Hooray! Our class won this tour in Cambridge competition.

1. Our month sightseeing trip around New Zealand Hooray! Ourclass won this tour in Cambridge competition. So we could collect lots of interesting facts about life, culture, nature and people by visiting this country. So welcome to this fabulous island!

2. We landed in AUCKLAND, the largest city with 1 200 000 inhabitants. The town itself is situated in a number of extinct volcanoes. The highest building is theSKY TOWER. 6 km south of Auckland we visited KELLY TARLTON´S UNDERWATER WORLD. It is a unique aquarium. It's based on the former Giant receive rainwater. The aquarium is divided into two parts – the fish living along the coast ,sharks and rays.

3. Some trees can live to be 2000 years old and have been recorded as much as 4000 years old. They can reach a height of 50 meters and circumference of 20 meters. They are considered by New Zealanders to be the greatest trees in the world. They are second in size only to the giant sequoias of California. The Māori had many uses for the gum, which they called "kapia". Fresh gum was used as a type of chewing gum Kauri gum was used in varnish. KAURI – tree growing only in a New Zealand We visited the Kauri museum in Matahoke where we learned how the New Zealand settlers logged and used Kauri timber and gum.

4. On March 4 we left for ROTORUA – the centre of termal springs.On our way we stopped in a glowworm cave. It was fantastic experience! And we also were in OTOROHANGA KIWI HOUSE - the best place to see kiwi. ROTORUA - Nicknamed Sulphur City, New Zealand’s smelliest town , place of geysers and fuming craters.

5. In the evening we relaxed on TE PO, indigenoussongand dance performance of original inhabitants of New Zealand. Their language is Maori. Maori call New Zealand AOTEAROA– Land of the Long White Cloud. Maori do not salute shaking hands but touching noses. This salute is called „hongi“. Kia Ora“ means „hello“ Hangi food is traditional food. Meat, vegetables and potatoes are wrapped into leaves and cooked in the ground with hot stones. Haka is a type of Maori war dance.

6. We also learned some maori words: haere mai - welcome hei kona - goodbye Kia Ora - hello, good day Ko Karolina taku ingoa – My name is Karoline He aha tenei – who is it Pekaha – white man Morena – morning Maor´s gems

7. Next two days we spent in TUNGARIO NATIONAL PARK and we learnt a lot about volcanoes. The highest peak of the North Island is one of four volcanoes, RUAPEHU volcano. Ruapehu is the translation from Maori word „noisy hole“. It is an active volcano in this park. The biggest and most dangerous volcano in New Zealand and the world, is actually LAKE TAUPO which is New Zealand's largest lake located in the centre of the North Island.

8. From Tungario National Park we drove to the south. We visited TAUMATA - the hilltop 305m high with the world’s longest place nameWe bought these nice T-shirts with its name there. Its full name is : TAUMATAWHAKATANGIHANGAKOAUAUOTAMATEATU RIPUKAKAPIKIMAUNGAHORONUKUPOKAIWHENUAKITANAHU It is the name given by the local Maori people to a hill to celebrate the ancestor Tamatea Pokai Whenua.

9. Next days we took part in WAIOTAHI BEACH SCULPTURE COMPETITION. We had to build sand sculptureson a beach in three hours. And we won! Look at our perfect work: The rest of the week we spent in the capital of New Zealand WELLINGTON. We admired OLD GOVERNMENT BUILDING - the second biggest wooden building in the world

10. In Wellington National library From Wellington we drove on ferry to the south island. We finished this day by swimming and kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park, named after Abel Tasman, who in 1642 became the first European explorer to sight New Zealand.

11. Next days led us to the largest glaciers. We took lots of photos of the most amazing waterfalls we have ever seen. Do you like them? There are 46 waterfalls on the north and south island and lots of glaciers. Glaciers Fox and Franz Josef are moving ten times faster than other world glaciers. 13 km long glacier Fox

12. Next days we spent in Christchurch and we visited ELLERSLIE INTERNATIONAL FLOWER SHOW. It is an annual garden show held each March (for 15 years). This exhibition of flowers is the biggest on all southern hemisphere. Each year over 65,000 people visit the show. We continued through upcountry to the western coast. We saw uncredible icescape, long-lived trees and huge mountains.

13. Near Christchurch we admired the most beautiful stone building in New Zealand in Dunedin. It is DUNEDIN RAILWAY STATION. Did you know that this area is one of the most important for sheepfarming? On 27 March we left Dunedin for the largest national park in New Zealand FIORDLAND. On the way we saw the tallest mountain of New Zealand Mt. Ruapehu. Mt.Ruapehu People say Fiorland is the eighth wonder of the world.

14. Our trip slowly finished. We went past MITRE PEAK - the tallest mountain in the world rising right from the sea level. Town named after Oueen Victory QUEENSTOWN – the last stop on our way – the world Mecca of all adrenalin sports. We tried everything there!! Jetboating, bungee jumping (arose there), rafting, sightseeing flights, parachute descents. We were tired but very happy and looked forward to home. HEI KONA!!