New Zealand culture — Māori indigenous + British settlement = unique Pacific blend. Lord of the Rings landscapes. Kiwi friendliness.
Language
English, Māori (te reo Māori), NZ Sign Language — 3 official. Māori revival from 1980s. Kia ora — hello in Māori, used by Kiwis. Maori words in everyday English.
Māori Culture
Tangata whenua (people of the land). Marae (meeting grounds), pōwhiri (welcoming ceremony), haka (war dance famous from All Blacks). Hāngī (earth oven cooking). Moko (facial tattoo).
Treaty of Waitangi (1840)
Founding document — partnership Crown and Māori. Waitangi Tribunal addresses historical grievances. Bicultural foundation of modern NZ.
Sport — Rugby
Rugby = religion. All Blacks — most successful international team in any sport. Haka before games. Won Rugby World Cup 3 times (1987, 2011, 2015).
Outdoors
100% pure NZ branding. Tramping (hiking), bungee jumping (invented Queenstown), white water rafting, skiing. 14 national parks, fjords, glaciers, geysers. Mount Cook, Milford Sound.
Cuisine
Lamb and seafood. Pavlova (disputed with Australia). Hokey pokey ice cream. Hangi (Māori earth-cooked). Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough — world famous. Flat white coffee Auckland invented.
Modern Culture
Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, King Kong, Avatar filmed NZ (Peter Jackson). Film industry Wellington — Wellywood. Music — Lorde, Crowded House, Split Enz. Sam Neill, Russell Crowe (NZ-born). Indigenous film The Whale Rider.