New Zealand Splendor (1963)

[Music] until recent decades the people of New Zealand lived in Majestic isolation cut off from the rest of the World by infinite distances from ockland in the north it's 12200 m to the nearest land mass Australia and 6,500 mil to San Francisco now however the jet age has changed all that New Zealand is a farming and dairy Nation Lush verant pasture land has been hacked from the thick forests forests that are now scientifically harvested from plantations that cover a million Acres cook Straight separates New Zealand's two main land masses north and south island and overlooking the straight is Wellington national capital and center of the government that administers an independent nation within the British Commonwealth the queen is represented by a governor general and when Parliament is opened it's a bit of old England reincarnated 12,000 M away on the other side of the world settled by Polynesian seafarers 600 years ago New Zealand was first visited by Europeans in 1769 when Captain Cook landed it came under the British flag in 18 1840 then became a dominion and finally an independent nation its ties to the British Empire remained strong New Zealand suffered little from the ills of colonialism the rights of the Native Mari tribes were protected from the beginning their cultures were encouraged and they had equality with whites the Mari greeting is an affectionate rubbing of noses [Music] [Laughter] tribal dances that have remained unchanged through generations are classic examples of Polynesian culture each movement each gesture is traditional Central North Island is honeycombed with thermal Springs which only recently have been tapped to generate electrical power spitting and steaming erupting and towering geysers the phenomena is like a scene from dant's [Music] Inferno in the Rotorua geyser area are displays of volcanic mud holes bubbling Pockets that are the aftermath of [Music] eruptions this is how the Earth must have appeared during its formation millions of years ago the cities and towns of the nation are modern in every respect and unique in their Administration for the government has a hand in everything from milk plants to railroads they work a strict 5-day week and on Sunday you can't purchase a newspaper or a [Music] razorblade the beaches are fabulous long gentle slopes falling off into warm Azure water porpuses Frolic along the coast and in the harbors New Zealand has honored one porpus who would regularly escort vessels into port in New Zealand the porpuses are beloved clowns the country is ribbed by mountain ranges and studded with Lakes many inaccessible except by plain oneir of New Zealand is too rugged for settlement but the adventuresome fisherman can find some of the finest fishing sport in the world trout [Music] it's an area where a fish story is Stranger Than the truth and it attracts fishermen from the world over these rainbow Brown and speckled trout weigh up to 18 [Music] lb the extinct volcanic range that tow above the Lush and fertile Plains is broken by peaks of indescribable Beauty termed by many the most beautiful mountains outside of Switzerland Mount Cook named for the Explorer is 12,000 ft and frosted with a brilliant coating of glistening snow the Splendor of New Zealand's mountains is attracting more and more tourists and Sportsmen each year [Music] even the rigorous sport of skiing is too tame for some and they take to the air aboard ski equipped Charter planes for flights over the breathtaking mountains to the remote areas where Glaciers are [Music] born this is is exploring with a maximum of comfort but at the same time danger is a constant companion there's nowhere to land among these rugged Peaks the nearest Haven is a glacier bed many miles up the valley it takes a pilot with special skills to bring a small plane down he has to spot a Long Level stretch on the glacier watch each shadow that might be an ice pocket take into consideration patches of glass smooth ice and fly the plane besides the Thrills of the flight are not enough they continue to explore tasmin Glacier a foot this is the most famous of New Zealand's glaciers 18 M long a mile and a half wide and nearly a half mile deep as you wander among the crevices and towering Pinnacles of ice you seem to be in some frozen Cathedral even today much of this remote Mountain country has not been fully explored so New Zealand offers a Last Frontier for the venturesome those who Dare Challenge the land of the Great White Cloud as the mai natives called these snowy ranges many centuries ago [Music] a land of lofty Mountain glaciers and quiet beaches of modern cities and exotic forests the land the air age has discovered land of pioneers who built a thriving Nation on this island at the bottom of the world [Music]