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Selected article 1

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The hei-tiki /haɪˈtiːkiː/ is an ornamental neck pendant of the Māori. Hei-tiki are usually made of greenstone and worn around the neck. They are often referred to as tiki, a term that actually refers to large human figures carved in wood, and, also, the small wooden carvings used to mark sacred places. Tourist versions - either from real jade or sometimes from cheap plastic - are also commonly found throughout New Zealand.

The name "hei-tiki" suggests a connection with Tiki, the first man in Māori legend. Hei-tiki may signify memorials to

ancestors, or represent the goddess of childbirth, Hineteiwaiwa
. The rationale behind the first idea is that they were often buried when their kaitiaki (guardian) died and would be later retrieved and placed somewhere special to be brought out in times of tangihanga (mourning and associated activities). Because of the connection with Hineteiwaiwa, hei-tiki were often given to a woman by her husband's family if she was having trouble conceiving.

The most valuable hei-tiki are carved from

nephrite or bowenite (Māori: tangiwai). Pounamu is esteemed highly by Māori for its beauty, toughness and great hardness; it is used not only for ornaments such as hei-tiki and ear pendants, but also for carving tools, adzes, and weapons. (Full article...
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Captain William Hobson RN (26 September 1792 – 10 September 1842) was the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi.

In his

Napoleonic wars and was involved in the suppression of piracy in the Caribbean. In 1836 he sailed HMS Rattlesnake to Australia where he spent several months surveying Port Phillip District (later Melbourne
).

In 1837 he sailed to the

Lieutenant Governor and British consul
to New Zealand (confirmed on 13 August 1839). He was instructed to purchase land "by fair and equal contracts."

Hobson arrived back in the

Waitemata Harbour to obtain more signatures and survey a suitable location for a new capital. In November 1840 the Queen signed a royal charter for New Zealand to become a Crown colony separate from New South Wales. Hobson was sworn in as Governor and Commander in Chief on 3 May 1841. (Full article...
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Selected article 3

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The University of Auckland (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau) is New Zealand's largest university. Established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand, the university is now made up of eight faculties over six campuses, and has more than 39,000 students at April 2006. [1] Over 1300 doctoral candidates were enrolled at the University of Auckland in 2004.

It offers a wide range of programmes including Arts, Business, Education, Music, Teacher Training and Special Education, Architecture, Planning, Nursing, Creative and Performing Arts, Theology, Science, Information Management, Engineering, Medicine, Optometry, Food and Wine Science, Property, Law, Fine and Visual Arts and Pharmacy.

It also provides the most conjoint combinations across the entire nation, with over 35 combinations available. Conjoint programs allow students to achieve multiple degrees in a shortened period of time.

The University of Auckland was the only New Zealand institution ranked in the top 50 of the

THES - QS World University Rankings, ranked at number 46. (Full article...
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Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently its dense, concentrated Pinot Noir from Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago
.

The first vines are thought to have been introduced by missionary Samuel Marsden, and official British Resident James Busby is credited with producing wine at Kerikeri in 1833. The modern wine industry in New Zealand began in the mid-20th century and expanded rapidly in the early 21st century, averaging 17% per annum in the first two decades. In 2017, New Zealand produced 285 million litres from 37,129 hectares (91,750 acres) of vineyard area, about three-quarters of which is dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc. Nearly 90% of total production is exported, chiefly to the United States, Britain and Australia, reaching a record NZ$1.66 billion in export revenue in 2017. In each of the previous 10 years, New Zealanders consumed a fairly constant 20 litres of wine per adult, about a third of which was imported from other countries, mainly Australia. (Full article...)

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mountain climbers. Aoraki/Mount Cook consists of three summits lying slightly south and east of the main divide, the Low Peak, Middle Peak and High Peak, with the Tasman Glacier to the east and the Hooker Glacier
to the west.

Aoraki means "Cloud Piercer" in the Ngāi Tahu dialect of the Māori language. Historically, the Māori name has been spelt Aorangi in the "canonical" Māori form. While the mountain was known to Māori centuries before, the first European known to see Aoraki/Mount Cook was Abel Tasman, on December 13, 1642 during his first Pacific voyage. The English name of Mount Cook was given to the mountain in 1851 by Captain John Lort Stokes to honour Captain James Cook who first surveyed and circumnavigated the islands of New Zealand in 1770. Captain Cook did not sight the mountain during his exploration. Following the settlement between Ngāi Tahu and the Crown in 1998, the name of the mountain was officially changed from Mount Cook to Aoraki/Mount Cook to incorporate its historic Māori name, Aoraki. Under the settlement the Crown agreed to return title to Aoraki/Mount Cook to Ngāi Tahu, who then formally gifted it back to the nation.

The first ascent was on 25 December 1894, when New Zealanders

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Selected article 7

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The
Māori: Tiriti o Waitangi) is a treaty signed on February 6, 1840 by representatives of the British Crown, and Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand. Prepared hastily and without legal assistance, it was first signed on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand by a representative of the British Crown, and Māori chiefs from the upper North Island. Over the following months, copies were signed by other chiefs around the country. From the British point of view, the Treaty justified making New Zealand a British colony; it also gave Māori the rights of British citizens and the right to ownership of their lands and other properties. However significant differences between the Māori and English language versions of the Treaty mean that there is no consensus as to what rights the Treaty gives to which groups. (Full article...
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The
volcanic eruption in 1886
.

Similar to Pamukkale in Turkey, hot water containing large amounts of calcium bicarbonate precipitated calcium carbonate, leaving thick white layers of limestone and travertine cascading down the mountain slope, forming pools of water and terraces. The White terraces were the larger and more beautiful formation while the Pink terraces were where people went to bathe.

The terraces located on the edges of

erupted
at 03:00 on June 10, 1886.

The

Te Wairoa. The lake, and several others nearby, were substantially altered in shape and area by the eruption. (Full article...
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Selected article 10

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Sherpa people of Nepal through his Himalayan Trust
, building many schools and hospitals for instance.

Hillary was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) on 16 July 1953; a member of the Order of New Zealand (ONZ) in 1987; and a Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) on 23 April 1995. He has been the only New Zealander to appear on a banknote during their lifetime. Various streets, schools, and organisations around New Zealand and abroad are named after him.

To mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest, the Nepalese Government conferred honorary citizenship upon Hillary at a special

Golden Jubilee celebration in Kathmandu. He was the first foreign national to receive such an honour from the Nepalese. (Full article...
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The
Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It then drains Taupo at the lake's north-eastern edge, creates the Huka Falls, then flows northwest, through the Waikato Plains. It empties into the Tasman Sea south of Auckland at Port Waikato. It gives its name to the Waikato
region that surrounds the Waikato Plains.

The name "Waikato" comes from Māori and translates as "flowing water". (Full article...)

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gold foil experiment
.

Rutherford was born at Spring Grove (now

beta to describe the two distinct types of radiation emitted by thorium and uranium. (Full article...
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The
Waitemata Harbour, joining Saint Marys Bay in Auckland City with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. It has a total length of 1,020 m (3,348 feet), with a main span of 243.8 m, rising 43.27 m above high water allowing ships access to the deepwater port at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery up harbour (nowadays one of the few remaining wharves needing such access west of the bridge). It is part of the Auckland Northern Motorway running from the Central Motorway Junction in downtown Auckland to Orewa. (Full article...
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Selected article 16

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Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I
. It now more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for their countries.

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula, under a plan by Winston Churchill to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies and capture Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire. The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish Army commanded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. What had been planned as a bold strike to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stale-mate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives, the Australian and New Zealand troops' actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The "

Anzac legend" became an important part of the national identity of both countries. (Full article...
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Prime Minister David Lange posts a letter, at the opening of the new Foxton Post Office, 1980’s
Prime Minister David Lange posts a letter, at the opening of the new Foxton Post Office, 1980’s
David Russell Lange CH, ONZ (who pronounced his name "long-ee", /ˈlɒŋi/) (4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005), served as Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed New Zealand's fourth Labour Government, one of the most reforming administrations in his country's history, but one which did not always conform to traditional expectations of a social-democrat party. He had a reputation for cutting wit and eloquence. His government implemented far-reaching free market reforms, some of which he later came to oppose and regret. New Zealand's nuclear-free legislation, perhaps his most lasting legacy, symbolised for many a pacifist identity for New Zealand. (Full article...)
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studio albums) reach the top ten of the Official New Zealand Music Chart. From 1980 to 1982, the band had four number-one albums in New Zealand and three in Australia. The only number-one single for Split Enz was "I Got You" (1980), which topped the charts in both New Zealand and Australia. (Full article...
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Hector's dolphins have a unique rounded dorsal fin.
Hector's dolphins have a unique rounded dorsal fin.
Hector's Dolphin or White-headed Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is the best-known of the four dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus. At about 1.4 m in length and weighing 50kg, it is one of the smallest cetaceans. They have a rounded dorsal (upper) fin and have white undersides and grey sides. Hector's dolphins take short (90 second) dives to feed on small fish and crustaceans
on the ocean floor.

Hector's dolphins are endemic to the coastal regions of New Zealand. There are two known main populations, one on each side of the South Island. The two populations are believed to be largely cut off from one another by deep water at Cook Strait and at the south-west tip of the South Island.

According to the

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Edinburgh Fringe in 2003, the duo's live performances have gained them a worldwide cult following. (Full article...
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A larger bach in the North Island
A larger bach in the North Island
Bach (pronounced batch, with the alternative of crib used in the southern part of New Zealand) is the name given in New Zealand to structures akin to small, often very modest holiday homes or beach houses. They are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolized the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the middle class (Full article...)
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Leiopelmatida (Hochstetter's Frog), one of many biological families endemic to New Zealand
Leiopelmatida (Hochstetter's Frog), one of many biological families endemic to New Zealand
The
tectonic plate
.

New Zealand's pre-human biodiversity exhibited high levels of endemism in its flora and fauna. The range of ancient fauna is not well-known but at least one species of non-flying terrestrial mammal existed in New Zealand around 19 Ma ago. Prior to 65 Ma ago, the fauna included dinosaurs, pterosaurs and marine reptiles.

For at least several Ma before the arrival of humans and their commensal species, the islands had no terrestrial mammals except for bats, the main component of the terrestrial fauna being insects and birds. Its flora is dominated by Gondwanan plants, comprising historically of forests, most famously the giant kauri, Agathis australis.

New Zealand has developed a national

Biodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of considerable numbers of threatened flora and fauna within New Zealand. (Full article...
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Selected article 23

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All Blacks
.

Gallaher played 26 representative matches for Auckland, including the first ever

Originals
" tour in which he played 26 matches including 4 tests. Gallaher proved to be an outstanding leader and one of the deepest thinkers of the game in his era.

Gallaher fought in the

New Zealand Contingents of Mounted Rifles. Although exempt from conscription due to his age, Gallaher also volunteered to fight in World War I, and apparently altered his date of birth to 31/10/76 or 31 October 1876 (see link to NZEF form below). He saw action at Ypres, and was killed during the Passchendaele offensive on 4 October 1917. He is buried at Nine Elms Cemetery, Poperinge, where his gravestone bears the silver fern. (Full article...
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The Pleiades star cluster, known to the Māori as Matariki
The Pleiades star cluster, known to the Māori as Matariki
In
Pleiades star cluster, which was important for agriculture
in establishing the correct time to plant crops. There are two explanations of the name Matariki: firstly, mata-riki (small eyes) or mata-ariki (Eyes of God). The constellation is also believed to have been used by navigators.

Matariki has three hundred stars in total but you can see only seven in the night sky with the naked eye.

The first rising of the Pleiades and of Rigel (Puanga in Māori) occurs just prior to sunrise in late May or early June, and this indicates that the old year has ended and the new year has begun. The actual time for celebrating Matariki varies, depending on the iwi (tribe or clan). Some iwi celebrate it immediately. Others wait until the rising of the next full moon, or alternatively the dawn of the next new moon. It has become common practice for various private and public institutions to celebrate Matariki over the period of a week or month anywhere from early June to late July. Other iwi used the rising of Rigel in a similar way.

In traditional times, Matariki was a season to celebrate and to prepare the ground for the coming year. Offerings of the produce of the land were made to the

birds and fish were especially easy to harvest at this time. (Full article...
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Ladyhawke in Perth, 2009
Ladyhawke in Perth, 2009
Phillipa "Pip" Brown (born in July 1979) better known by her stage name Ladyhawke, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She was formerly a part of the Wellington-based band Two Lane Blacktop, named for the 1971 road movie of the same name. Before assuming the name Ladyhawke, she formed the band Teenager with Nick Littlemore of Pnau and Empire of the Sun. Ladyhawke named herself after the 1985 Richard Donner film Ladyhawke. Ladyhawke is best known for her hit singles "Paris Is Burning" and "My Delirium". Her self-titled debut album was released on Modular Recordingsin September 2008. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, Ladyhawke won for Best Breakthrough single and album.

Elly Jackson's synth duo La Roux. (Full article...
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The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the Shield in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield.

The Shield is currently held by

Auckland in Round 8 of the Round Robin in the 2008 Air New Zealand Cup
.

Although the professional era of rugby has seen competitions such as the

Super Rugby detracting from the pre-eminence of the Ranfurly Shield, many still regard it as the greatest prize in New Zealand rugby, thanks to its long history, the fact that every challenge is a sudden-death defence of the Shield, and that any team, no matter how lowly, has a chance to win. (Full article...
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Maungatautari morning scene
Maungatautari morning scene
The
Maungatautari Restoration Project is the largest ecological restoration project in New Zealand, located near Cambridge in the Waikato region in the central North Island
of New Zealand.

The project is engineered to remove all non-native pest mammals and predators and restore endangered native flora and fauna to Maungatautari. There is no intention to restrict all introduced birds, but efforts will be made to control non-native wasps.

It includes private land and a government-owned scenic reserve administered by Waipa District Council. It is a community project under the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust. (

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[[File:|140px| ]]
Silver Ferns
, currently ranked second in the world, netball maintains a high profile in New Zealand. As in other netball-playing countries, netball is considered primarily a women's sport; men's and mixed teams exist at different levels, but are ancillary to women's competition.

In 2008, 138,000 players were registered with Netball New Zealand, the governing body for organised netball in the country. Organised competition ranges from interschool and local club netball to premier domestic competitions such as the ANZ Championship, with the pinnacle for netball players in New Zealand being selection for the national team. (Full article...)

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The
nuclear test in Moruroa
.

willful damage, and murder. As part of a plea bargain, they pleaded guilty to manslaughter
and were sentenced to ten years, of which they served just over two.

The scandal resulted in the resignation of the French Defence Minister Charles Hernu, and the subject remained controversial. It was twenty years afterwards that the personal responsibility of French President François Mitterrand was admitted. (Full article...)

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KStJ (11 February 1904 - 8 December 1983) was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party prime minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7 February 1972. He was appointed as governor-general in 1977 and served until 1980. Before becoming National Party leader, Holyoake served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, under Sidney Holland
.

Holyoake was the third longest-serving New Zealand prime minister (just under 12 years), surpassed only by Richard Seddon's 13 years and William Massey's close to 13 years; he was also the first to be born in the 20th century. He was known for his diplomatic style and "plummy" voice. He was also fondly (or mockingly) known as Kiwi Keith, a name given to him in childhood to distinguish him from an Australian child with the same name. (Full article...)

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House carving showing Kupe (holding a paddle), with two sea creatures at his feet
House carving showing Kupe (holding a paddle), with two sea creatures at his feet
In the Māori mythology of some tribes, Kupe was involved in the Polynesian discovery of New Zealand.

According to one tradition (Craig 1989:127), Kupe was a great chief of

Kuramarotini, with whom he fled in her great canoe Matahourua. During their subsequent journeys, they overcame numerous monsters and sea demons, including the great octopus named as Te Wheke-a-Muturangi
, and discovered New Zealand. Returning to Hawaiki, Kupe told of his adventures and convinced others to migrate with him. Traditions about Kupe appear among the peoples of the following areas: Northland, Ngāti Kahungunu, Tainui, Whanganui-Taranaki, Rangitāne, and the South Island.

A.H. Reed wrote that "When Kupe, the first discoverer of New Zealand,first came in sight of the land,his wife cried,'He ao! He ao!" (a cloud! a cloud!). Great Barrier Island was therefore named Aotea (white cloud), and the long mainland Aotearoa (long white cloud). When Kupe finally returned to his homeland his people asked him why he did not call the newly discovered country after his fatherland. He replied, 'I preferred the warm breast to the cold one, the new land to the old land long forsaken'." (Full article...)

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Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
. The name is often shortened to Taumata by the locals for ease of conversation.

It is featured in a Mountain Dew jingle and it is also in the 1979 single "Lone Ranger" by British band Quantum Jump. It is the subject of a 1960 song by the New Zealand balladeer Peter Cape[1], as well as Hardcore DJ's Darkraver and DJ Vince in the song 'Thunderground'.

The name of this hill translates roughly as

At 85 letters, it has been listed in the

longest place names in the world. (Full article...
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The
Nestoridae) found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand
. The Kea is one of the few alpine parrots in the world, and includes carrion in an omnivorous diet consisting mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar and insects. Now uncommon, the Kea was once killed for bounty as it preyed on livestock, especially sheep. It only received full protection in 1986.

Kea are legendary for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective.

Most people only encounter wild Kea at South Island ski areas. Kea are attracted by the prospect of food scraps. Often described as "cheeky", Keas' curiosity leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items of clothing, or to pry apart rubber parts of cars - to the entertainment and annoyance of human observers. In 2009, a Scottish tourist reported that a Kea stole his passport while he was visiting the Fiordland National Park. (Full article...)

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Sir
John Walker, KNZM, CBE, (born January 12, 1952 in Papakura
) is a former middle distance runner from New Zealand.

Walker is best known for being the first human being to run the mile in under 3:50 minutes, posting a time of 3:49.4, breaking the existing world record by over 1.5 seconds. This was a full 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister's historic sub-Four-Minute Mile of 3:59.4 that was run twenty-one years previous. He was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News the same year.

The following year, 1976, Walker won the Olympic Games 1500 metres in Montreal, with a time of 3:39.17. Walker also broke the world record for the 2000 metres, running 4:51.4 minutes in

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Te Whanganui-A-Hei (Cathedral Cove) was the first marine reserve established on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand, in the Department of Conservation's Waikato
Conservancy. It was established in 1992 to preseve the marine habitats found between and around Motukorure, Moturoa, Motueka and Mahurangi Islands.

The Māori name Te Whanganui-A-Hei (the Great Bay of Hei) refers to Hei, a tohunga from the Te Arawa waka. According to tradition, Hei chose the area around Mercury Bay as home for his tribe, proclaiming ownership by calling Motueka Island "Te Kuraetanga-o-taku-Ihu" (the outward curve of my nose.)

Cathedral Cove is named after the cave located there linking Mare’s Leg Cove to Cathedral Cove. Gemstone Bay and Stingray Bay are also located within the reserve. The area is very popular with tourists, and receives around 150,000 visitors a year. The cave and beach was used as the tunnel through which the

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The
Pōhutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red flowers made up of a mass of stamens. The Pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand
.

The tree grows up to 20 metres (66 ft) in height, with a dome-like spreading form. Its natural range is the coastal regions of the

Rangitoto
, a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf.

The Pōhutukawa flowers from November to January with a peak in mid to late December (the

southern hemisphere summer), with brilliant crimson flowers covering the tree, hence the nickname New Zealand Christmas Tree. (Full article...
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The Catlins (sometimes referred to as The Catlins Coast) comprises an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions. It includes the South Island's southernmost point, Slope Point.

The Catlins, a rugged, sparsely populated area, features a scenic coastal landscape and dense

temperate rainforest, both of which harbour many endangered species
of birds. Its exposed location leads to its frequently wild weather and heavy ocean swells, which are an attraction to big-wave surfers.

Ecotourism has become of growing importance in the Catlins economy, which otherwise relies heavily on dairy farming and fishing. The region's early whaling and forestry industries have long since died away, along with the coastal shipping that led to several tragic shipwrecks. Only some 1,200 people now live in the area, many of them in the settlement of Owaka. (Full article...)

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In Māori mythology, Māui is a culture hero famous for his exploits and his trickery. Cast into the sea by his mother Taranga, Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga (or Māui of the topknot of Taranga) was rescued by ocean spirits and raised by his divine ancestor, Tama-nui-ki-te-rangi (Rangi).

Māui emerged from the sea and found his four brothers, Māui-taha, Māui-roto, Māui-pae, and Māui-waho. Māui's brothers at first are wary of the new-comer but, after he performs several feats such as transforming himself into different kinds of birds, they acknowledge his power and admire him.

With the help of his brothers, Māui netted the Sun and beat him severely with a jaw-bone club until the Sun promised to go slower in future, because the days were getting too short for people to get their work done.

Later, Māui took his brothers fishing, this time using the jaw-bone as a fish-hook. Māui, using blood from his nose for bait, hauled a great fish up from the depths, which became the North Island of New Zealand, or Te Ika-a-Māui (The Fish of Māui).

When the people need to recover the lost secret of fire, it is up to Māui to face Mahuika the Fire-goddess. He succeeds through trickery, infuriating the goddess, and he barely escapes with his life. (Full article...)

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Katherine Wilson Sheppard (10 March 1847 – 13 July 1934) was the most prominent member of New Zealand's women's suffrage movement, and is the country's most famous suffragette. Because New Zealand was the first country to introduce universal suffrage, Sheppard's work had a considerable impact on women's suffrage movements in other countries.

Sheppard's interest in women's suffrage went beyond practical considerations regarding temperance: her views were made well known, summed up with her statement:

Sheppard was a powerful speaker and a skilled organiser, and quickly built support for her cause. (Full article...)

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The
rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island
.

Traditionally,

Maori used the Milford Track for gathering and transporting valuable greenstone
. Sutherland and Mackay were the first European explorers to see Mackay Falls and Sutherland Falls, in 1880.

With Milford Sound never exploited by industrial or agricultural interests, most visitors and investors from early on decided that tourism was to be the main draw to the sound, and the Milford Track was established to a large degree to provide a tourism function for guided treks.

The track spans a distance of 53.5 km starting at the head of Lake Te Anau and finishing at Milford Sound at Sandfly Point. It traverses rainforests, wetlands, and dramatic alpine passes.

As a popular route, it is well maintained by the

Department of Conservation and is one of the nine Great Walks. (Full article...
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Team New Zealand (yachting:TNZ) is an America's Cup sailing team which is based in Auckland. The team officially represents the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and they have become a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the America's Cup in 1995 and 2000.

In 1987, the nation was captivated by

Fremantle, but finally beaten by the American Dennis Conner. The following year, Michael Fay built and raced a gigantic monohull called KZ1
(or the Big Boat) but was outclassed by Conner's catamaran.

In 1995 TNZ stunned the world, beating Team Dennis Conner 5-0 off the coast of

Sir Peter Blake. Coining the famous phrase by sailing commentator Peter Montgomery
, "The America's Cup is now New Zealand's cup!".

The 2000 challenge was held on

Luna Rossa) 5-0. Team New Zealand's eight-year reign ended after they were defeated 5-0 by Swiss-based challenger Alinghi in 2003. (Full article...
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The
McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
aircraft and began in February 1977.

The flight was specifically designed and marketed as a unique sight-seeing experience, carrying an experienced Antarctic guide who would point out scenic features and landmarks using the aircraft public address system.

On November 28, 1979, at 12:49pm

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The Clyde Dam, a "Think Big" project.
The Clyde Dam, a "Think Big" project.
petrol
.

The core 'Think Big' projects included the construction of the

Whangarei, and the building of a stand-alone plant at Waitara to produce methanol for export. Motunui converted natural gas from the off-shore Maui field to methanol, which it then converted to petrol on-site. Declining oil prices rendered this process uneconomic and New Zealand abandoned the manufacture of synthetic petrol. The construction of the Clyde Dam on the Clutha River formed part of a scheme to generate electricity for smelting aluminium
.

The New Zealand economy probably benefited from economic activity during the construction period, but the basic justification for the projects, a permanently higher oil-price, did not happen. Oil prices subsequently dropped in real terms. (Full article...)

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Helen Clark at the opening of Waikato River Trail at Whakamaru, 2007
Helen Clark at the opening of Waikato River Trail at Whakamaru, 2007
Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was New Zealand's fifth-longest-serving prime minister, and the second woman to hold that office. Clark led the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand for three consecutive terms.

Before taking leadership of the Labour Party, Clark had held portfolios in Health, Housing, Conservation, Labour, and served as Deputy Prime Minister. She also had ministerial responsibility for the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and for Ministerial Services. Her particular interests included social policy and international affairs.

Before resigning from Parliament in April 2009, Clark was Labour's foreign affairs spokeswoman and MP for the Mount Albert electorate which she had held since 1981. Forbes magazine ranked her the 20th most powerful woman in the world in 2006. (Full article...)

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Herbert James 'Burt' Munro (25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under-1000cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967. This record still stands today. Burt Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year old machine when he set his last record.

Working from his home in

Indian motorcycle which he had bought in 1920. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He travelled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats, attempting to set world speed records. During his ten visits to the salt flats, he set three speed records, one of which still stands today. His efforts, and success, are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed (Full article...
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Possibly the best-known building in the southern half of
Dunedin Railway Station
 is a jewel in the country's architectural crown.

Designed by George Troup, the station is the fourth building to have served as Dunedin's railway station. It earned its architect the nickname of "Gingerbread George".

In Flemish style, it is constructed from local dark basalt rock capped with lighter Oamaru stone, giving it the distinctive light and dark pattern common to many of the more stately buildings of Dunedin and Christchurch. The booking hall features a mosaic floor of almost 750,000 tiles of Royal Doulton porcelain. Its main platform is the country's longest, being one kilometre in length. It was opened in 1906 by Prime Minister Joseph Ward. A thorough refurbishment of the exterior took place in the late 1990s, accompanied by the landscaping of the gardens outside the entrance, in Anzac Square.

With the decrease in passenger rail traffic, the station now serves more functions that the one for which it was originally designed. It is still the city's railway station, catering for the

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Pavlova is a meringue dessert named after the ballet dancer, Anna Pavlova
. It is crispy on the outside but light and fluffy inside.

Some sources say the recipe originated in New Zealand, while others claim it was invented in Australia. However, like the Anzac biscuit, the earliest known books containing the recipe were published in New Zealand.

Professor Helen Leach, a culinary anthropologist at

Otago University in New Zealand found a pavlova recipe in a 1933 Rangiora
Mothers' Union cookery book. Professor Leach also has an even earlier copy of the pavlova recipe from a 1929 rural New Zealand magazine.

Keith Money, a biographer of Anna Pavlova, wrote that a chef at a hotel in Wellington, New Zealand, created the dish when Pavlova visited there in 1926 on her world tour.

The claim that it was an Australian invention states that the pavlova is based on a

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Leptospermum scoparium foliage and flowers
Leptospermum scoparium foliage and flowers
Victoria and New South Wales
.

Manuka (from

Captain Cook used the leaves to make a tea drink. (Full article...
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The
Sphenodontians who flourished around 200 million years ago, and are in the genus Sphenodon. Tuatara resemble lizards, but are equally related to lizards and snakes, both of which are classified as Squamata, the closest living relatives of tuatara. For this reason, tuatara are of great interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids (the group that additionally includes birds and crocodiles). (Full article...
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Scott Base is a research facility located in Antarctica and operated by New Zealand. It was named after Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Royal Navy, leader of two British expeditions to the Ross Sea area of Antarctica. Located on Ross Island near Mount Erebus in the Ross Dependency, it is New Zealand's only base in Antarctica. It was set up as support for field research and the centre for research into earth sciences, but now conducts research in many fields.

Scott Base participates in ANDRILL, investigating Antarctica's impact on global ocean currents and climate over the past 65 million years, by retrieving ice and rock samples representing ancient geologic time. Scott Base is administered by Antarctica New Zealand, as part of their efforts to "support scientific research, conserve the intrinsic values of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and raise public awareness of the international significance of the continent."

New Zealand also co-operates with the US

Christchurch International Airport as a staging point for McMurdo Station. (Full article...
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West Coast town of Ross was named after him during his lifetime. (Full article...
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Damaged Catholic cathedral two months after the earthquake

A major earthquake occurred in

Canterbury region in the South Island, centred 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) south-east of the central business district. It caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people in New Zealand's fifth-deadliest disaster
.

Christchurch's central city and eastern suburbs were badly affected, with damage to buildings and infrastructure already weakened by the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of 4 September 2010 and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only lasted for approximately 10 seconds, the damage was severe because of the location and shallowness of the earthquake's focus in relation to Christchurch as well as previous quake damage. Subsequent population loss saw the Christchurch main urban area fall behind the Wellington equivalent, to decrease from second- to third-most populous area in New Zealand. Adjusted for inflation, the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes caused over $44.8 billion in damages, making it New Zealand's costliest natural disaster and the 21st-most-expensive disaster in history. (Full article...)

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Lorde in 2022

Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde (/lɔːrd/ LORD), is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is known for her unconventional style of pop music, and introspective songwriting.

Lorde expressed interest in performing at local venues in her early teens. She signed with

the soundtrack for the 2014 film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and recorded several tracks, including the single "Yellow Flicker Beat". (Full article...
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The current week is :
Week 18.

Use the template {{Selected article}} to add pages.

For previous selected articles, pictures and DYK?, see Portal:New Zealand/Previously_featured.

  1. ^ New Zealand Folk Song: Peter Cape
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