New Zealand Nature

Orginally, 80% of New Zealand's land area was forested. Today, about 23% remains and one of New Zealand's major attractions is this large amount of wilderness which is home to many unique plants and animals.

New Zealand Wildlife

Kiwi
New Zealand’s national symbol is a nocturnal flightless bird with nostrils on the end of its large beak. It is now endangered, and difficult to see in the wild. However, there are a number of ‘kiwi houses’ at zoos and wildlife parks. While they may look cute, kiwi can be fierce and highly territorial. Want to learn some more about the Kiwi click here!

Tui
You might be familiar with this name if you've read through the ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND website. The Tui is the name we gave to one of our trips, it's also the name of a New Zealand bird.

Moa
New Zealand’s moa was the only wingless bird ever known. The giant moa, one of eleven species of moa, was also the tallest known, standing up to 3 metres (9 feet). Many moa bones and skeletons have been found in small caves which the hapless moa fell into. Maori hunted moa, and it is believed the birds became extinct around 400 years ago.

Other Birds
Other well-known New Zealand native birds include the kea (native parrot), weka, takahe, tui, and morepork owl. The playful kea is one of the most intelligent birds in the world and will happily attack a car in order to steal a windscreen wiper or other bits of rubber! The loveable weka is a flightless bird with a penchant for shiny objects, while the takahe has a beautiful indigo plumage and bright red beak. The takahe was believed to be extinct until it was sensationally ‘rediscovered’ in 1948 by New Zealand ornithologist Dr G.B. Orbell. Like many of New Zealand’s native birds, the tui has a beautiful song, and a white ‘parson’s collar’. The morepork owl is so named because of the sound of its call, often heard at night. Its Maori name, ruru, is also named after its call.

The tuatara is a unique relic of the past — the only beak-headed reptile left in the world. Every species of this reptile family, except the tuatara, died out around 65 million years ago. Tuatara can live for over 100 years, and were once found throughout New Zealand. Now they are only found on protected offshore islands - around 30,000 live on Stephens Island in the Marlborough Sounds. Only growing up to 24cm in length, tuatara are not a threat to humans.

New Zealand has abundant and diverse marine life, and whale watching and swimming with dolphins are two of New Zealand’s most highly recommended tourist experiences. The small (up to 1.4m) Hector’s dolphin is the world’s rarest dolphin and only found in New Zealand waters. There are a number of spots in the South Island where you can see Hector’s dolphins close up.

New Zealand Flora

Rimu Tree
One of our most popular trips and also a native New Zealand tree! Although Rimu grows throughout New Zealand, harvesting is now concentrated predominantly on the West Coast of the South Island. Harvesting of this resource in now done by helicopter which preserves the forest in its natural state. A slow growing tree that we have in abundance on our property! Perhaps one only would be better as a graceful specimen tree (for 3 or 4 decades!). It has long drooping flexible branches with bright olive green, tiny cypress-like foliage. Ultimately this tree will reach at least 6 metres. Rimu is a fine, even textured, medium density softwood. Seasoned heartwood is usually a rich red-brown colour with hues of golden yellow. It has a pigmented figure which produces an attractive finishing timber. The intermediate zone is a varied light brown colour giving rise to interesting shadings of colour and grain. The sapwood has a lighter brown tone and is generally even in colour.

Kauri Tree
Another of our trips is named after this famous New Zealand tree. The kauri tree, Agathis australis, is New Zealand's largest and most famous native tree. It is a type of conifer or pine tree which grows in the subtropical northern part of the North Island. Kauri forest has a characteristic dense luxuriant undergrowth with under-storeys of small trees, shrubs, ferns, mosses, lichens, epiphytes and lianes. Associated podocarps are rimu, miro, totara, toatoa and tanekaha. Associated hardwoods are tawa and taraire. Ancestors of the kauri first appeared in the Jurassic Period 190 - 135 million years ago. The kauri -podocarp - hardwood forests are among the most ancient in the world.

The largest kauri in existence is Tane Mahuta (Maori for "Lord of the Forest"). It is 4.4 metres in diameter and 17.7 metres to the first branch. The museum has displays showing even larger trees which were growing in the past.

As a young tree the kauri has a narrow conical shape with branches along the length of the trunk. As it gains height the lower branches are shed. Eventually the top branches develop into a massive spreading crown which stands out above the other trees and dominates the forest. The trunk steadily grows outwards and forms a huge column with no branches. The bark is shed in thick flakes of varying size. This helps to keep the tree free of epiphytes.
Reproduction is with male and female cones on the same tree. Fertilisation of seeds can occur with pollen from the same or different trees. The female cones take two years to mature. Winged seeds are dispersed by the wind when cones disintegrate. The oldest tree is estimated to be 2000 years old. This is Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) in Waipoua Forest. Larger trees from the past were even older.

New Zealand Climate

Land of the Long White Cloud
Since the Maori people named New Zealand ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’, climate has been of paramount importance to the people of New Zealand — many of whom make their living from the land. New Zealand has mild temperatures, moderately high rainfall, and many hours of sunshine throughout most of the country. Its climate is dominated by two main geographical features — the mountains and the sea. [ More about Mountains]

Temperature
New Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far north has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as —10°C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.

Because New Zealand lies in the Southern Hemisphere, the average temperature decreases as you travel south. The far north of the country has an average temperature of about 15°C, while the deep south has a cooler 9°C average. January and February are the warmest months of the year, and July is the coldest.

Four Seasons in One Day
New Zealand does not have a large temperature range, lacking the extremes one finds in most continental climates. However, the weather can change unexpectedly — as cold fronts or tropical cyclones quickly blow in. Because of this, you should be prepared for sudden changes in weather and temperature if you’re going hiking or doing other outdoor activities.

Sunshine
Most places in New Zealand receive over 2000 hours of sunshine a year, with the sunniest areas — Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Nelson/Marlborough — receiving over 2350 hours. As New Zealand observes daylight saving, during summer months daylight can last up until 9.00pm. New Zealand experiences relatively little air pollution compared to many other countries, which makes the UV rays in our sunlight very strong during the summer months. In order to avoid sunburn, visitors should wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats when they are in direct summer sunlight, especially in the heat of the day (11am — 4pm). While summer is sunnier than the other seasons, most regions in New Zealand have a relatively high proportion of sunlight during the winter months.
The highest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was 42°C, in Marlborough, Christchurch, and Rangiora (in Canterbury). The lowest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand was —22°C at Ophir, Central Otago.

Rainfall
New Zealand’s average rainfall is high — between 640mm and 1500mm — and evenly spread throughout the year. As well as producing areas of stunning native forest, this high rainfall makes New Zealand an ideal place for farming and horticulture.

Spring
Spring lasts from September to November, and New Zealand’s spring weather can range from cold and frosty to warm and hot. During spring buds, blossoms, and other new growth bursts forth throughout the country and new born lambs frolic in the fields just before dusk.. Both Alexandra in Central Otago and Hastings in Hawke’s Bay celebrate spring with a blossom festival. If you’re into white water rafting, this is the time when melting spring snow makes river water levels excitingly high!

Summer
New Zealand’s summer months are December to February, bringing high temperatures and sunshine. Days are long and sunny, nights are mild. Summer is an excellent time for walking in the bush and a variety of other outdoor activities. New Zealand’s many gorgeous beaches are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, surfing, boating, and water sports during summer.

Autumn
March to May are New Zealand’s autumn months. While temperatures are a little cooler than summer, the weather can be excellent, and it is possible to swim in some places until April. While New Zealand’s native fauna is evergreen, there are many introduced deciduous trees. Colourful changing leaves make autumn a scenic delight, especially in regions such as Central Otago and Hawke’s Bay, which are known for their autumn splendour.

Winter
New Zealand’s winter months of June to August bring colder weather to much of the country, and more rain to most areas in the North Island. Mountain ranges in both islands become snow-covered, providing beautiful vistas and excellent skiing. While the South Island has cooler winter temperatures, some areas of the island experience little rainfall in winter, so this is an excellent time to visit glaciers, mountains, and other areas of scenic beauty.