Why Aotearoa
New Zealand
is The Best Country

"Imagine living in the best country in the world. Well, you can stop imagining because I truly believe that New Zealand is that country.

New Zealand is a beautiful country for its scenery, it is safe and it has kind people. It has everything you could imagine. For example, if you travel to Queenstown you can see snow in the winter and in Auckland it's sunny most of the time.

New Zealand has so many native [breeding bird] species, to be precise we have 206 of them. But our most prized bird is the wonderful kiwi. We love them so much we call ourselves Kiwis." (Tamia, 9 years)

"Have you ever wondered how the world can be beautiful, peaceful, and safe? What about a world where everyone can go to schools, hospitals and libraries for free? 

Well, if the whole world was more like Aotearoa New Zealand that’s exactly what would happen. New Zealand is one of the safest and most beautiful countries in the whole world that cares for its people. My dream is that all countries could be a little more like New Zealand, safe, beautiful and peaceful with a heart of gold. 

One reason New Zealand is safe is because we are nuclear-free. This means we have no nuclear weapons, and we don't let any nuclear weapons or nuclear-powered ships into our country. 

The New Zealand people feel strongly about protecting our beautiful land. There are also no wars in New Zealand because we are a small country, far away from warzones. Many people escape war zones and come to New Zealand to live a better life." (Jack, 9 years)

"Our wildlife is beautiful, but also can be turned into medicine which is very helpful these days.

Our native plants like Kawakawa, Manuka and Kanuka, Harakeke, Horopito and the healing plant, Kowhai, help with wounds, digestive wellbeing and aches.

Also New Zealand is full of native birds such as the kea, takahe, kiwi, and I could go on forever." (Naomi, 9 years)

"328 feature films and 117 documentaries are made or filmed in New Zealand because of our beautiful landscapes. Some of you might recognise film names like 'The Lord of the Rings', 'Avatar', 'A Minecraft Movie' and 'Zombies 4: The Rise of the Vampires'" (Elsie, 9 years)

"New Zealand is a safe place. I have come from Sweden, and I feel most safe in New Zealand. New Zealand does not have snakes and the people are friendly. Ever since 1985 New Zealand has been nuclear free."  (Inez, 9 years)

"The first thing I want to talk about is that New Zealand is a very safe place. There's no nukes which are extremely dangerous. This is one of the reasons why New Zealand is one of the safest places in the world! If you want to be safe and far away from other countries, New Zealand is the number one place. And not all police carry guns around in New Zealand. We also don’t have a lot of creatures that can hurt you." (Grace, 9 years)

"There are barely any dangerous animals, so when you are on a bush walk you will not have to worry about any dangerous animals that could creep up on you. Here in New Zealand, all you will find is a little sandfly." (Charlie, 9 years)

"New Zealand is safe, beautiful, the people are very kind and we have lots of wildlife. Firstly, New Zealand is safe. There are no dangerous animals like snakes or crocodiles, so people can not be eaten. There are no dangerous animals because we are far away from any other country and dangerous animals can not get there. 

Secondly, New Zealand is beautiful. There are beautiful mountains, golden beaches, blue sky and clear lakes. We can climb the mountains and have fun in nature, at the beach we can play in the water and we can sail, take a boat and go whale watching. At lakes we can fish and feed the ducks.

Thirdly, people in New Zealand are kind. We help each other. We do not have guns, and we do not fight. If you walk on the street, you are relaxed. We are a country that chose peace over power, proudly declaring itself nuclear free long before it was popular to do so. Lastly, we have lots of wildlife. We have lots of unique native birds and native plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. We are protecting the native birds like the kiwi bird, the tui and the fanfail." (Emma, 9 years)

"The special part of New Zealand is the kiwi, a cute little bird that can't fly. It's New Zealand's native bird. They only come out at night time. They have little brown fur and long beaks. They are hard to spot, so you are lucky when you see one.

Another one of my favorites is the fantail, also known as the piwakawaka. It is the smallest and cutest. Their tails are just like a fan with different colours. I can see why they're called fantail. What kind of New Zealand bird is your favorite?" (Elise, 9 years)

"But New Zealand isn't just about scenery; it's about spirit. In New Zealand we chose kindness over conflict. Unlike some countries that spend huge amounts of money on nuclear weapons, we bravely decided to say "No Nukes!" New Zealand was also the first country to do so. Instead of spending our money on nukes we spend our money protecting our environment and people." (Ella, 9 years)

"New Zealand has lots of clean up days and there has been a plastic bag ban since 2019. We try to be clean and green. We’ve also set up many marine reserves around New Zealand. Even though we’re a small country we have 44 marine reserves and 20 wildlife sanctuaries to protect nature." (Ari, 8 years)

"Here in New Zealand, we are connected with the forest and its animals as if we were one. Here in our beloved Aotearoa, we care for wildlife, the ocean, respect our cultures, and try to keep it a safe country for everyone. Aotearoa is not just a country, it's a family we belong to." (Lily, 9 years)

"We support all cultures. We were the first country to let women vote [in 1893]. And we celebrate all cultures celebrations. We are very kind to anyone. Everyone is big hearted here and everyone is welcome here. Everyone here is basically your friend." (Dasha, 9 years)

"We have a wide range of cultures and we all work as a team. We also have our own language, Te Reo Māori. Māori culture is a big part of New Zealand. Everybody gets taught Te Reo Māori. For example little kids get taught Māori at a very young age so that when they get older it is easier to learn the language." (Isla, 9 years)

"Māori people were the first people to New Zealand so we have many Māori traditions in our country, such as kapa haka (a type of warrior dance) and Matariki (which we celebrate as part of the Māori New Year).

New Zealand also greatly accepts other cultures from different countries. You can also get food from many different cultures which will satisfy your hunger such as dumplings, sushi, porota, oyster, and so much more. In New Zealand people are kind to each other and we enjoy learning about other cultures." (Austin, 9 years)

"There are so many cultures that we even have our own culture and language called Te Reo Māori and also our own dance called the haka and our own way of cooking called a hangi and you can cook it under the ground and we accept every culture." (Tamia, 9 years)

"Well, we have three official languages: Te Reo Māori, English, and sign language. We also have so many different cultures,like Chinese, Japanese, South African, Canadian, American and Filipino to name a few. One important part of our Māori culture is the haka. Which in English means a dance to show respect and mana (power)." (Elise, 9 years)

"We respect and care for every culture equally and even have our own culture, Te Reo Māori. We have our own language, traditional dance (haka), way of cooking (hangi), clothing and even a whole week dedicated to Māori culture.

My favourite Māori tradition is the myths and legends, some examples are: how Maui and his brothers captured the sun to make the days longer, and how Maui went fishing in his favourite spot and fished up the North Island and many more." (Brayson, 9 years)

"Fortunately New Zealand is working to make Te Reo Māori (Māori language) stay alive. There is Māori in books, signs and even at tourist locations. In many primary, intermediate and high schools in New Zealand, they have kapa haka tutors that teach students to learn haka (Māori ceremonial war dance) and waiata (Māori song). This helps make Māori culture thrive." (Marcus, 9 years)

"I wish that all kids my age could have access to free education, hospital care and libraries like we do in New Zealand." (Jack, 9 years)

"New Zealand's hospitals are free for everyone. Kids who are sick can seek medical attention, even if their parents could not afford it. But not just that, if you work in New Zealand and lose your job, the government will pay money to you, so you can't see too many homeless people on the street.

New Zealand also has a pension scheme for the elderly so when they are too old to work they can have a regular income to help pay for food, utilities and basic necessities so you don't see the elderly homeless on the streets either.

Finally, I believe that New Zealand is a great place and the world should be more like New Zealand." (Brooke, 9 years)

"New Zealand is safe, beautiful, kind and has lots of native birds and native plants. It is not just a place to live, it is a place to belong." (Emma, 9 years)