You Want to Go... Where? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Whangarei

Whangārei (pronounced Fong-A-Ray) is a sub-tropical harbour city in the north of New Zealand's North Island. Whangā is a Māori word meaning harbour.

Located about 160km (100 miles) north of Auckland (NZ's biggest city), the journey takes just over two hours by car.

Visitors to Whangārei will not miss Mount Parihaka, the 241m/790' peak towering over the city center. A road to the summit lookout reveals panoramic views of Whangārei Harbour and the surrounding districts.

Answer: Gisborne

William Gisborne has given his name to this city. He was Colonial Secretary (Deputy Governor) of New Zealand between 1869 and 1872. It seems that having a place named after you is considered an honour.

Sometimes called the "City of Rivers", three of these bodies converge at Gisborne. Māori landed here in the 14th century. Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa means 'the great standing place of Kiwa', Kiwa being a priest on the first Māori canoe to arrive. The British explorer, Captain James Cook, made his first New Zealand landing at Gisborne in 1769.

In 2011, the International dateline was redrawn. Now, Samoa and Tokelau are the first places in the world to see the sun rise.

Driving from Auckland to Gisborne is a journey that most New Zealanders would not undertake lightly. The distance of 480km (300 miles) takes about six hours, including the Waioka Gorge, the country's longest winding road at 53km (33 miles).

Answer: Nelson

Located at the top of the South Island, Nelson was first settled in 1841. It is the oldest city in the South Island and Nelson is consistently among NZ places with the highest annual sunshine hours.

Named after the famous naval commander, Admiral Horatio Nelson, visitors will notice many streets and public places bearing names associated with the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The Māori name of Whakatū can mean 'establish' and Nelson has boasted a cathedral since 1866. Also established are strong local economies in agriculture, seafood and tourism.

The South Island's largest city is Christchurch. A road journey there from Nelson is some 420km (260 miles) and takes around 5¼ hours.

Answer: Palmerston North

Palmerston North in the lower North Island is home to the main campus of Massey University (est. 1927). One of New Zealand's eight universities, it was named after Bill Massey, NZ Prime Minister from 1912 to 1925.

Te Papa-i-Oea translates to 'how beautiful it is', certainly a great recommendation. The city was originally named Palmerston after the British Prime Minister, Viscount Palmerston (in office from 1859 to 1865). Later "North" was added to the name to differentiate a similarly named location in the South Island. Locals frequently use the diminutive, 'Palmy'.

Visitors to Palmerston North will certainly notice that the city is located on the fertile Manawatu Plains. Nearby, the Tararua Range sports numerous wind turbines, part of New Zealand's largest Wind Farm. The Manawatu River runs through the city.

Palmerston North is much closer to Wellington, the capital city, than Auckland. Distances and driving times are: Wellington 140km/87 miles/1 hour 50; Auckland 515km/320 miles/6 hours.

Answer: Dunedin

Dunedin was named after the Scottish city of Edinburgh (Dłn Čideann in Scots Gaelic). The city surrounds part of Otago Harbour, a major South Island port. Ōtepoti refers to a centuries-old Māori canoe landing place in the Harbour.

One of Robert Burns' nephews was a clergyman in Dunedin, the South Island's second largest city (after Christchurch). New Zealand's oldest university, Otago, was established in 1869 and education is still a major industry here.

Dunedin's city center has an eight-sided plaza, known as 'The Octagon': something unique in New Zealand.

Dunedin lies 360km (225 miles) south of Christchurch. The drive takes about 4½ hours.

Answer: Wellington

Wellington has been New Zealand's capital since 1865, taking over the role from Russell and then Auckland. No doubt the city's central location in the country was a major reason for that. Wellington also holds the distinction of being the world's southernmost capital city.

The city was named after Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, and the victor at Waterloo in 1815. There are several different Māori names for Wellington. Of these, Pōneke is a transliteration of 'Port Nick' and Port Nicholson is the harbour that the city surrounds.

Wellington is the second-largest city in the North Island and is located at its southern end. Nearby, the narrow Cook Strait separates New Zealand's two biggest islands. A wind-funnel effect means there are few still days here and the city's alliterative nickname is, 'Windy Wellington'.

The road trip from Auckland to Wellington will tire even the most dedicated traveler. With a distance of some 640km (400 miles), expect it to take the best part of eight hours.

Answer: Christchurch

New Zealand has places called Jerusalem and Bethlehem, but neither are cities. Christchurch is the Canterbury region's major city and is built on the Canterbury Plains. Between Lyttelton Harbour and Christchurch City lie the Port Hills. Road and rail tunnels ease the journey between city and port.

Christchurch is named after Christ Church College at Oxford University in England. Ōtautahi means, 'the place of Tautahi', a location by the city's Avon River that was frequented by Te Potiki Tautahi, a Māori chief.

In recent times, Christchurch and the Canterbury region suffered a devastating series of earthquakes and a terrorist attack. A 2011 earthquake resulted in the deaths of 185 people and damaged many public buildings and private houses. In 2019, an Australian white-supremacist attacked two Islamic mosques, killing 51 people.

The region's professional rugby union team was formerly known as The Canterbury Crusaders, but since the mosque attacks is now The Crusaders. In the 24 seasons from 1996 to 2019, The Crusaders team were Super Rugby champions ten times, and runners up on four other occasions.

Answer: Invercargill

Gore, Riverton and Bluff are all towns in the Southland region. Bluff is the port south of Invercargill, known for Ostrea Chilensis, an oyster delicacy native to New Zealand and Chile.

Invercargill is one of the world's southernmost cities. The name is formed from the Scots Gaelic word, Inbhr (river mouth) and to honour Captain William Cargill, one of Otago's founders. At that time, Southland was part of Otago. The Waihōpai River runs near to Invercargill. In Māori, wai means 'water' while hōpai translates as 'beach'.

Anyone involved with brass band music will be familiar with a piece called, "The Invercargill March." This music was written in 1909 by Alex Lithgow, also known as 'The Sousa of the South', who grew up in Invercargill.

It takes about seven hours to drive the 565km (350 miles) between Christchurch and Invercargill.

Answer: Tauranga

Tauranga is a harbourside city in the Bay of Plenty whose name appropriately means, 'safe anchorage'. The Port of Tauranga is one of New Zealand's largest.

Visitors will be impressed by the region's stunning scenery, sparkling water and temperate climate. In nearby Mount Maunganui, the extinct volcanic cone, Mauao (232m/761'), is visible from most of the city and marks the entrance to Tauranga Harbour.

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy is a well-known (and loved) series of children's books written by Lynley Dodd. On the Tauranga waterfront, a sculpture park features bronze statues of many of the animal characters from these books.

The road journey from Auckland to Tauranga takes about 2½ hours to cover the 210km/130 mile distance.

Answer: Auckland

Auckland is far and away New Zealand's biggest city. With the sparkling Waitematā Harbour leading to the Pacific Ocean and the rugged Manukau Harbour connecting westwards to the Tasman Sea, it's no wonder that Auckland is also known as "The City of Sails".

Tāmaki Makaurau translates as "Tāmaki desired by many", a tribute to the many natural resources enjoyed by Auckland. In 1840 Governor Hobson selected this settlement as New Zealand's second capital (after Russell) and named it to honour the British First Lord of the Admiralty, George Eden the Earl of Auckland. The 'Eden' name also figures prominently, including one of the city's many volcanic cones and the country's biggest sports stadium close by.

The vast majority of visitors to New Zealand will arrive and depart via Auckland Airport, New Zealand's biggest and busiest airport. In Auckland, the Sky Tower (328m/1076') is visible from most parts of city. An iconic Harbour Bridge crosses the Waitematā Harbour providing access to northern suburbs.

New Zealand has a good, well-developed roading network. All North Island towns and cities can be reached by car. Anyone wanting to drive from the North Island to the South Island will need to use ferry services to do so.