My Kiwi Cruise Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tasman Sea

We sailed southeast across the Tasman Sea, known in both Australia and New Zealand as 'the ditch'. It is part of the Pacific Ocean and was named after the 17th-century Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, who landed in New Zealand in 1642. The Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean both border Western Australia, on the opposite side of the continent.

The Weddell Sea is in Antarctica, near the southern tip of South America.

Answer: Prince William Sound

The sounds added an entire new level of meaning to the word 'awesome'. We were dwarfed by cliffs over a kilometre tall, and saw the graceful Lady Bowen Falls, Mitre Peak, and many other natural wonders.

Dusky is the largest of the dozen or so sounds in the area, followed by Doubtful and Milford. Most were discovered by Captain Cook in 1770. Cook also discovered Prince William Sound, but it is nowhere near New Zealand- it is in Alaska.

Answer: Dunedin

Dunedin is a very pretty city, second only to Christchurch in regards to population on the South Island. It is home to the steepest street in the world, Baldwin St. I tried to walk up, but gave up around the halfway mark. The Octagon is an eight-sided plaza, with the statue of Scottish poet Robbie Burns taking pride of place. Burns' nephew, Thomas, was one of the founders of the city.

Answer: Radiata pine

Pinus radiate (radiata pine) was introduced to NZ in the 1850s and is grown extensively in plantations. Because of the volcanic soil, it matures much quicker than in its native home of California (25 years as opposed to over 40). It grows straight, so is easy to process, and it has many uses, from housing (the majority of NZ homes are made of timber), boat building, plywood and pulping into paper.

The mountain horopito is also called pepperwood, and was extensively used by the Maori in traditional medicines and spices. The silver fern is the floral emblem of New Zealand, but is not suitable for timber. The waratah is a large shrub with huge red flowers, and is an Australian native.

The structure on the right-hand side of the picture is Westpac Stadium, home to the Hurricanes rugby team and the Wellington Phoenix A-League soccer team. Because of its shape, it is informally known as 'the cake tin'.

Answer: Art deco

The effects of the earthquake on Napier and neighbouring Hastings were cataclysmic. The sea floor rose more than two metres, causing catastrophic damage and killing more than 200 people. The ocean shore was moved by over a mile, and the resulting new land is where the new town was created.

Napier is now a tourist must-see, and the locals all get into the swing of things. Flappers, the Charleston, vintage Buick and Packard cars. If you like 'The Great Gatsby', you will love Napier.

The picture is the exterior of a public toilet, but much of the city looks similar.

Answer: Kiwifruit

Mount Maunganui is the port town for Tauranga, as the latter's harbour is too shallow for cruise liners.

Kiwifruit was originally known as Chinese gooseberry after its country of origin, but it was found to grow well in the volcanic soils of New Zealand. Apples are also a staple crop in New Zealand, but they grow on trees, not vines. Blackberries grow on bushes, and it would be hard to find a coconut tree in the entire country.

Did you know that one of the world's largest producers of kiwifruit is Italy?

Answer: Mt Victoria

Mt Victoria is only 90 metres tall, but has 360 degree views over Auckland and suburbs. At the top there is a 'disappearing' cannon, which was fascinating. After each shot, the whole cannon recoiled into a large pit, where it could be reloaded quickly. It also hid the gun placement from retaliatory fire. It was installed in 1885 to combat the feared Russian invasion, which never happened.

Mount Cook and Mitre Peak are both considerably taller, with Mt Cook (Maori name Aoraki), being the tallest in the country. Diamond Head is in Hawaii.

Answer: Waitangi

The treaty was supposed to give British protection and rights to the Maori tribes in return for transferring ownership of the land to the Crown. Because there were copies of the treaty in both English and Maori, there is still dispute between the parties.

The Treaty of Rarotonga is an agreement signed by many southern Pacific countries and relates to the banning of nuclear weapons within the area. New Zealand is a signatory. The Treaty of Jaffa was signed in 1192 and ended the Third Crusade, and the Timor Gap Treaty (1991) concerns petroleum deposits in the waters between Australia and Indonesia.

Answer: Apteryx

Dinornis was the moa, a huge flightless bird which became extinct in the 15th century, a Prosthemadera is the tui, a large honeyeater, and Strigops describes the very rare kakapo, a flightless, nocturnal parrot.

There are five species of kiwi, all of which are endangered. The word 'apteryx' comes from the Latin, meaning 'without wings'. They DO have wings, but they are only tiny, and virtually useless.

Answer: Auckland

At the base of the tower is the Auckland Casino, but the best bits are 200 metres over your head. Restaurants, viewing platforms and the SkyWalk, a narrow walkway outside the safety of the glass. If you feel so inclined, you are even able to jump off it- I did not feel THAT brave. I caught the lift instead.