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Today in History13/12/1642 - First recorded European sighting of NZSome time towards noon the Dutch
explorer Abel Tasman sighted 'a large land, uplifted high'. What he most
likely saw was the Southern Alps, perhaps
the peaks of Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman.
moreGet TiH as RSS What happened that day?Search event by dateSee historic events for any day of the year by entering the date below. Why not try your birthday?
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Kiwi Christmas
Christmas in New Zealand is less about snow and sleigh bells and more about sun, sand and barbecues in the backyard. Find out about the Kiwi Christmas experience - the first celebrations, the songs we sing, the games we play and much more...
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Embarkation database - NZ in the South African ('Boer') War
100 Maori words every New Zealander should know
Anzac Day
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North Otago memorial oaks
Oamaru North School memorial
Armstrong 9-pounder gun
Ernest Rutherford
Elizabeth Yates
Ed Hillary on trans-Antarctic expedition stamp
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Cook Strait rail ferries
On a fine, calm day ‘Cruising on the Interislander’ can be
like a luxury Mediterranean cruise. But Cook Strait can be one of the world's roughest stretches of
water: seasickness, dodgy food and wildcat strikes have all been part of the colourful Cook Strait ferry story.
Runs on the board - New Zealand cricket
Relive some of the highs and lows in the history of New Zealand's most popular summer team sport, cricket. Although the game has been played here since the 1830s, international success – especially against traditional rivals England and Australia – was a long time coming.
Tangiwai railway disaster
New Zealand's worst railway disaster occurred on Christmas Eve 1953. The Wellington–Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River, just west of Tangiwai, near Waiouru. Of the 285 people on board, 151 were killed. The tragedy left a nation in mourning and stunned the world.
The memorials register
More than 450 memorials are currently listed on the register. Find your local memorial with our interactive location map, or help us find out about the ones we've missed.
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