New Zealand
You can swim in the sea, ski down mountains, climb glaciers or sit in hot water springs - all at the same time of the year in miraculous New Zealand.
PEOPLE
There are only about 4.2 million people in New Zealand. There are more sheep than people there! Most people live on North Island in the capital, Wellington, or in Auckland. Most people in New Zealand are from European families who came to the country over 200 years ago but Maoris are the original people of
New Zealand.
CULTURE
Maoris perform traditional songs and dances at meeting places called Maraes; they have a special dance called the Haka when they stick their tongues out to frighten their enemies.
SPORT
New Zealanders are very proud of their rugby team, the Ali Blacks. They are very successful.
New Zealand is the home of extreme sports; bungee jumping began here.
ANIMALS
The national symbol of New Zealand is the kiwi - a bird which has no wings and can't fly. Kiwis
can't see very well and they sleep for 20 hours a day. 'Kiwi' is the nickname for a person from
New Zealand. There are also strange lizards called tuataras. They have been in New Zealand
for 200 million years!
GEOGRAPHV
New Zealand has volcanoes and hot springs and bubbling mud pools. On North Island there is a
place called Hot Water Beach. Steam rises from the sand and you can dig a hole in the sand
which fills with hot water and then you can sit in it and relax! You can see the Southern Alps
in the Lord of the Rings films. They are on South Island. The highest mountain is called
Mt Cook. There's a 27km glacier in the .Southern Alps called the Tasman Glacier.
Bungee Jumping in New Zealand
Write the answers to these questions the last letter of each answer begins the next answer.
What is the capital of New Zealand?
Which island do most people in New Zealand live on?
You can sit in a pool full of hot water on_____ Water Beach.
What is the name of the largest glacier in New Zealand?
New Zealand is very___ to Australia.
What is the name of the Ali Blacks' sport?
Europeans colonised New Zealand three hundred ___ago.
There are thousands of these animals on farms in New Zealand.
Which ocean is New Zealand in?
The highest mountain in New Zealand is called Mt_____
What's the nickname for someone who comes from New Zealand?
What are glaciers made of?
What language do people speak in New Zealand?
The Maoris
Choose the correct verb form (past simple or present perfect).
The Maoris are the original people of New Zealand. They 1lived 1have /lived in New Zealand for over 600 years. They 2 travelled 1have travelled to New Zealand in canoes from the Polynesian islands in 1350. For a long time they 3 were 1have been the only people in New Zealand. They 4 drew 1have drawn pictures on rocks that told stories about their lives. Stories 5 were always 1have always been important. European travellers 6 came 1have come to New Zealand in the 19th century. Life7 changed 1has changed for the Maoris when the travellers 8 took 1have taken a lot of Maori land. Now Maoris and European New Zealanders 9 lived 1have lived together for over 200 years and the government 10 returned 1has returned the Maori land. Although most Maoris speak English, they 11didn't forget 1haven't forgotten their traditions, customs, songs, dances and language.
