The weather of New Zealand is pleasant in all seasons, though it’s rather windy. Wellington, the country’s capital, is known as the Windy City. The strongest winds blow from the south. The wind speed and direction can be seen from the flag flown from the Parliament. A large flag is flown only on calm days and a small flag is flown when windy days are expected.

More than a century before Columbus crossed the Atlantic to discover America, the Maoris sailed over thousands of kilometers of ocean to settle in New Zealand. They made their great journey in double canoes. Today, Maoris make up 14 percent of the country’s population, and their history, language and traditions are central to New Zealand’s identity.

Before humans settled in New Zealand, it had an incredible variety of birds. As they had no natural enemies to fly away from, wings became unnecessary for some birds. When Maoris and, later, Europeans went to New Zealand, they started to hunt birds. They also brought predators, including rats. The new enemies and loss of territory led to the reduction in the birds’ populations and to the complete extinction of some species.

Ever since the first ‘Lord of the Rings’ film was released in 2001, New Zealand has been known as the ‘Home of Middle-earth’. New Zealand’s dramatic scenery plays the mythical world of Middle-earth on the big screen in both ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies. More than 250 places throughout the country were used as locations for the films, which made New Zealand the greatest destination for Tolkien enthusiasts.

New Zealand is an extremely beautiful country situated in the south-western Pacific Ocean. Mountain ranges and hill country dominate New Zealand’s landscape. Its dramatic views impressed the Europeans when they first landed on the islands. The name New Zealand comes from the Dutch Nieuw Zeeland. This name was given by the first European explorer Abel Tasmanafter the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands.

Auckland’s diverse landscapes provide countless opportunities to be impressed: rainforests and black sand beaches, picturesque country gardens and calm bays. However, this region is spotted with 48 volcanic cones. Rangitoto Island, just a 25-minute ferry ride from Auckland, is the region’s most iconic volcano. A lot of tourists visit the island every day to see the volcano. But who knows when it might wake up?