We’re all about helping Kiwis protect what’s important to them – New Zealand and the people in it have something pretty special to protect, wouldn’t you agree?
Life of course often brings its fair share of the good and the not so good, but a little while ago we spent some time surfing the net to see what people think about our little patch of the world. We stumbled upon BuzzFeed’s 69 Facts About New Zealand That’ll Blow Your Mind… Here’s our top 15 pick… What would you add?
1. The longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in Hawkes Bay.
2. No part of New Zealand is more than 128km (79 miles) from the sea.
3. Only 5% of NZ’s population is human- the rest are animals.
4. NZ is the least corrupt nation in the world (tied with Denmark), according to the Corruptions Perception Index.
5. Blue Lake, in Nelson Lakes National Park, has the clearest water in the world.
6. There are more vending machines in Japan than there are people in New Zealand.
7. One in three Auckland households own a boat.
8. Baldwin Street, in Dunedin, is the world’s steepest street. The road has a gradient of 1 in 2.86 at its steepest section, a 38 per cent grade.
9. About one third of the country is protected national park.
10. In the Lord of the Rings films, the beer drunk on camera was a custom NZ brew called ‘Sobering Thought’.
11. Two NZ rescue dogs were taught to drive a car around a track, in order to prove the intelligence of shelter animals.
12. There is a giant carnivorous snail living in the South Island.
13. There is a clock in Dunedin which has been running since 1864, despite never having been wound since it was made.
14. New Zealand is the only country in the world where all the highest positions have been simultaneously held by women: In 2006, the Queen, the Governor-General, the PM, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice were all women.
15. In 2014, after losing a poker bet, a New Zealand man legally changed his name to Full Metal Havok More Sexy N Intelligent Than Spock And All The Superheroes Combined With Frostnova. The 99-character name was almost denied because the legal limit is 100 characters.
For the full list of 69 facts from BuzzFeed, click here.
