New Zealand people

New Zealanders are known for being some of the most friendly and down-to-earth people 

New Zealand has become a melting-pot population, with European, 

Pacific Island, and Asian cultures adding to the indigenous Māori people. 

Melting Pot
There are approximately 4.4 million people living in New Zealand with 69% of European descent, 14.6% of indigenous Māori descent, 9.2% of Asian descent and 6.9% of non-Māori Pacific Island descent.

Over three million of the population live in the North Island, with over one million living in the country’s major city Auckland. The remainder is spread out across the country and in the other main cities of Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Hamilton.

New Zealand Heritage
The early Māori people sailed across thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean in small ocean-going canoes to settle in Aotearoa New Zealand. When you visit you will have the opportunity to find out about our Maori people and explore this varied and exciting culture which forms a core part of New Zealand’s national identity.

When they arrived, European settlers had to endure the isolation of being away from family and friends while trying to clear the land before they could establish farms and settlements. These early New Zealanders were a brave, rugged, independent, tough and  hardy bunch.

From these beginnings the New Zealand people developed a real can do “number eight wire” approach as each generation of New Zealander has been raised to believe all problems can be solved with some ingenuity and a piece of “number eight wire”.

The patchwork of cultures that makes up New Zealand society has given birth to a new people who have become known as Kiwis.  It is a label that the New Zealand people wear with pride.

New Zealanders have gone on to compete on the world stage as business executives, computer software builders, film-makers, fashion designers, inventors, musicians, scientists, sportspeople and leaders in their field.  Kiwis have been responsible for the invention of frozen meat, the Hamilton Jet boat, electric fences, stamp vending machines, wide-toothed shearing combs, the electronic petrol pump, the bungy jump and best of all the Pavlova.

Kiwis have a passion for being outside
Kiwis have a love of outdoor activities.  Hiking, mountain climbing, camping, cycling, ultra racing, fishing, running, adventure activities, and bush and beach walks are popular pursuits.  You will all remember Sir Edmund Hillary, who conquered Mount Everest in Nepal, the world’s highest mountain, in 1953.  He left a legacy that many Kiwis hope to emulate.

New Zealanders love the water and many New Zealand families own their own boat with many a Kiwi family holiday spent at the beach or the lake.  Kiwis are respected as superior yacht designers, and dominate in the world yachting, kayaking, windsurfing, and rowing scenes.

You may have heard of the legendary All Blacks, the famous national rugby team.  While rugby is a popular sport, Kiwis are sport crazy in general and nearly everybody has a bit of a go at something.

Become one of the locals
Get out there and meet the local people.  Kiwis are known for being friendly and helpful.  You may even find yourself  making a new life-long friends!