The untouched wonder and beauty of nature in New Zealand, a country made up of two large islands that lie in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is enough to make you forget the fatigue caused by the 26 hours of air travel it takes to get here.
There is a very small population of ethnic Turks in New Zealand -- 670, to be exact, according to figures provided by the Turkish Embassy here. But unlike in some European countries, Turks are treated with great respect here. History brought Turkey and New Zealand face to face through the Battle of Gallipoli, and now these two nations are great friends. New Zealand does not charge any fees for visas from Turkish citizens and in fact, the whole visa process to enter New Zealand is much easier than that of many European countries.
There is a palpable respect for humanity present in New Zealand, and this is reflected on the smiling faces of the population here. People you don't even know greet you on the street as you walk around here; don't be surprised if someone you've never seen before in your life asks you how you are. Because, after all, this is New Zealand. It is a developed and modern country. Freeways and inner-city telephones are free. And outside of Auckland, running water from city water systems is also free. The weather here is also great, whether winter or summer. In the winter, the temperature doesn't dip below 13 centigrade, and in the summer, it doesn't get above 28 centigrade.
Despite the fact that New Zealand, like Turkey, imports its gasoline, prices here are only half that in Turkey. One liter of gas in New Zealand goes for less than TL 1.50. And kerosene is only around TL 1. In short, New Zealanders fill up their tanks for half of what Turks do. In addition, taxes on cars are also much lower in New Zealand than in Turkey. And, as in England, traffic flows on the left here, with steering wheels on the right side of the car. Traffic rules here are followed closely and carefully. As a result, deadly car accidents are very rare. The fine for not wearing your seatbelt in New Zealand is NZ$ 160. What's more, all passengers in the car, including those sitting in the back, are required to wear seatbelts. When there is a fine given for not wearing your seatbelt, it is paid not by the driver of the car, but by the person who wasn't wearing the seatbelt.
In New Zealand schools, there is always a masjid (small mosque) for Muslim students, whether the school is state or private. Headscarved female students are allowed to attend school without any problems, no matter whether it is a state school or not.
At this point, it is estimated that there are around 16 million people with New Zealand passports in the world and some 2 million New Zealand citizens work in Australia these days.
One of the first non-native New Zealanders to come to these lands was the Dutch Abel Tasman. In 1769, the British Captain Cook arrived, and after that, a rapid swell of British immigration began. By the year 1840, New Zealand had become a British colony. But in 1907, New Zealand gained its independence from Britain, though the British queen remains the head of state. And in fact, in order to become a New Zealand citizen, the oath people are required to take talks of “remaining faithful to the queen.”
There is a governor-general in New Zealand who represents the queen, as is also the case in Australia, Canada and Papua New Guinea. This governor-general's position is actually higher than that of the nation's prime minister and it is in fact the governor-general who appoints the prime minister.
Auckland, established 170 years ago, is New Zealand's largest and most crowded city, with a population of around 1.5 million. It is a port city, very attractively designed and orderly. Other than the skyscrapers you see in downtown, this city is generally composed of smaller one and two-story homes. This, of course, means the city is spread out over a generous amount of space, with city residents living mostly in homes with gardens.
There are around 50 volcanoes in Auckland. Once upon a time they were all active, but now the opposite is the case. One of the symbols of Auckland is a bridge called the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Sprinkled around the harbor in Auckland are yachts, seemingly everywhere. Interestingly, Auckland has the highest proportion of yachts to people anywhere in the world. Another notable spot in Auckland is the Sky Tower, from which you can look out on the city's silhouette and see in every direction. The Sky Tower, at 324 meters, is even higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Those who want to try bungee jumping from the Sky Tower are also allowed to if they wish. New Zealand is known by many as the motherland of the sport of bungee jumping, and as a result, you can see bungee jumpers almost everywhere you go. As long as you follow all the rules involved, you can find yourself bungee jumping with everyone else, usually for a price of around NZ$ 260. When you finally do make the jump, known that you will be falling at around 85 kilometers per hour, though later on during the jump, this speed drops. This is definitely something for people addicted to adrenaline, and you should also know that many bungee jumping experiences promise a certificate afterwards for those brave enough to try it.
For those not as interested in bungee jumping from the Sky Tower as they are simply looking out on the views below, there is a café and restaurant at the very top. In fact, these are open day and night and attract unending crowds of tourists.
The shorelines of New Zealand are quite windy. One of the most interesting aspects of these shorelines is the gannet birds you will see along the sands. These birds live in flocks and are able to dive into the water at speeds of 145 kilometers per hour, making them great fishers.
In the middle of one Auckland park, there is a memorial to the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) built out of stones brought from Turkey. The names of all New Zealanders who fought and died in the Battle of Gallipoli are written at the city's War Memorial Museum. One small section of the museum holds items from Ottoman soldiers on display.
This same museum also features lots of information about the Maoris and Maori culture. There are shows at various times during the day of special Maori dances and cultural events; there is the famous haka dance, the Maori war dance. This dance is famous now because the New Zealand national rugby team performs it before every match. The aim of the dance is to scare the enemy. Some of the unchanging features of the haka dance are the tough moves, sticking out the tongue, hitting the chest and knees with your hands and making your eyes look larger.
Educational opportunities are quite rich in New Zealand, and in fact, there are students from all around the world who come here to study. New Zealand's universities are considered some of the best in the world. A typical university education here lasts three years, and students on visas are given an extra year by the state to look for jobs.
Maori war dancers
Gannet birds
The Anzac memorial
[QUICK FACTS]
Capital: Wellington
Official language: English, Maori, Sign Language
Government: Parliamentary democracy and a Commonwealth realm
Prime minister: John Key
Area: 268,680 square kilometers
Population: 4,213,418*
GDP (PPP): $27,900**
Main religions: Anglican (14.9 percent) Roman Catholic (12.4 percent), Presbyterian (10.9 percent), unspecified (17.2 percent), none (26 percent), other (18.6 percent)
*July 2009 estimate **2008 estimate
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