New Zealand, one of the cleanest countries in the world, is made up of two large islands-the North Island and the South Island-plus many smaller ones. The country lies way below the equator in the Pacific Ocean, far away from other land masses. Its closest neighbors are New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga to the north. 1,250 miles to the northwest lies Australia, on the other side of the Tasman Sea. New Zealand is a really isolated paradise!

           New Zealand's total land area is about equal to that of Japan. The South Island is the larger one and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. The highest peak is Mount Cook, at 12,316 feet. Mountaineers come here to train for climbing the greater Himalayan peaks, but they get a real challenge here as well. On the lower slopes are found two of New Zealand's most famous hiking trails, the Milford and Routeburn tracks. In all, New Zealand has thirteen national parks, nineteen national forests, two marine parks and several nature reserves.

           Most New Zealanders live on North Island which is where Wellington, the capital, and the major city of Auckland are situated. The soil of this island is well-suited to farming and there is pastureland for sheep.

           The climate throughout the country is mild and this is one of many reasons why New Zealanders believe they live in a god's realm. There are many amazing sights such as Sutherland Falls, the fifth highest waterfall in the world.

           Because of its long isolation from the rest of the world, New Zealand has extraordinary flora (plants and flowers) and fauna (animals). In fact, about 80 percent of the country's flora doesn't occur anywhere else in the world. Until the arrival of humans, 80 percent of the land was forested, and those forests were inhabited by a diverse range of unusual birds. The kiwi, a cute, round, fuzzy creature, is New Zealand's national bird. The kea is a drab-looking mountain parrot who hides its bright, scarlet feathers under its wings. Sometimes it comes down from the mountains and hangs around restaurants hoping to be fed. If he isn't fed, he often becomes vicious, attacking cars and even destroying things outside of homes!

           Even though New Zealanders value their ties to Great Britain, they asserted their independent spirit by changing their currency from the NZ pound into the NZ dollar.