With a population density of merely 19 people per sq. km, this outpost of western civilization in the antipodes presents a topography of natural wonders including alpine glaciers, rugged mountains, sparkling lakes, steaming volcanoes and tropical rainforests. It is increasingly drawing Indian tourists The two western outposts in the Antipodes — the distant down-under countries of Australia and New Zealand which offer the civic discipline and advanced infrastructure of developed nations supplemented with the pleasant weather of tropical countries, are attracting a rising inflow of tourists from the Indian subcontinent. Even as these eastern nations of the Commonwealth are emerging as a favoured higher education destination of Indian students, the Indian middle class is discovering the pristine, dramatic beauty of New Zealand, its (pop. 5.1 million). For Bollywood film producers in particular, the scenic countryside and golden beaches of New Zealand have become popular for depicting their staple song-n-dance sequences. Located in the south-western Pacific Ocean, south-east of Oz, New Zealand offers a rare primeval naturalness. With a population density of merely 19 people per sq. km, New Zealand’s two craggy islands are a maze of alpine glaciers, rugged mountains, sparkling lakes and trout streams, steaming volcanoes, lush green rainforests, and offer wilderness and solitude for the city-weary. This island nation, which was showcased to the world by filmmaker Peter Jackson in his blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy, attracted over 4 million tourists in 2022. Tourist inflow into NZ is growing exponentially and contributes a massive $16.4 billion to the economy. Ranked among the world’s youngest countries, the New Zealand archipelago comprises two major landmasses (North Island and South Island) and numerous smaller islands, notably Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. Separated from Australia to the northwest by 2,000 km of the Tasman Sea, New Zealand’s closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. The population is mostly of European descent, with the indigenous Māori constituting the largest minority. Non- Māori Polynesian and Asian communities are also significant minorities, especially in urban NZ. About 80 percent of the population lives in the country’s 16 important cities including Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Hamilton. New Zealand is one of the most recently settled land masses in the world. Its Māori name, Aotearoa translates as ‘Land of the Long White Clouds’, referring to the clouds early explorers saw on the horizon as they approached the island. The recorded history of New Zealand begins from 950-1130 A.D, when Polynesians discovered and settled down here and developed a distinct Māori culture, centred on kinship links and land. In 1642, the first of European explorers, Abel Janszoon Tasman from Holland sailed into New Zealand waters, and from the late 18th century it was regularly visited by explorers, sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and the major Māori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and. giving indigenous people equal rights with British citizens. Subsequently there was continuous European and…
