1. New Zealand was the last major land mass to be populated -- it was first settled by Polynesians around 1250 and became a British colony in 1840.
2. The capitol, Wellington, is the southernmost capital city in the world.
3. There are no public drinking fountains in New Zealand.
4. BUT there are free wifi booths in most cities. (And that's pronounced wee-fee.)
5. You won't need to tip your server.
6. You won't need to ask him/her for the check either. Rather than bring a check to the table, you'll pay at the cash register before leaving the restaurant.
7. And the smallest coin is a 10 cent piece, so your bill will be rounded.
8. There are no snakes, bears or wolves in New Zealand. Unfortunately, there are still spiders.
9. Like many cities, Auckland has an observation tower that you can dine in. Unlike many of these cities, you can also jump off of it.
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10. But the Auckland Sky Tower isn't the highest jump you'll find in New Zealand- Shotover Canyon Swing in Queenstown is considered the highest cliff jump in the world.
11. With all of these things to jump off of, it's no wonder that commercial bungee jumping first started in New Zealand.
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12. And for those of you afraid of heights- so did Zorbing!
13. The south island is home to the clearest lake in the world- Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park.
14. It is also home to the world's steepest street- Baldwin Street, Dunedin. A 35 percent grade at its steepest.
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15. Not only can you find white water rafting in New Zealand, but you can also try Black Water Rafting through the famous Glowworm caves.
16. These Glowworms aren't actually worms -- they're gnat larvae that glow to attract food. They also glow brighter when you sing! (Vibrations of singing and other noise off the cave walls cause them to glow brighter.)
17. In the Maori village of Whakarewarewa corn on the cob is shucked, tied in a mesh bag and cooked in the natural hot springs.
18. New Zealand is one of the few countries where you can rent a SpaceShip.
19. You may not be able to drive this Spaceship in to outer space- but you can still use it for some AMAZING star gazing. (With limited light pollution, New Zealand has some of the best star gazing spots on the planet.)
20. And rolling hills, snow capped mountains, rainforest, black sand beaches and volcanic craters are all within driving distance.
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