New Zealand trivia questions.
A quiz that knows where it is. Thirty Kiwi questions from the free bank, the ones a local gets and a visitor guesses at. There are 75 in the bank, and every ready-made night with a Kiwi flavour mixes them in.
Who created the dog Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy?
Which flightless bird is New Zealand's national symbol?
AnswerScience and nature
Kiwi
Kiwi lay one of the largest eggs relative to body size of any bird. Source
What is the name of the Maori challenge the All Blacks perform before matches?
AnswerSport
Haka
The best-known haka, Ka Mate, was composed by the Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha. Source
Which New Zealand writer wrote the short story "The Garden Party"?
AnswerArt and literature
Katherine Mansfield
Mansfield was born in Wellington in 1888 and died in France aged 34. Source
Which New Zealander won the 2013 Booker Prize for "The Luminaries"?
AnswerArt and literature
Eleanor Catton
At 28 she was then the youngest Booker winner, and it was the longest winning novel. Source
Who wrote the novel "The Whale Rider"?
True or false: kiwifruit are native to New Zealand.
AnswerFood and drink
False
Kiwifruit are native to China; seeds were brought to New Zealand in 1904. Source
On what date is Waitangi Day, New Zealand's national day?25 April / 6 February / 26 January / 1 March
AnswerGeneral knowledge
6 February
The day marks the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. Source
What Māori word is used for a New Zealander of European descent?
AnswerGeneral knowledge
Pākehā
The word was in use by the early 1800s and its exact origin is unclear. Source
Which New Zealand city is nicknamed the City of Sails?
AnswerGeneral knowledge
Auckland
The nickname comes from the popularity of sailing on Auckland's harbours. Source
New Zealand's South Island is larger in area than the North Island.
Who became New Zealand Prime Minister in November 2023 after National won the election?
AnswerThe last few years
Christopher Luxon
A former Air New Zealand chief executive, he leads a three-party coalition with ACT and NZ First. Source
Which New Zealand-born physicist discovered the atomic nucleus?
AnswerScience and nature
Ernest Rutherford
Rutherford appears on the New Zealand 100 dollar note. Source
Which flightless, nocturnal New Zealand parrot is the world's heaviest parrot?
AnswerScience and nature
Kākāpō
Every surviving kākāpō has a name and is closely monitored by conservation workers. Source
What were the giant extinct flightless birds of New Zealand called?
AnswerScience and nature
Moa
The largest moa species stood about 3.6 metres tall with its neck stretched up. Source
Which cheeky alpine parrot of the South Island is known for pulling rubber off cars?
Which 2002 film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as a Māori girl named Paikea?
Which HBO comedy follows a New Zealand folk duo trying to make it in New York?
AnswerFilm and TV
Flight of the Conchords
Bret McKenzie later won an Oscar for a song in The Muppets. Source
What is New Zealand's national netball team called?
Which giant All Blacks winger ran over England in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semi-final?
The Bledisloe Cup is a rugby union contest between New Zealand and which country?South Africa / Australia / England / Fiji
AnswerSport
Australia
The cup is named after Lord Bledisloe, Governor-General of New Zealand in the early 1930s. Source
Who wrote "the bone people", winner of the 1985 Booker Prize?
Which New Zealand painter is known for large word paintings like "Victory over Death 2"?Rita Angus / Colin McCahon / Frances Hodgkin / Charles Goldie
AnswerArt and literature
Colin McCahon
New Zealand gave "Victory over Death 2" to Australia in 1978. Source
How many stars are on the flag of New Zealand?
Lisa Carrington won three golds at Paris 2024. How many Olympic gold medals did that give her in total?
AnswerThe last few years
8
She is New Zealand's most successful Olympian; the next best is Ian Ferguson with four golds. Source
What kind of animal is the New Zealand tuatara?Reptile / Amphibian / Bird / Mammal
AnswerScience and nature
Reptile
Tuatara are the only living members of the order Rhynchocephalia. Source
Which coastal tree, with crimson December flowers, is called New Zealand's Christmas tree?
In 1981, Australia's Trevor Chappell bowled the last ball of a one-day match underarm against which country?
What is New Zealand's men's cricket team nicknamed?
What is the Māori name for the North Island of New Zealand?Te Ika-a-Māui / Te Waipounamu / Rakiura / Aotearoa
AnswerGeneral knowledge
Te Ika-a-Māui
The name means the fish of Māui, after the legend of Māui hauling up a giant fish. Source