Australia consists of the mainland continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Indigenous Australians (aboriginals) inhabited the area for more than 38,000 years before Australia was “discovered” by Dutch explorers in 1606. The country has six states and several territories, each one different than the others, offering a whole new world of exploration.
New Zealand is made up of two main landmasses, the North and South Islands, and many smaller islands. It lies 900 miles east of Australia and approximately 600 miles south of the Pacific Islands of Fiji. The islands were first settled sometime around 1300AD by Polynesians known as the Maori. They reached New Zealand 300 years before the Europeans. The influence of the two cultures and the countries’ distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life, make up a dazzling tapestry that is more than just beautiful to the eye.
