新西蘭,一個奇異的國家
Top 10 Reasons to Visit New Zealand
去新西蘭的十個理由
New Zealand wasn't chosen as the location for filming “The Lord of the Rings” for nothing. It is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular places on earth. Situated to the south east of Australia, it may seem like a long way to travel. However, your visit will be one of the most memorable trips you make in your life.
新西蘭被選爲指環王拍攝地可是有原因的。毫無疑問，新西蘭是地球上最雄偉壯觀的地方。新西蘭位於澳大利亞東南，與澳大利亞隔海相望。看起來路途遙遠，然而，這一定能成爲你終身難忘的一次旅行。
1. The Incredibly Diverse and Unspoilt Scenery
各種令人難以置信的自然風景
Made up of two main islands and a host of smaller ones, New Zealand has an amazing range of breathtaking scenery, from subtropical forests, beaches and offshore islands in the north to glaciers, lakes, snow-covered mountains and large flat plains in the south. There are also fiords, volcanoes, hot springs and beautiful rolling green pastures – a diversity like no other on earth.
新西蘭由南北二島以及一些其他小島組成。新西蘭的風景如畫，令人窒息。從北部的亞熱帶森林，海灘，小島到南部的冰河，湖泊，白雪覆蓋的山峯以及大平原。有海灣，火山，溫泉，美麗的草原。風景的多樣化在世界上絕無僅有。
2. The People
居民
"Kiwis," as the locals are called, are a very friendly bunch and very welcoming to visitors. A wide range of cultures is represented although, as an ex British colony, the European influence is still strong.
當地的土著人叫是基維人，待人熱情，非常歡迎遊客。儘管各種文化並存，但是作爲前英國殖民地，歐洲文化還是很有影響力的。
3. Outdoor Adventures
戶外冒險
Where else can you go surfing, skiing, snowboarding, kayaking, tramping, sailing, swimming at the beach, parachuting, horse riding, caving – all within a one hundred mile radius? And even on the same day! Also, don't forget to try the bungy jump, invented and made famous right here.
除了新西蘭，你還能在哪裏找到可以在一百英里之內同時衝浪，滑冰，滑雪，劃皮艇，步行，航海，在海灘上游泳，跳傘，騎馬，洞穴探險的地方呢？你甚至可以在一天內將上述運動體驗一遍。還有，別忘了試一下蹦極哦，這項運動可是在新西蘭發揚光大的。
4. The Unique Wildlife
獨一無二的野生動物
New Zealand split from the large land mass joining Australia and Antarctica about 85 million years ago, resulting in bird and plant species that are found nowhere else. Forests contain an abundance of interesting plant life from the towering ancient kauri trees to fronds of nikau palms. You might even see a kiwi – a small, flightless bird that has become the national symbol.
新西蘭是大約8500萬年以前和澳大利亞跟南極洲大陸一起與亞歐大陸分離，從未形成了獨特的野生動植物物種。森林包括了很多有趣的植物，從高聳的杉樹到尼考棕櫚。你可能還會見到基維鳥，一種體型小巧，不會飛行的鳥類，是新西蘭的象徵。
5. The Ease of Travel
悠閒的旅行
With a great road network, there's nothing easier than hopping in a car or RV (known locally as a campervan) and heading off on an adventure. And if you need directions or advice on the local attractions, every town has an Information Centre specifically to help tourists. Fuel is much cheaper than in Europe too. There's also an excellent intercity bus network covering the entire country and distances between towns and attractions are not too great.
新西蘭公路發達，開着汽車或者野營車就可以展開一段冒險。如果你需要當地旅遊景點建議指南的話，每個鎮子都有爲遊客準備的信息中心。燃油也比歐洲便宜多了。市內公交網覆蓋全面，景區和城鎮之間距離也不遠。
6. The Wine
美酒
New Zealand wine is world famous for its quality – quite amazing when you consider it makes less than 1% of the world's total. There are a number of places where you can make a day of it visiting wineries and tasting their offerings, particularly in Hawkes Bay and Marlborough, the two leading wine regions. There are also many top notch restaurants, particularly in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, where the best of New Zealand's wines are showcased alongside world-class cuisine.
新西蘭的酒以品質著名，當你知道新西蘭酒在世界上的比重佔不到1%的時候，你肯定很驚訝。有很多地方可以供你花上一天的時間參觀釀酒廠，品嚐美酒。霍克斯灣和馬爾堡是兩個領先的釀酒區。新西蘭也有很多頂級餐館，尤其是奧克蘭，惠靈頓和克賴斯特徹奇，在這裏最好的新西蘭酒配上世界級的美味，棒極了。
7. The Local Culture
當地文化
When Captain Cook arrived in 1769 he found the country populated by natives, called the Maori. It has since developed into a unique South Pacific blend of cultures where the Maori still play an important role. In the cities, particularly Auckland, you will also find the ethnic diversity reflected in a huge range of cafes and restaurants.
庫克船長在1769年的時候抵達新西蘭，他發現當地住了毛利人。從那時起發展成了獨特的南太平洋混合文化，毛利人依然很重要。在很多城市，尤其是奧克蘭，你會發現咖啡館和飯館反映出不同的文化。
8. The Sparse Population
人口稀少
With a land area the size of Great Britain yet with just 4.5 million inhabitants, you don't need to go far to find complete solitude. Most of the population in concentrated in five main cities (Auckland being the largest with a third of the country's people), leaving plenty of open space in between.
新西蘭面積跟英國差不多，而人口卻只有450萬，不需要走多遠就能看到荒涼之地。大部分人口集中在五個主要的城市，奧克蘭是面積最大，人口第三多的城市。五個城市之間大片荒野。
9. The Climate
氣候
New Zealand has a temperate climate, without extremes of hot or cold. From the north (warmest) to the south (coldest), average daytime temperatures range from 12 to 25 °C (54 to 76 °F). The long warm summers are ideal for spending at one of the country's many great beaches. The winters are cold enough to provide ample snow in the south for skiers and snowboarders. Spring and autumn are beautiful seasons, often with and abundant rainfall which accounts for the country's lush green landscape.
新西蘭氣候溫和，沒有很冷或很熱的天氣。從北向南越來越冷，日平均氣溫在12到25度之間。漫長而溫暖的夏季適合在海灘上度過。冬天氣溫足夠提供足量的雪供廣大的滑雪滑冰愛好者。春秋是美麗的季節，經常下雨，爲植物的茂盛生長提供條件。
10. Safety
安全
You're very unlikely to experience crime in New Zealand. Even for solo women travellers, safety is not an issue. And if you venture off the beaten track into the wilderness, more good news – New Zealand has no nasty plants or creatures. In fact NZ is one of only two countries in the world which doesn't have snakes (the other is Ireland). So head on over to New Zealand. You will have an amazing time!
在新西蘭幾乎不可能遇到危險。即使是獨自一人的女遊客，安全也不是問題。如果你進入野外，那告訴你個好消息，新西蘭沒有危險動物。事實上，新西蘭是世界上沒有蛇的兩個國家之一。另一個是愛爾蘭。所以趕緊直奔新西蘭吧，奇妙的世界等你探索！
