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New Zealand Quiz: 12 Trivia Questions and Answers
New Zealand packs glaciers, volcanoes, fjords and subtropical beaches into two main islands, and it became famous around the world as the filming location of Middle-earth. This New Zealand quiz has 12 questions on its geography, wildlife, history and culture.
The Bing homepage recently featured the Hobbiton Movie Set near Matamata, so expect a few questions about hobbit holes and sheep farms too. Every question comes with the answer and a short explanation.
Play the New Zealand Quiz
Pick A, B or C for each question. The right answer turns green and a short fact explains it.
New Zealand Quiz Questions and Answers
Every question with its answer and explanation. Open “Show answer” after you guess.
1 What is the capital city of New Zealand?
- A Auckland
- B Wellington
- C Christchurch
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Wellington
Did you know? Wellington became the capital in 1865 because of its central location between the North and South Islands.
2 Near which town is the Hobbiton Movie Set located?
- A Queenstown
- B Rotorua
- C Matamata
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✓ Answer: C. Matamata
Did you know? Hobbiton was built on the Alexander family farm near Matamata, in the Waikato region of the North Island.
3 What type of farm surrounds the Hobbiton Movie Set?
- A A kiwifruit orchard
- B A sheep and beef farm
- C A vineyard
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✓ Answer: B. A sheep and beef farm
Did you know? The set sits on a working sheep and beef farm, which is why sheep appear in many photos of the Shire.
4 What is the Māori name for New Zealand?
- A Te Ika
- B Rarotonga
- C Aotearoa
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✓ Answer: C. Aotearoa
Did you know? Aotearoa is often translated as 'land of the long white cloud'.
5 The kiwi, New Zealand's national symbol, is what kind of animal?
- A A flightless bird
- B A small marsupial
- C A tree frog
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✓ Answer: A. A flightless bird
Did you know? Kiwis are nocturnal, flightless birds, and they lay one of the largest eggs relative to body size of any bird.
6 Which director filmed The Lord of the Rings trilogy in New Zealand?
- A Peter Jackson
- B James Cameron
- C Ridley Scott
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✓ Answer: A. Peter Jackson
Did you know? Peter Jackson, born in New Zealand, shot all three films there at the same time, with filming ending in 2000 before later pick-ups.
7 What is the traditional Māori war dance made famous by the All Blacks rugby team?
- A Siva
- B Haka
- C Hula
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✓ Answer: B. Haka
Did you know? The All Blacks perform the haka 'Ka Mate' before international matches, a tradition associated with the team since its early tours, including the 1905 'Originals'.
8 What is the name of New Zealand's highest mountain?
- A Aoraki / Mount Cook
- B Mount Taranaki
- C Mount Ruapehu
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✓ Answer: A. Aoraki / Mount Cook
Did you know? Aoraki / Mount Cook rises to about 3,724 m in the Southern Alps of the South Island.
9 In 1893, New Zealand became the first self-governing country to do what?
- A Give women the vote in national elections
- B Adopt a national anthem
- C Abolish the army
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✓ Answer: A. Give women the vote in national elections
Did you know? A petition led by Kate Sheppard helped women win the vote in 1893; she appears on New Zealand's $10 note.
10 Which fjord on the South Island is one of New Zealand's most famous sights?
- A Milford Sound
- B Geirangerfjord
- C Doubtful Harbour
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✓ Answer: A. Milford Sound
Did you know? Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) in Fiordland National Park was carved by glaciers and receives heavy rainfall, feeding many waterfalls.
11 Which city is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand, where commercial bungee jumping began?
- A Nelson
- B Queenstown
- C Napier
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✓ Answer: B. Queenstown
Did you know? The world's first commercial bungee site opened at the Kawarau Gorge Bridge near Queenstown in 1988.
12 Which famous 1953 climber from New Zealand made the first confirmed ascent of Everest with Tenzing Norgay?
- A Reinhold Messner
- B Edmund Hillary
- C George Mallory
Show answer
✓ Answer: B. Edmund Hillary
Did you know? Sir Edmund Hillary reached the summit on May 29, 1953, and appears on New Zealand's $5 note.
About New Zealand
New Zealand lies in the southwest Pacific Ocean, about 2,000 km southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea. It was one of the last major landmasses to be settled by people: Polynesian voyagers, the ancestors of the Māori, arrived around the 13th century and called the land Aotearoa, often translated as “land of the long white cloud”.
Because the islands were isolated for millions of years, they developed unusual wildlife with almost no native land mammals. Birds filled those roles instead, including the flightless kiwi, the parrot-like kea and the now-extinct moa. Today tourism, farming and film production are major industries, and the Hobbiton Movie Set in the Waikato region is one of the country's most visited attractions.
Hobbiton and the Bing Homepage Quiz
Hobbiton sits on a working family sheep and beef farm near Matamata on the North Island. Peter Jackson's team spotted it from the air in 1998 while scouting locations for The Lord of the Rings, and the set was rebuilt with permanent materials for The Hobbit trilogy. The September 23, 2026 Bing Homepage Quiz asked which country is home to the set, what kind of farm surrounds it and who first proclaimed Tolkien Week; see the answers for that day.
New Zealand Quiz FAQ
What is the capital of New Zealand?
Wellington, at the southern tip of the North Island, is the capital. Auckland is the largest city.
Where is the Hobbiton Movie Set?
Hobbiton is near Matamata in the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island, on a working sheep and beef farm.
What does Aotearoa mean?
Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand. It is commonly translated as “land of the long white cloud”.