2. National anthem of New Zealand
melody in a single sitting the evening after finding out about the competition. In 1976 a petition was presented to Parliament asking for it to be made the national anthem, and, with the permission of Queen Elizabeth II, it became the country’s second national anthem on November 21, 1977, on equal standing with “God Save the Queen”.
Lake Taupo
2. South Island
New Zealand’s landscape is renowned for its variety and, in particular, its mountainous nature. In fact, the most impressive mountains in New Zealand are in the South Island. The Southern Alps are a range of mountains that extend almost the whole length of the South Island. The west slopes of the Alps are close to the sea, so there is only a narrow coastal plain. In contrast, there are wide flat plains in the east of the Alps. Far more rain falls on the west slopes, whereas the east plains often experience hot dry weather. The Southern Alps include 18 peaks above 3,000 meters. The most famous ones are Mount Cook (3,764 m), the highest mountain in New Zealand, Mount Tasman (3,497 m) and Mount Dampier (3,440 m).
