New Zealand: The Long White Cloud - The Wise World Traveler: Becoming a Part of All that You Meet - page 298

20. New Zealand: The Long White Cloud
New Zealand prides itself on its remoteness—1,000 miles southeast of Australia and 6,200
southeast of Japan. On the globe it lies almost opposite Greenwich, England; hence the boast
that it is the country of the first Pacific sunrise. New Zealand is an island nation that runs
about 1,000 miles north to south and less than 300 miles across at its widest point. Its two
largest islands are North Island and South Island. Dozens of smaller islands range outward
by several hundred miles. North and South Islands and a smaller island, Stewart, are roughly
equivalent to the size of Colorado and to the United Kingdom.
New Zealand also boasts that it displays every kind of natural beauty to be found any-
where in the world: mountains, lakes, volcanoes, hot springs, fjords, deep forests, green
meadowlands, and scenic harbors. Moviegoers are not surprised by New Zealand's scenic
beauty: The Lord of the Rings was filmed here. New Zealand sits astride two tectonic plates;
their unstable fault lines produce volcanoes, thermal springs, and hot, bubbling mud. The
country has 200 mountains that rise to 2,300 meters (7,500 feet). Mount Cook rises to about
12,000 feet. The mountains offer snowfields and glaciers to skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.