Quiz
How well do you already know New Zealand? Take this short, fun quiz to find out.
Results
It’s fair to say you’re not yet an expert on New Zealand, but that’s the perfect reason to visit and get to know it much better!
#1. What is the capital of New Zealand?
Auckland is the largest city but Wellington (also known as the Windy City) is the capital.
#2. The pohutakawa tree, which is nicknamed the New Zealand Christmas tree, flowers in December. What colour are its flowers?
The pohutukawa tree is native to New Zealand and flowers in December. Its red flowers create an amazing spectacle near beaches and in cities alike.
#3. Approximately how many sheep are there in New Zealand?
There are around 25 million sheep in New Zealand and 5 million people!
#4. What does Aoteoroa, the Māori name for New Zealand, mean?
The name refers to the cloud formations which helped early Polynesian navigators find the country.
#5. Which of the following is NOT a classic New Zealand food?
There’s a long-running debate about whether pavlova (a meringue dessert with a soft, fluffy inside) was invented in New Zealand or Australia, but both countries agree that it was named after the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured Downunder in 1926.
#6. If someone in New Zealand says "don't forget your togs", what are they talking about?
The word “togs” covers anything from a bikini to a one-piece to male swimwear. In New Zealand, because of the strong sun kids tend to wear long-sleeved swimsuits called rash vests.
#7. At the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa, only one country did not lose a match the entire tournament. That country was?
Because we are such a rugby-mad country, there are very few professional footballers in New Zealand so we are not taken seriously on the world stage. Unbelievably, however, at the 2010 World Cup, we drew every match (including against Italy!).
#8. Everyone in New Zealand loves their gumboots but what are they?
What the British call Wellingtons, we call gumboots or gummies. There’s even a statue in the town of Taihape and a famous (at least in New Zealand) song from the 1980s that celebrates them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tAWwqKNI7g<
#9. You'll often hear people saying "gidday mate!" What does it mean?
In New Zealand, we don’t have dialects in the same way they exist in Italy, but we have a particular accent and our own jargon. “Gidday” is a shortened form of “good day”.
#10. What does the word "kiwi" refer to?
