New Zealand holds some amazing records. Here are New Zealands Oldest, Longest, Most Blue, Most Red, Most Clear and all the other most-est …
| Active marine volcano - White Island - Walk in the crator! Reach White Island by boat or helicopter tour. Departures daily from Rotorua. | 
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| AJ Hackett did a PIRATE jump off the Eiffel Tower in 1987. Paris authorities took him into custody. Two years later he started the World's 1st commercial bungy jump in New Zealand. AJ Hackett jumps from the SkyTower in Auckland. | |
| America’s Cup is the world’s oldest and the ultimate yachting regatta and you can sail and take the helm on NZL40 or NZL41 America's Cup Yachts. Tours depart daily from Auckland. Here Prince William takes the helm. | |
BUZZY BEE is NZ's best childrens toy invention. Best surf beach in NZ is along Taranaki’s ‘Surf Highway’ (Nth Isl). |
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| Best thermal area in the southern hemisphere is at Rotorua. Wai-O-Tapu has the Champagne Pool + Lady Grey Geyser. Te Puia has the Pohutu Geyser at 30m high (right). |
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| Biggest Natural Arch in Sthn Hemisphere is the Oparara Arch (left), near Nelson. There is a long, narrow gravel road and then a long hike to it. Then go though a tunnel to get to where you can see another natural arch called Moria Gate (right) on the way to Oparara Arch. | |
| Biggest Kauri Tree - called Tane Mahuta stands 169 feet tall, 45 feet in diameter & is about 3000 years old. Biggest sand dunes to slide down are off 90 Mile Beach - both in the North Island. |
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| Blue-est water is the Blue Pools in the Haast Pass. It is a nice walk which crosses a swinging bridge. Beautiful gardens are everywhere in NZ so spotting roses so red is not hard. Christchurch is known as the Garden City. |
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| Burt Munro (1899-1978) famous for setting an under-1000cc world record of 295kmh at Bonneville USA, 1967- holds a record that still stands. Bert was 68 on a 47yr old Indian.A movie "Worlds Fastest Indian" is about his quest. His bike is held in an Invercargill shop, or visit Southward Car Museum. | |
| Christchurch born Ivan Mauger (b. 1939)- 9 times world champion of over 1000 international events in 26 countries, is the only rider to win the world champ. 6 times, & the only one to win 3 successive world titles. Crystal clearest water in the Sthrn hemesphere-Waikoropupu (Nelson). Just before the main Spring this water is 5m deep but looks shallow. |
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| Deep sea fishing off the Bay of Islands is some of the most productive waters in the world -Striped Marlin. Deepest Cave in NZ is Ellis Basin System, Mt Arthur (near Nelson) at 1026m. |
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| First to invent the electric fence in the world were New Zealanders. First woman mayor in the British Empire - Elizabeth Yates in NZ 1893. |
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| Great Walks of New-Zealand, and indeed of the world, are shown on this map. Green Lip Mussels from New Zealand may help immobility from Arthritis. |
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| Highest bungy jump in NZ -Queenstown Nevis Highwire Bungy is the only one of its kind in the world four high-tension cables span the entire valley, suspending the jump pod 150m above ground -134m jump or 8 seconds freefall from the Queenstown Canyon. | |
| Highest mountain in the southern hemisphere - Mt Cook. Hotest Water Beach - Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel. |
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Invented by Kiwis is the The Luge -down a concrete track instead of the traditional, ice-covered track - Prime minister tested. |
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| KIWI the New Zealand National Bird. They are only out at night & population is declining- Can be seen at Te Puia. Largest number of tiles in NZ - Dunedin rail station booking hall features a mosaic of 750,000 Royal Doulton porcelain tiles. |
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| Largest wingspan of any living bird in the world is the Northern Royal Albatross at 3m & 115+mph speeds seen on Monach Tours. Largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere - Old Government Building, Wellington. |
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| Longest Cave at 6023m (60km) is Bulmer Cavern, Mt Owen, near Nelson. Here is the entrance to Bulmer Cavern. Longest railway platform in NZ - Dunedin Railway Station Platform at 1 kilometre long. |
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Longest stand on 1 leg - Oyster Catchers are a bird that always stand on one leg. |
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| Longest swing bridge - in New Zealand is the Buller Gorge Swing Bridge, at 110m, near Murchison, Sth Island. | |
Most beautiful place in NZ - Milford Sound. |
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| Most beautiful flower in NZ - Pohutukawa pronounced Poe Hoo Too Ka Wa. Most eco-friendly tourism might be a Kaikoura paddle along the peninsula. |
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| Most interesting beach is Wharariki Beach -west of Nelson, South Island with *natural arches, *fur seals, *fossils in the rocks, *a light house and lots of *birds. Most interesting road - 90 Mile Beach WAS the HIGHWAY when roads were very limited. |
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| Most explicit signposts at Fox Glacier. Most climbed peak in NZ is Mt Taranaki (Nth Isl) with a 2518m summit. |
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Most northern most point of New Zealand - Cape Reinga. Most Southern point in New Zealand - Stewart Island Bay. (right) |
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| Most Southern point of the south island - The Bitter End. Moeraki Boulders - Most unusual rocks |
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| Oldest church in New Zealand -Russell, Bay of Islands. Oldest city in New Zealand - Dunedin. |
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| Oldest Botanic Gardens in New Zealand - Dunedin established in 1863. Oldest Democracy in the World is NZ as ALL adult citizens regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity, may choose government reps.-1893 fuelled by Kate Sheppard. |
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| Oldest fruit tree - a pear tree, in NZ planted by John Butler in 1819 near Kerikeri, Bay of Islands. Oldest museum in the world devoted to rugby - 1880's, in Auckland - Dr Danie Craven. |
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| Oldest NZ fossils 508 million years, are sponges, brachio-pods, molluscs, cono-donts and trilobites within limestone - Paleozoic period - found near Nelson by Mal Simpson. Oldest pub in NZ is the Wellington Thistle Inn built in 1840. |
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| Oldest State Secondary School in New Zealand - Nelson College founded 1856. . Oldest stone building in NZ -Store at Kerikeri was erected 1832-1836. |
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| Oldest university in NZ- Nelson University of Otago. Oldest Vineyard in NZ - Napier, Mission Vinyard founded by French Monks. |
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| Piha Beach was the birthplace of the NZ board riding in 1958 & has hosted national & international surfing competitions-west coast Auckland. Prettiest beach in NZ possibly Coopers Beach in Northland with Pohu-tukawa trees on the sands. |
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| Prettiest beach in NZ possibly Onetangi Bay, Waiheke Island, North Island. Prettiest waterfall -Purakaunui Falls, The Catlins, near Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand. |
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| Pukaki lake, where colours are so bright they look unreal. Red-est Water - Iron in the water making it blood red, Oparara Arch. |
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| Sir Edmund Hillary alongside Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was the first person to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953 (his statue at Mt Cook, NZ). Smallest ocean dolphin in the World -Hector's dolphin in Akaroa Harbour near Christ-church -swim with dolphin tours go daily. |
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| Smallest penguins, in their natural environment are Blue Penguins at Oamaru, South Island. Sperm whale contains the largest brain in the world that accounts for 1-3 of its total body length and well over a 1-3 of its body weight, Seen at Kaikoura. |
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| Split Apple Rock is near Nelson, at the top of the South Island. Steepest gondola in the Southern Hemisphere - Queenstown Skyline Gondola. |
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| Steepest street in the World - Baldwin St, Dunedin. Tasman Glacier is New Zealands longest glacier at 8km long. |
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| Taumata whakatangihanga koauau o tamatea pokai whenua ki tanatahu- has gained a measure of fame as it is the longest place-name in the World -at least in any English-speaking country. The bluest lake - guess where!! |
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| Tolaga Bay near Napier -660m pier believed to be the longest pier in the southern hemisphere. Three Sisters Rocks-Tough to get to, Only accessable for 1 hour at low tide. Walk across private land to get there. |
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| Unusual phenomenon is a WATER-RISE (not waterfall) due the the updrafts at Milford Sound. Wettest inhabited place in the world with mean annual rainfall of 6,813 mm on 182 days a year is Milford Sound and up to 250mm rain in 24hrs |
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| Wharariki Lions near Nelson. Windiest city in NZ is Wellington with 173 days a year with wind gusts greater than 60 kmh, a mean annual wind speed of 22 kmh & strongest speed at Hawkins Hill -248kmh in 1959. |
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| World leaders in waterjet design - (Sir William) Hamilton Jetboat does the famous 360 turn -first designed in 1954 for operation in shallow water. World's most famous Jet Boat - Shotover Jet Queenstown. |
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| World's most southerly vineyards and the highest in altitude in New Zealand are Central Otago vineyards World's first commercial bungy was in Queenstown by AJ Hackett. |
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| World's largest, most accessible Gannet nesting place is Cape Kidnappers, Nth Island. | |
World's Oldest Penguin Fossils found in NZ suggest that birds out lived dinosaurs. World's most southern capital... Wellington !!! |
