Why New Zealand?

New Zealand (also known as Aotearoa, ("Land of the Long White Cloud") is an independent island country in the south Pacific Ocean, 1,600km (1,000 miles) east of Australia. It consists of two main islands and a number of smaller ones and has a total land area of 270,000 sq km.

The climate is temperate with average temperatures ranging from 15°C in the north of the North Island to 10°C in the south of the South Island. February is the warmest month and July is the coldest. Annual rainfall is generally between 600mm and 1500mm.

A clean green land of spectacular scenic beauty including mountains, glaciers, beautiful lakes, volcanoes and sandy beaches, New Zealand has skilled farmers with innovative farming techniques who are world leaders in converting pasture to primary products.

Magnificent scenery and friendly people with a great reputation for hospitality and a unique Maori culture ensure a memorable experience for the visitor.

Superb trout and big game fishing, hunting, a fascinating bird life and an opportunity for a wonderful holiday are just some of the other reasons to visit New Zealand.

New Zealand is a major exporter of dairy products, meat, forest products, fruit and vegetables, fish and wool.

Unsubsidised, low cost farming systems based on pasture are a feature of New Zealand agriculture.

Our farms are large by comparison with many in the northern hemisphere. An average dairy farm is 134 hectares with 376 cows. Hill country sheep and cattle farms average between 400 and 700 hectares and high country properties average 11,000 hectares.

New Zealand has a population of 4.3 million and we farm 33 million sheep, 5.9 million dairy cattle, 4.1 million beef cattle and 1.1 million deer. We have well developed kiwifruit and pipfruit industries and planted forest, most of which is Pinus radiata, covers 1.7 million hectares.

In addition to the opportunity to learn about our agriculture, horticulture and forestry a comprehensive programme of economic reform and a range of industries attract people to New Zealand keen to learn from our experience and to develop business contacts.