by Justine Southwick

Created on: July 06, 2009

New Zealand, as other articles have said, is the youngest country on Earth, which is why the country's national tourism organisation has used the song Forever Young by Youth Group in its latest bunch of promotional ads. New Zealanders - and I know this because I am one - often bemoan the fact that our country doesn't have the history other places do, but Tourism NZ has found a way to use this in a good way.

Young it may be compared to the likes of the US and England, but New Zealand has a fascinating history of its own.

The first settlers were the Maori people, who came here from Polynesia in the late 20thcentury. By 1800 there were believed to be over 100,000 Maori in New Zealand. They were followed by European settlers, mainly whalers and missionaries, and this resulted in the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. New Zealand became a British colony, and people from the UK and Europe started flocking here.

Today, New Zealand is a multicultural destination, with people from every imaginable country living here. But it has retained its Maori culture, with this being one of the draw cards for international visitors today. Rotorua, in the centre of the North Island, is the country's Maori cultural heartland.

Rotorua's Arawa people of Rotorua were New Zealand's first visitor guides, and their warmth, quick humour and passion for their culture is still alive today. Visitors will be spellbound by stories relayed through song, dance, art and craft.

New Zealand's scenery is second to none and it's an outdoor paradise. Its lakes, whether nestled at the foot of snowy mountains, in volcanic craters or surrounded by native bush, are ideal for fishing, boating, swimming and so on. The aforementioned snowy mountains lend themselves to great skiing and snowboarding, as well as climbing and trekking. Marine reserves dotted around the country offer some of the world's best diving.

This small Pacific country is the home of adventure activities and the list is endless. Bungy jumping, sky diving, jet boating, white water rafting (New Zealand boasts the world's highest commercially rafted waterfall), canyoning... you name it.

It's an easy country to get around, with national airline Air New Zealand offering flight services to most main centres. Trains and buses run regularly within and between cities and towns, and the roads are easy to navigate if you prefer to drive.

There's really no reason not to come.

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