Resources

Society
The majority of New Zealand’s four million people live in the North Island. The South Island is sparsely populated outside the main centres. Auckland city, in the north of the North Island, is the nation’s largest, with a population of more than one million. The capital is Wellington, at the southern tip of the North Island. 

New Zealand has a very diverse population. The majority are of British descent – often referred to as Pakeha – but other European cultures such as Dutch, French, Italian, Greek and Dalmation are also represented. Many New Zealanders originate from the Pacific Islands or Asia, but the largest non-European group is the Maori population. 
New Zealand is a sovereign state with a Westminster-style democratic parliamentary government.

History
New Zealand’s human history began with the Maori people, thought to have arrived over 1,000 years ago on canoes from a South Pacific homeland known as Hawaiki. Maori named the land Aotearoa, ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’, and developed a very successful society. 

The first European to sight New Zealand was Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, in 1642. He never set foot on New Zealand soil but annexed the country for Holland. In 1769, Briton Captain James Cook was searching for a southern continent when his cabin boy sighted land near Gisborne. Cook circumnavigated and mapped the country. European migration began soon after and by 1839 there were an estimated 2,000 Europeans in New Zealand. On 6 February 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. It is an agreement between the British Crown and signatory Maori Chiefs, establishing British law while guaranteeing Maori authority over their land and culture. 

Environment
New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,900 kilometres east of Australia. With a land area of 268,000 square kilometres, it is similar in size to Britain and Japan. There are two main islands – North and South – a third, smaller island called Stewart Island, and a number of small satellite islands. More than half of New Zealand is farmland, and more than a quarter is forested. Thirteen percent is alpine terrain, with many peaks over 3,000 metres.

New Zealand separated from the prehistoric continents at an early stage, resulting in an extraordinary blend of native species. Land mammals were virtually non-existent and the main predators were birds, so the safest place to be was often close to the ground – hence the flightless kiwi!

Economy and Industry
New Zealand has a mixed economy dominated by an export-focused agricultural sector, manufacturing and service sectors. The country has a reputation for top quality produce, from meat to dairy, seafood, fruit, vegetables and wines. Service industries, such as tourism, are also significant to the economy.

Culture
New Zealand’s unique blend of Maori, Pakeha (New Zealand European), Pacific and Asian cultures has resulted in a vibrant cultural identity. The Kiwi culture is about being innovative, independent and celebrating diversity, and New Zealanders are renowned for thinking ‘outside the square’. This fact is celebrated in the traditional idiom about a ‘Number 8 Fencing Wire’ mentality – the idea that you could give a Kiwi a piece of standard gauge fencing wire and they could fix anything. In days gone by, when New Zealand’s geographical isolation meant a spare part could be weeks away, this was an essential skill! 

The nation does not seem so far away now, but creativity remains an essential part of the national identity. From its early days as a colonial nation, when the nation looked to Britain for cultural leadership, New Zealand has matured into self-confidence and local idiosyncrasies are now celebrated.

Art
Pay a visit to the World of WearableArt Museum in Nelson – an extravaganza of artistic licence designed to adorn the human form – and you’ll be confronted with the full force of New Zealand creativity. New Zealand’s artistic identity has been evolving from the earliest days of human settlement, when Maori developed powerful artistic forms in the carving of bone, stone, wood and shell, and in weaving fibres. 

When European settlers arrived, the newness of the country often meant that artworks were tinged with romanticism and nostalgia for the British ‘homeland’. But in the twentieth century, as New Zealand grew in cultural confidence, more original artists appeared. Realism and honesty about New Zealand life became dominant themes and artists like Rita Angus, Colin McCahon and Toss Woolaston came to prominence. In recent years, artists have woven a unique blend of histories and cultures, themes and styles, reflecting the diversity of New Zealand society.
Source: destination-nz.com

Education System
The academic year in New Zealand matches the calendar year. It's best to start your application and enrolment process as early as you can, so you have plenty of time to arrange visas and other things.

Secondary schools
Secondary schools have 4 10-week terms, starting in February and ending in mid-December.

Universities
Each university has its own timetable but generally the year is split into 2 semesters of about 12 weeks each, with a 2-week break during the semester and a 6-week break in the middle of the year. The breaks are not necessarily holidays - you may need the time for research and study.

Institutes of technology and polytechnics
Institutes of technology and polytechnics have two semesters - February to June and July to November - with holidays similar to secondary schools. Some half-year courses start in July.

Private Training Establishments
Most run on a timetable similar to state tertiary institutions
Language schools run all year. Their courses may be as short as 1 or 2 weeks or as long as a whole academic year and classes run Monday to Friday. Sometimes there are extra-curricular activities and outings at the weekend.

Here is useful links:
NZ Tourism WebSite

                                                    Ask a question now!