NOV20
All country briefings

Oceania · Country briefing

New Zealand

A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November — capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.

  • Capital
    Wellington
  • Population
    ~5 million
  • Time zone
    Pacific/Auckland (UTC +13)
  • Currency
    New Zealand dollar (NZD)
New Zealand, with Wellington marked
loading map…

Climate in November: Late spring; mild and changeable.

Capital

Wellington

Photo to be commissioned

Fun facts

What makes New Zealand a bit special.

  • Kiwifruit

    Named after the bird, native to the country

  • Geysers

    Rotorua has bubbling earth and hot springs

  • All Blacks

    Rugby team perform a haka before games

  • Sheep

    More sheep than people (by 5 to 1)

  • Middle-earth

    Where Lord of the Rings was filmed

  • Dark skies

    Some of the best stargazing in the world

Native animals

Wildlife your partner class might know best.

  • 🥝

    Kiwi

    A bird that can't fly; the national symbol

  • 🦜

    Kea

    World's only mountain parrot — very cheeky

  • 🦎

    Tuatara

    A 'living fossil' from the time of the dinosaurs

  • 🐧

    Yellow-eyed penguin

    One of the rarest penguins on Earth

  • 🐬

    Hector's dolphin

    The world's smallest dolphin

School life

In a New Zealand classroom

Many NZ schools include te reo Māori greetings and karakia.

Typical school day: Often 09:00–15:00.

School year: Late January to mid-December.

Greetings to learn

Say hello like a local

  • Kia ora!
    Māori · KEE-ah OH-rah
  • Hello!
    English

Five questions to ask

Conversation starters

  1. 01What does Kia ora mean?
  2. 02What's your favourite sport?
  3. 03What food do you bring to school?
  4. 04What's the weather like today?
  5. 05What's a Māori word your school uses every day?

What not to assume

Friendly cautions

  • ℹMāori culture and te reo Māori are part of daily school life for many.
  • ℹNew Zealand is two main islands plus many smaller ones.

Culture

Food, music, sport, festivals.

  • Food

    • Pavlova
    • Hāngī
    • Pies
    • Fish and chips

  • Music

    • Pop
    • Indie
    • Kapa haka traditions

  • Sport

    • Rugby
    • Netball
    • Cricket

  • Festivals

    • Matariki
    • Waitangi Day
    • Christmas in summer
Reflection prompts
  • “What word from another language would you keep in your school day?”
  • “What does Matariki mean to you?”

Could your class meet New Zealand?

Choose New Zealandwhen you register — we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.

Register your classroom