Super excited to share Episode 6 of the Curious Pavel Podcast Sessions with you, where we travel all the way to New Zealand! Gotta love it! I am having a talk with Michael who is a local and knows a fair deal of New Zealand. Me and Mike have decided to give you a full itinerary for your journey to that part of the world. New Zealand and Australia are so far from everything, so why not make the most of it? Learn how to manage your time in the islands, the culture, a few Maori words and how the wine industry came along. Who knows? You might even run into a Hobbit or two along the way.
About Michael:
“Kia ora, I’m Michael, from Auckland, New Zealand. I work in an English language school, where I teach international students from many different countries. I’m passionate about sharing my country with the students who come to our school, and now I’m really honoured to be able to share Aotearoa New Zealand with Pavel’s followers as well. When I travel, I’m most interested in history, architecture and culture, so I try to bring the same perspectives to my own country. I’m really happy to answer any questions you have, or if you’ve been to New Zealand, any extra advice, information or places that you feel I’ve missed out. You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram, where you can also see photos of some of the places I mention in this podcast about New Zealand with Pavel”
Useful Websites when/before visiting New Zealand:
- The Tourism New Zealand website, a great place to start planning your trip around New Zealand
- A blogpost from Big 7 Travel on the top 7 “Bucket-list Experiences” to have in NZ
- New Zealand wines guide
- Information about the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a one-day walk through the volcanic region of the central North Island
This podcast about New Zealand can also be found on YouTube:
Click here for all of the podcast series
Places mentioned in the podcast about New Zealand:
North Island
- Cape Reinga – the very top of the North Island, where the two seas meet: Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean
- Auckland – NZ’s biggest city
- Rotorua – The North Island’s tourism capital, with Māori culture and thermal activity (boiling mud pools, hot springs and geysers)
- Tongariro – the apine region of the North Island, where you can see Mt Ngauruhoe, which stood in for Mt Doom in LOTR, and can go skiing on Mt Ruapehu, an active volcano!
- Napier/Hawke’s Bay – The Art Deco capital of NZ, and a thriving wine region
- Wellington – at the bottom of the North Island, NZ’s capital, and the world’s southernmost capital city
South Island
- Nelson/Abel Tasman National Park – at the top of the South Island, beautiful beaches, scenery and sunshine: many people’s top tip to visit
- Marlborough – Sauvignon Blanc wine region
- Queenstown – adventure capital of NZ, gateway to bungy jumps, skiing and spectacular alpine scenery
- Dunedin – Scottish capital of NZ, wealthy during the 19th Century Gold Rush
- Central Otago – Pinot Noir wine region, and Gold Rush history
- Stewart Island – the third island, off the bottom of the South Island, great for trekking, birdlife and for seeing the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis). Its Māori name is Rakiura, which means “Glowing Skies”
Some Māori words and place names mentioned in the podcast:
- Kia ora – hello/goodbye/thank you
- Te Ika a Māui – (the fish of Maui) The North Island
- Te Waka a Māui – (the canoe of Maui) The South Island
New Zealand being curious:
- First country to give women the right to vote (1893)
- First country in the world to see the sunrise each day
- More species of penguins in NZ than any other country
- Longest place name in the world: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu (the locals understandably call it “Taumata”)
- More sheep per capita than any other country
- World’s steepest street: Baldwin St, Dunedin
Favourite Quotes about NZ:
- Lonely Planet, travel publishers: “the coolest little capital in the world” (Wellington)
- Agatha Christie, crime novelist: “We were in Wellington on a perfect day; something which, I gathered from its inhabitants, seldom happened… I have never seen anything in my life as beautiful as Wellington harbour. Sydney is nothing to it. Great mountains all round coming down to the water’s edge – the far-off ones with snow on them. Blue sky and deep blue water and Wellington itself nestling on the side of the mountain.”
- Bill Clinton, US President: “… every person, when he or she is young, dreams of finding some enchanted place, of beautiful mountains and breathtaking coastline and clear lakes and amazing wildlife, and most people give up on it because they never get to New Zealand.”
- Rudyard Kipling, author: “Last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart.”
- Mick Jagger, singer of the Rolling Stones: “Invercargill is the arsehole of the world.”
Congratulations for reaching the end of this article 😉 Have we missed something? Leave a comment and let us know or ask your question about New Zealand and we will answer it:)
Once again you can Click here for all of the podcast series