If I were to mention fjords, huge lakes, waterfalls, breath-taking glaciers and some of the best (and most reliable) snow in the world - what country springs to mind? If I talk about bungy jumping, beer, jet-boating, beer, tramping, beer, great hospitality and beer would we still be talking about the same place?

New Zealand: three main islands; 269,000 sq km (103,861 sq miles) of mountains, volcanoes, forests, rivers and boiling mud 1600 km (994 miles) west of Australia. Population: 3.5 million (88% European, 12% Maori and Polynesian); Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZ$), Time zone: GMT +12.

Those are the facts but what they don't tell you is that New Zealanders are welcoming, rugby-mad and possibly certifiable. Why? Well it was this small island nation that introduced an intransigent world to the joys of transferring yourself at great speed from somewhere very high up to somewhere very low down (and often filled with water) with only an elastic band between you and a gooey fate. Thereby introducing the Kiwi expressions 'ohmigodayamgointodieeee' and 'aaarrrrrghhhhh' into the vocabulary of over 350,000 foreigners gullible enough to give it a go.