“Hello from New Zealand!” Friend, Dec. 2023, 18–19.
Hello from New Zealand!
Learn about Heavenly Father’s children all over the world.
New Zealand is an island country in the Pacific Ocean. About 5 million people live there.
Temples
New Zealand has one temple, with two more being built! The Hamilton New Zealand Temple was the first temple built in the southern half of the world.
New Zealand Christmas Tree
The pōhutukawa tree has red flowers that bloom only in the summer at Christmastime. People use the flowers to decorate for Christmas.
Languages
New Zealand’s official languages are English, Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language. Māori is the language of the first people who came to New Zealand.
Hāngī
The Māori people sometimes cook their food with a hāngī. They place baskets of meat and vegetables over heated stones in a hole in the ground. Then they cover it and let it cook.
Penguins
The world’s smallest penguin, the little blue penguin, lives in New Zealand and Australia. Many other penguins live along the coastline of New Zealand too!
Illustrations by Natalie Briscoe