Cities

By Rosie, Livvy and Ella.



**Wellington: ** Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and is situated at the bottom of the North Island. It is the third most populated city in New Zealand. The 2011 Lonely Planet Guide named Wellington as the ‘Coolest little capital in the world’. Wellington City also broke Guiness World Record for the ‘Windiest City’.

Wellington is home to many tourist attractions including:
 * Wellington Zoo, home to over 500 different animals.
 * Te Papa Museum, this museum houses many different exhibits. There are also temporary exhibitions that take place at Te Papa. These vary from Art, Culture, etc.
 * Zelandia - A nature reserve featuring our native animals located in the hills.

 Sports are a major part of Wellington. Many sports teams originate from Wellington region including:


 * Central Pulse Netball Team - This teams participates in the annual ANZ Trans-Tasman Netball Championship along with other teams from Austraila and New Zealand.
 * Wellington Phoenix FC (Football/Soccer Club) - The only fully professional football club in New Zealand.
 * The Hurricanes - Super Rugby Team that represents the Lower North Island and is mainly based in Wellington
 * Wellington Saints - This basketball team competes in the National Basketball League

 **Hamilton: ** Hamilton is the fourth largest urban area in New Zealand. Hamilton is apart of the Waikato Region. It lies on both banks on the Waikato River. Hamilton Central, which is on the Waikato River is a major retail area. Entertainment areas are very vibrant due to the large university student population. There are many activities available in Hamilton from Golf to Swimming. Aquatic activities are available due to the Waikato River being right on their doorstops. Hamilton Zoo is also located in Hamilton. This zoo is home to over 600 various species and animals. The Waikato Museum is also located in Hamilton. It has 8 galleries and various exhibitions. A major part of Hamilton’s economy is due to the dairying (Stock, Milk etc) industry. This is due to Hamilton being apart of major dairying land - The Waikato Region.

 ** Auckland: ** Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand, with a population of nearly half a million. It is almost completely surrounded by water and is known as the City Of Sails. Auckland was also rated the fourth best place to live in the world in an annual survey. Auckland City plays a large part in The Rugby World Cup 2011, with most games played at Eden Park Stadium, or the North Harbour Stadium.

Auckland also has many tourist attractions such as:
 * The Sky Tower - Situated in the centre of Auckland, this tower is 328 metres, that is even taller then the Eiffel Tower! The Sky Tower is a large tourist attraction, especially as the Sky Tower has many different aspects and floors.


 * The Auckland Museum - This museum was the first ever Museum to open in New Zealand. It is situated in the Auckland Domain, on a hill known as Pukekawa. It is home to many different exhibits, famous objects and offers a huge amount of Educational opportunities. It is the most visited man-made tourist attraction in NZ.


 * The Auckland Harbour Bridge - This is a large harbour bridge that connects Auckland’s St Mary’s Bay to Northshore City. It is the second longest bridge in New Zealand, and the biggest of the North Island. Made of steel, it is 1,020 metres long, with a nickname of the ‘Coathanger’ due to the shape of the bridge.

 ** Christchurch: ** Christchurch, also known as ‘The Garden City’ is situated about a third of the way down the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest city in the South Island, with a population of around 400,000. Christchurch is the oldest city in New Zealand, and was officially established in 1856. Christchurch is part of a surrounding province called Canterbury, therefore making Christchurch part of the Canterbury Region.

Earthquakes:
 * September 4th - On September 4, 2010, a magnitude 7.1 quake rocked the Christchurch Region. Miraculously, no one died, although there were many injuries and damage to buildings to houses.


 * February 22nd - On February 22, 2011, a massive after shock shook the Canterbury Region at a magnitude of 6.3. Sadly, a total of 181 people died and many buildings were damaged beyond repair, with a loud amount of them being demolished.


 * Aftermath - There are ongoing aftershocks throughout the Canterbury Region, with many a day. New Zealanders, especially those from the Canterbury Region, are still going on with life without the family and friends they may have lost during the earthquake. Construction to rebuild Christchurch will be an ongoing process.

 **Dunedin: **  Dunedin is one of the smaller cities in New Zealand with 124,800 people. There are many historic buildings in Dunedin such as the old train station located in the city’s center which is nearly 200 years old. The Dunedin Museum is also a very historic building, with many exhibitions including a tropical butterfly exhibition featuring over 1,000 butterflies.

Dunedin is also home to the steepest residential street in the world ( Baldwin Street ). It had to be made of concrete instead of the regular tar ceal because when it gets hot, the tar ceal would melt and slip right down the side.

Every year, people from all over Dunedin get together and have a Jaffa race. This is when giant Jaffas (an iconic New Zealand chocolate) are raced down Baldwin street. The winner is the Jaffa that hits the bottom first. This is a huge trade mark of Dunedin. Dunedin is also home to the Cadbury chocolate factory of New Zealand, which make and ship off many different chocolates around the world.

 **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Taupo: ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The city of Taupo in situated in the middle of the North Island. With 22,300 people, it is one of the smaller cities in New Zealand. Taupo is very well known across the country because of it’s lake. Lake Taupo is the biggest lake in New Zealand and used for uses such as: Fishing, Boating and many different Water sports. The Lake is fed by rivers throughout the North Island of New Zealand. There are many different tourist attractions in Taupo, such as the hot springs. These small geysers are well known in the Taupo area and people come from near and far to see them.

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