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THE COMPASS

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New Zealand

Graced with glacial mountains, dramatic fjords, and sapphire lakes, New Zealand is a natural paradise. The epic landscapes brim with geological drama and harbor the rich cultural heritage of the Māori, who have inhabited the islands for hundreds of years. This week we learn how New Zealand's glaciers shaped the origin of the kiwi bird, find out if a "lost continent" is hidden underneath New Zealand, and see 21 spectacular photos of adventures across the country.
Let's explore New Zealand.

ANIMALS

Sperm whales are known to dive as deep as 3,280 feet in search of squid, holding their breath for as long as 90 minutes.

PHOTOGRAPH BY FLIP NICKLIN, MINDEN PICTURES/NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Earthquakes can make it harder for whales to find food, first-ever study says

In 2016, a major earthquake wiped out whole animal communities, sending impacts reverberating up the food chain.

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An endangered rowi kiwi or okarito kiwi, Apteryx rowi, at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK

How New Zealand's glaciers shaped the origin of the kiwi bird

As glaciers expanded over New Zealand, the adorable kiwis diversified into more and more new lineages.

Watch as two divers encounter this 26-foot long pyrosome.

FOOTAGE BY STEVE HATHAWAY/CATERS NEWS

See the giant 'sea worm' filmed off the coast of New Zealand

Sea squirt. Fire body. Cockroach of the sea. These bizarre, glowing creatures can measure 26 feet or longer.

A female kakapo sits with her chick on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island in New Zealand. Nocturnal and flightless, these unusual parrots are critically endangered, with only 147 adults left in the world.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW DIGBY

Scientists are getting creative to save this muppet-faced, flightless parrot

The kakapo is down to its last 147 individuals. Now, scientists are using fitness trackers and semen-carrying drones to help the bird reproduce.

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SCIENCE

Satellite image of New Zealand.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PLANET OBSERVER, UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES

'Lost continent' hidden underneath New Zealand?

A group of researchers argues that the submerged landmass underneath New Zealand qualifies as a continent. But not everyone's convinced.

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Artistic reconstruction of Kumimanu biceae compared to a human diver.

COURTESY SENCKENBER

Human-size penguin fossils discovered

Scientists believe the 55-million-year old bird would have been the size of a man.

Fossil preparator Andrew Grebneff works on the Toipahautea waitaki specimen.

PHOTOGRAPH BY R EWAN FORDYCE

Prehistoric toothless whale among oldest of its kind

Fossils unearthed in New Zealand belonged to an ancestor of minkes and humpbacks that lived about 27.5 million years ago.

These glossy green leaves can be found on hundreds of cultivated kaikōmako on the New Zealand mainland. Today’s trees all originate from the only known wild specimen, on an island called Manawatāwhi.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRADLEY WHITE, MANAAKI WHENUA

The story of the world's loneliest tree

A single wild tree on a New Zealand island could soon get some neighbors—and that's a good thing.

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CULTURE

Soon, the government will grant a mountain legal personhood as well. Here's how it happened, and what it may mean.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATHIAS SVOLD

This river in New Zealand is a legal person. How will it use its voice?

Soon, the government will grant a mountain legal personhood as well. Here's how it happened, and what it may mean.

Every week, aging New Zealanders are gathering together for a rather unusual hobby: building their own coffins.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY LOADING DOCS

Kiwi Coffin Club throws glitter on the idea of dying

A growing number of New Zealand senior citizens are taking matters of death into their own hands through paint, song, and dance.

TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

The Linda Glacier route is one of the most popular ways to the summit of Aoraki/Mount Cook. Don't be fooled by popularity—the route takes an average of 15-18 hours to complete and climbers must keep a steady pace to avoid icefall along the way.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAKE NORTON, AURORA

21 spectacular photos of New Zealand adventures

Head to the North and South Islands to soak in cinematic vistas, heart-pounding ski descents, surfing scenes, and more to start planning your next adventure.

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After climbing down a clay bank, Poste was able to capture this glowworm supercluster. Patience was critical, as he spent over 60 hours deep inside the caves to create his film and images.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STOKED FOR SATURDAY

Dazzling video of a glowworm cave in New Zealand

Travel bloggers captured incredible video of glowworms—and avoided eels—in New Zealand's Waitomo Caves.

Ships dart in and out of the Auckland Ferry Terminal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID MADISON, GETTY IMAGES

Everything to know about Auckland

Whether you're a discerning food and wine connoisseur or a free-spirited adventurer, the City of Sails has it all.

Sunlight spills over the Remarkables mountain range in the Otago region on the South Island.

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN KING

Here's New Zealand's most epic drive

Beautiful, welcoming, and vast: This end-to-end road trip reveals what we love about New Zealand.

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WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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