Hotels in New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country that is located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is a remote land, located as far as a thousand kilometres from Southeast of Australia, its closest neighbour. New Zealand, or also known as the Aotearoa by the indigenous people of the land, is divided into two pieces of land; the North and the South islands with small islands surrounded the area. It is one of the last lands to be settled by humans due to its remoteness, between the year 1250 to 13000 AD. The Polynesians were the first to settle on the islands and they had developed a distinctive Maori culture.

The European only caught with the sight of this piece of land in 1642 by a Dutch explorer though he did not explore it. The Dutch explorer by the name of Abel Tasman, named this piece of land as Staten Land, in honour of the States General, the Dutch parliament. In 1645, a Dutch cartographer (or in layman’s term: the map maker) renamed the land as Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. James Cook, the British explorer, replaced the name into English and it became New Zealand. This happened before the British occupied the land. The Maori had named the Northern Island of the country as Aotearoa which literally translated into ‘the land of the long white cloud. The Northern Island also has a traditional Maui name; Te Ika-a-Maui which means the Fish of Maui. For the Southern Island, it is known as either Te Waipounamu (The Waters of Greenstone) or the Te Waka o Aoraki (The Canoe of Aoraki). It is not known whether the Maori had named the whole country as one before the arrival of the Europeans. Aotearoa is currently the Maori name for New Zealand.

Though the name New Zealand is already in place in around 1645, the British only declared that the land was under their sovereignty after the signed of the Treaty of Waitangi by the United Kingdom and Maori chiefs in 1840. In the following year, New Zealand is colonized by the British Empire. The country gained its full independence in 1947, but the British monarch still remained as its head of state.

The capital of New Zealand is located in Wellington and it has been there since 1865. Wellington is located on the Northern Island. Auckland, the largest city in the country, was New Zealand’s capital for about twenty-four years, from the year 1841 to 1865 before the parliament moved to Wellington, some 600 kilometres away. Wellington is located at the south of the Northern Island and it is near to the Southern Island of New Zealand.

The majority of the New Zealand’s population is from the European descendant, a total of 4.7 million people. The indigenous people, the Maori made up for 14.9% of the population, the biggest minority. The rest of the ethnic in New Zealand are the Asians, Pacific people, Africans and others. Almost half of the population in New Zealand identify themselves as Christians. 41% of the population is an atheist. The rest of the 11% of the population is divided into some other religions; mainly Hinduism, followed by other religions.

Since the country was colonised by the British Empire and still have the British monarch as the head of state, English is their main language. The New Zealand English is almost the same as the Australian English in terms of the pronunciation. New Zealand also uses the indigenous Maori language as their official language with almost 4% of the population can communicate in Maori. The country also has their own sign language and as of 2013, more than 20 thousand people can communicate in the New Zealand Sign Language. All of the legal proceedings and the government services accept the sign language legally.

Cuisines in New Zealand are unique as they are driven by the local ingredients and the seasonal availabilities. Just like Australia, New Zealand’s cuisines share some similarity of the British food, but with some flares and taste influenced by the Mediterranean and Pacific Rim’s flavours. The Pacific Rim flavours are also known as the Euro-Pacific or Asian-fusion style. The Maori traditional dishes and ingredients also influence the cuisines in New Zealand heavily. Maori’s dishes are usually based on root vegetables such as sweet potato and taros. For the New Zealanders, the most important meal of the day is the dinner where families gather and share their evening meal.

How to Get There?

By Plane

A ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Wellington, New Zealand starts from MYR 2200 for a one-way ticket. Though the ticket is quite expensive, once in New Zealand, their domestic flights are rather cheap, starting from as low as MYR150. A Malaysian passport holder does not require a tourist visa when visiting New Zealand. Those who are planning to stay in New Zealand for working or study, they will require the special visa that can be applied online. The special visa will require at least 28 days to complete.

Wellington International Airport is located in the southern end of the Northern Island, just ten kilometres away from the Wellington city centre. It is accessible by Mount Victoria Tunnel.

By Bus

For travellers from the Wellington International Airport, they can go to town by using the public buses. The buses that services the airport are by the Metlink company. They connect the airports to central Wellington and the Wellington Railway Station.

What to Do There?

New Zealand is perfect for those who love nature as the country has so much to offer in that area. A typical tourist spot in New Zealand would always include nature, be it at hiking through the hills, a dip in the beautiful, crystal clear water, or simply enjoying the country.

Queenstown

Bungee jumping, or bungy jumping as the way the New Zealanders spell it, is a type of activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to the elastic cords. This activity has seen increased in popularity in New Zealand, especially in Queenstown. Queenstown is the town where the commercialized bungee jumping started thanks to AJ Hackett, the man who made international headlines by bungee jumping from the Eiffel Tower in 1987. AJ Hackett started the business of bungee jumping in Queenstown and until today, it is one of the best places to get the adrenaline pumping.

Milford Sound

Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of the South Island of New Zealand. Fiord is a type of geological feature that is a long, narrow inlet with cliffs on the side. It is created by a glacier. Milford Sound is one of the world’s top tourist destination and New Zealand’s most famous. It features such a dramatic, mesmerizing view of the mountains and waterfalls. At Milford Sound, tourists may enjoy several activities such as camping and wildlife observations. There are numerous waterfalls located in Milford Sound and the when observing these waterfalls; there are times when the vertical drops of the waterfalls change the water directions upward when they got caught in the winds. The Milford Sound is also a scenic destination that cruise ships usually pass by. Milford Sound is located in the Southern Island, about four hours away from Queenstown.

Where to Stay?

Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers

For those who are on the budget while travelling in New Zealand, the Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers in the city of Wellington offers just that. The room of the hotel starts from MYR 65 a night for a shared dormitory and just MYR254 for a private room. Hotel Waterloo & Backpackers provides a comfortable and clean place to stay for such low rates. It is also located near to train stations and eateries. The hotel provides free internet for an hour for every 24 hour stays. Breakfast is also provided but with surcharge.  There is a laundry service at the hotel.

Willis Wellington Hotel

Willis Wellington Hotel is a hotel that is located in the middle of the city centre. It is also near to the Wellington International Airport, about fifteen minutes away. The hotel offers its room from as low as MYR229 a night that includes free Wi-Fi connections. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk with multilingual staffs to ease the check-ins and outs. Their services are also great with friendly staffs. The facilities of the hotel include meeting rooms, parking spaces, a restaurant and safety deposit boxes. The hotel also offers babysitting service when needed. This service does not include in the room’s rate. The hotel also has laundry services and luggage storage area. Willis Wellington Hotel is a smoke-free hotel to ensure the comfortable stay for all of their guests. The hotel is a perfect place to stay while in Wellington, New Zealand, be it for business purposes or vacationing. There are a number of museums located near the Willis Wellington Hotel such as the Westra Museum and the Great War Exhibition. The Central Park of Wellington is just 300 metres away.