Recreation & Leisure
Recreation
New Zealanders love the outdoors and the sheer choice and accessibility of such pursuits is one of the great advantages of life here. Even those living in the major centres are often less than an hour’s drive from the countryside. As a result, many New Zealanders spend their weekends and holidays outdoors. Even on weekends, a walk on a beautiful beach is something anyone can do.
So much to do
We have 14 National Parks where you can enjoy water skiing, snow skiing, snowboarding, diving, snorkelling, mountain climbing, kayaking, trout fishing and some of the world’s most breath-taking bush walks and tramps.
Sports are a very important part of the New Zealand culture. Many adults actively participate in at least one team or individual sport, and veterans teams catering for players forty years and older are a standard feature of the sporting scene.
New Zealand’s national sport is rugby, and our national team, the All Blacks, is regarded as one of the best- if not the best- in the world. Cricket is also played here a lot over the summer. Our city and regional councils provide extensive playgrounds, swimming pools and other recreational facilities. On Saturdays, parks throughout the country host all sorts of organised sports including tennis, netball, football (soccer), and hockey.
There are more golf courses per capita than anywhere else in the world (and it’s very cheap to play golf here by international standards).
Fishing is New Zealand’s most popular sport with many New Zealanders fishing regularly.
Almost 15% of New Zealand families own their own boat. New Zealand is reputed to have the best trout fishing in the world. There are no private waters and the licence fee is affordable. There is no licence fee for sea fishing.
Fishing regulations for all forms of fishing however are strictly observed and ignoring these can result in heavy fines, the confiscation of vehicles and equipment and even imprisonment. In particular, there are strict rules around fishing methods, maximum catches, fishing seasons and prohibited areas. Specific rules apply to gathering shellfish. You cannot sell or trade your catch.
For more information on freshwater fishing rules, go to www.fishandgame.org.nz. For information on sea fishing rules, go to www.fish.govt.nz.
Water Safety
New Zealand’s coastline is extensive - and can be very changeable and dangerous. There are drowning fatalities in this country every summer, and a high proportion of the victims are tourists and new migrants. Please be very careful around water. We strongly recommend you visit www.watersafety.org.nz
