opportunities. The downhill skiing season is June through September.