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New Zealand is a country of rare seismic beauty: glacial mountains, fast-flowing rivers, deep, clear lakes, hissing geysers and boiling mud.  There are also abundant forest reserves, long, deserted beaches and a variety of fauna, such as the kiwi, endemic to its shores. Any number of vigorous outdoor activities - hiking, skiing, rafting and, of course, that perennial favorite, bungee jumping - await the adventurous. You can swim with dolphins, gambol with newborn lambs, whalewatch or fish for fattened trout in the many streams.  The people, bound in a culture that melds European with Maori ancestry, are resourceful, helpful and overwhelmingly friendly.  The extraordinary place names - try Te Awamutu, Whangamomona or Paekakariki for tongue-trippers - are resonant and, with a modicum of practice, easy to pronounce.

Because it's such a compact place, travel within New Zealand - whether by plane, bus, rail, car or campervan - is affordable and efficient.  Accommodation too is cheap and varied.  The culinary promise of venison, fresh seafood, sublime ice cream and award-winning wines should more than whet the appetite.

New Zealand is a Mecca for thrill seekers and anyone interested in wide open spaces and physical activities.  Above the ground you can go bungy jumping, parachuting, skydiving, abseiling and flying; on the ground you can go tramping, mountain bike riding, skiing, horse riding, rock climbing, and 'zorbing'; underground you can go surface caving, cave rafting, and hydro sliding; and on the water you can go jet-boarding, white-water sledging, rafting, boogey boarding, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, surf-rafting, and scuba diving.  If there is a difficult and challenging way to get from one point to another you can do it somewhere, somehow, in New Zealand.

Despite the number of off-beat activities available, the most popular one is still tramping (Kiwi lingo for hiking or trekking). Thousands of kilometres of marked tracks and an efficient network of trampers' huts make it a viable activity for everyone from experienced hikers to country strollers.  Be warned that some of the more popular tracks such as the Great Walks will be fairly crowded, especially in summer, so if you prefer solitude contact the nearest Department of Conservation for further information on tramping in their area.

New Zealand is also one of the most popular destinations in the southern hemisphere for skiing and other winter sports because of its reliable and abundant snowfall.  This usually occurs between June and October. There are a number of ski-package tours available and a variety of ski resorts scattered throughout both the north and south islands.

The Polynesian navigator Kupe has been credited with the discovery of New Zealand in 950 AD. He named it Aotearoa (Land of the Long White Cloud). Centuries later, around 1350 AD, a great migration of people from Kupe's homeland of Hawaiki followed his navigational instructions and sailed to New Zealand, eventually supplanting or mixing with previous residents. Their culture, developed over centuries without any discernible outside influence, was hierarchical and often sanguinary.

In 1642, the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman briefly sailed along the west coast of New Zealand; any thoughts of a longer stay were thwarted when his attempt to land resulted in several of his crew being killed and eaten.  In 1769, Captain James Cook circumnavigated the two main islands aboard the Endeavor. Initial contact with the Maoris also proved violent but Cook, impressed with the Maoris' bravery and spirit and recognizing the potential of this newfound land, grabbed it for the British crown before setting sail for Australia.

When the British began their antipodean colonizing, New Zealand was originally seen as an offshoot of Australian enterprise in whaling and sealing: in fact, from 1839 to 1841 the country was under the jurisdiction of New South Wales. However, increased European settlement soon proved problematic: a policy was urgently required regarding land deals between the settlers (Pakeha) and the Maori.  In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed, with the Maori ceding sovereignty of their country to Britain in exchange for protection and guaranteed possession of their lands.  But relations between the Maori and Pakeha soon soured (the Maoris became increasingly alarmed at the effect the Pakeha had on their society while the Pakeha rode roughshod over Maori rights outlined in the treaty). In 1860, war broke out between them, continuing for much of the decade.  The fighting eventually died down, and though there was no formal resolution, the Pakehas claimed victory.

By the late 19th century, things had temporarily calmed down.  The discovery of gold had engendered much prosperity, and wide-scale sheep farming meant New Zealand became an efficient and mostly self-reliant country. Sweeping social changes - women's suffrage, social security, the encouragement of trade unions and the introduction of child care services - cemented New Zealand's reputation as a country committed to egalitarian reform.

New Zealand was given dominion status in the British Empire in 1907 and granted autonomy by Britain in 1931; independence, however, was not formally proclaimed until 1947.  The economy continued to prosper until the worldwide recession in the 1980s, when unemployment rose dramatically.  Today the economy has stabilized, thanks largely to an export-driven recovery. Internationally, New Zealand was hailed during the mid-1980s for its anti-nuclear stance - even though it meant a falling-out with the USA - and its opposition to French nuclear testing in the Pacific (which France countered, to much opprobrium but little penalty, by blowing up the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior as it sat in Auckland Harbor).

The Maori population is now increasing faster than the Pakeha and a resurgence in Maoritanga (Maori culture) has had a major and lasting impact on New Zealand society. Culturally, the most heartening aspect had been the mending of relations between the Maori and Pakeha (in 1985, the Treaty of Waitangi was overhauled, leading to financial reparations to a number of Maori tribes whose land had been unjustly confiscated). However, a recent clumsy take-it-or-leave-it attempt by the New Zealand government to offer financial reparations has resulted in an upsurge of militant Maori protests.  Maoris have disrupted events, occupied land claim areas, set up roadblocks, introduced a sledgehammer to the America's Cup and threatened to blow-up the New Zealand parliament.  The disharmony has shocked New Zealanders and placed national conciliation at the top of the political agenda.  While race relations are once again stable, the issue remains of crucial importance.

The dominant cultural groups are the Pakeha and the Maori. Other smaller groups include Yugoslavian Dalmatians, Polynesians, Indians and Chinese.  A common thread that binds the entire population is its love of sport - especially the national game of rugby union - and outdoor pursuits such as sailing, swimming, cycling, hiking and camping. The secular aside, Christianity is the most common religion, with Anglicanism, Presbyterianism and Catholicism the largest denominations.  An interesting religious variation is the synthesis of the Maori Ratana and Ringatu faiths with Christianity.

English and Maori are the two official languages.  English is more widely spoken, though the Maori language, for so long on the decline, is now making a comeback thanks to the revival of Maoritanga.  A mellifluous, poetic language, Maori is surprisingly easy to pronounce if spoken phonetically and each word split into separate syllables.

New Zealand art is multifarious, valuing innovation, integrity and craftsmanship that reflects Pakeha, Maori and Melanesian heritage. Wood, stone, shell and bone carvings are readily available while larger works such as tukutuku (wood paneling) can be seen in most maraes (meeting houses). Paua shell, greenstone, greywacke and greenwacke pebbles are often fashioned into jewelry that takes its inspiration from the landscape: earrings shaped like the leaves of a gingko tree; sunglasses modeled on native fern tendrils; and necklaces in frangipani-flower designs.  There is a lively theatre scene in the country, especially in Wellington, and a number of galleries, including the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which is the oldest viewing room in New Zealand and one of its best. The music scene is vigorous and has spawned a pool of talent, from Split Enz and Crowded House to the thrashing guitar pyrotechnics of Dunedin's 3Ds and Straitjacket Fits, lauded locally and overseas.