New Zealand is a beautiful and fascinating country with a rich culture and stunning natural landscapes. It’s no wonder many riddles and brain teasers have been inspired by New Zealand’s unique wildlife, geography, history and culture. Here are 75 riddles about New Zealand along with their answers to challenge your mind and teach you more about this amazing country.
Riddles About New Zealand Animals
Many of New Zealand’s native animals are found nowhere else on earth. Their unusual traits and appearance have spawned numerous riddles over the years.
1. What hairy creature lays eggs and is found only in New Zealand?
Answer: The kiwi bird.
2. I’m a small parrot with bright red feathers. Captain Cook named me after his voyage. What am I?
Answer: The kakapo.
3. I have feathers but I cannot fly. I am flightless but can run very fast. What am I?
Answer: The kiwi bird.
4. I am New Zealand’s largest reptile. I can live over 100 years old. What am I?
Answer: Tuatara.
5. I am an insect found only on some New Zealand offshore islands. I glow in the dark at night. What am I?
Answer: The glowworm.
6. I am a small, furry marsupial found in New Zealand forests. What animal am I?
Answer: Possum.
7. I am a species of parrot with bright red feathers under my wings. I am New Zealand’s heaviest parrot. What am I?
Answer: The kakapo.
8. I am a New Zealand bird that cannot fly but I am known for my speed on land. What am I?
Answer: Kiwi.
9. I am a large seabird that only breeds on New Zealand’s coasts and offshore islands. I have a large hook on the end of my beak. What am I?
Answer: The albatross.
10. I am a small, nocturnal bird endemic to New Zealand. I use echolocation to find food in the dark. What am I?
Answer: The New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat.
Riddles About New Zealand Geography
From glacier-carved fiords to volcanic peaks, New Zealand’s dramatic natural landscapes have inspired many riddles over time.
11. I am found in the Southern Alps on New Zealand’s South Island. I am a large glacier-carved lake. What am I?
Answer: Lake Tekapo.
12. I am an active volcano located on the North Island. I last erupted in 2012. What am I?
Answer: Mount Tongariro.
13. I am New Zealand’s largest lake located in the Central Plateau of the North Island. What am I?
Answer: Lake Taupo.
14. I am a narrow strip of land connecting the North and South Islands of New Zealand. What am I?
Answer: Rakiura National Park.
15. I am a famous hiking trail that leads to a large alpine lake on the South Island. What am I?
Answer: The Milford Track.
16. I am a narrow stretch of water that separates the North and South Islands. What am I?
Answer: Cook Strait.
17. I am a famous cave formation and a New Zealand landmark found on the western coast of the South Island. What am I?
Answer: The Pancake Rocks.
18. I am a national park known for my stunning rainforests, beaches and offshore islands. Where am I?
Answer: Abel Tasman National Park.
19. I am New Zealand’s highest mountain peak, located in Mt Cook National Park. What am I?
Answer: Aoraki/Mount Cook.
20. I am a natural phenomenon caused by glowworms in underground caves on the South Island. What am I?
Answer: The glowworm caves.
Riddles About New Zealand History & Culture
The native Maori culture and early European settler history have also inspired many brain teasing riddles.
21. I am a traditional Maori war dance performed by warriors. What am I?
Answer: The haka.
22. I am a traditional Maori greeting done by pressing noses and foreheads together. What am I?
Answer: The hongi.
23. I am a traditional Maori meeting place made of carved wood. What am I?
Answer: The marae.
24. I am a traditional Maori facial tattoo. What am I?
Answer: Moko.
25. I am a pointed structure built by early Maori for defense. What am I?
Answer: A pa site.
26. I am a traditional Maori pendant carved from whale bone or greenstone. What am I?
Answer: A hei tiki.
27. I am New Zealand’s largest Polynesian festival held every November in Auckland. What am I?
Answer: The Pasifika Festival.
28. I am the treaty signed between Maori tribes and the British crown in 1840. What am I?
Answer: The Treaty of Waitangi.
29. I was a New Zealand explorer who reached New Zealand before Abel Tasman. Who am I?
Answer: Kupe.
30. I am the European explorer credited with being the first to discover New Zealand. Who am I?
Answer: Abel Tasman.
Riddles About New Zealand Food & Drink
Kiwis love their food and drink, which has inspired riddles like the ones below.
31. I am a circular bread made with brown sugar. What am I?
Answer: An ANZAC biscuit.
32. I am a hot drink made with espresso mixed with foamed milk. What am I?
Answer: A flat white coffee.
33. I am a thick, creamy pudding made from cornflour and milk. What am I?
Answer: A creamy pavlova.
34. I am a type of lamb meat dish cooked in an underground oven. What am I?
Answer: Hangi.
35. I am a savory pie filled with minced meat and vegetables. What am I?
Answer: A meat pie.
36. I am a brown sauce that Kiwis love to put on just about everything. What am I?
Answer: Tomato sauce.
37. I am a popular breakfast spread made from yeast extract. What am I?
Answer: Marmite.
38. I am a carbonated beverage created in New Zealand in the 1930s. What am I?
Answer: L&P (Lemon & Paeroa).
39. I am a sweet confection named after a New Zealand city. What am I?
Answer: A chocolate fish.
40. I am a type of ice cream with small pieces of honeycomb toffee in it. What am I?
Answer: Hokey pokey ice cream.
Riddles About New Zealand Cities & Towns
New Zealand’s cities and towns each have their own unique traits that have inspired riddles over time.
41. I am New Zealand’s largest city, located on the North Island. Who am I?
Answer: Auckland.
42. I am considered New Zealand’s cultural capital, home to Te Papa museum. Where am I?
Answer: Wellington.
43. I am a small city on the east coast of the South Island known for whale watching. Where am I?
Answer: Kaikoura.
44. I am a city located amid the vineyards of Hawke’s Bay. Who am I?
Answer: Napier.
45. I am home to the famous Hobbiton movie set from The Lord of the Rings. Where am I?
Answer: Matamata.
46. I am a city on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, famous for bungee jumping and skiing. Where am I?
Answer: Queenstown.
47. I am located on the volcanic Banks Peninsula and known for eco-tours and marine life. What city am I?
Answer: Akaroa.
48. I am New Zealand’s southernmost city located on the South Island. What am I?
Answer: Invercargill.
49. I am the westernmost city on the South Island and gateway to Fjordland. What city am I?
Answer: Greymouth.
50. I am the largest city on the South Island and center of the Canterbury region. What city am I?
Answer: Christchurch.
Riddles About New Zealand Native Plants & Trees
New Zealand is home to many unique native plants and trees which have inspired brain teasers.
51. I have long, thin leaves and my red flowers are the symbol of New Zealand. What am I?
Answer: Pohutukawa tree.
52. My leaves are silver on one side and green on the other. What native NZ tree am I?
Answer: The silver fern.
53. I am a native NZ tree that produces small, red, berry-like fruit. What am I?
Answer: The manuka tree.
54. I am a native tree with vibrant red flowers. My nectar is used to make honey. What am I?
Answer: The rata tree.
55. I am a native NZ plant used in Maori medicine. My leaves can help heal wounds. What am I?
Answer: The harakeke/flax plant.
56. I am a native NZ tree with thin, papery bark and twisted branches. What am I?
Answer: Cabbage tree.
57. I am a native NZ tree that can live for over 1,000 years. My bark peels off in thin sheets. What am I?
Answer: The totara tree.
58. I am a native NZ shrub with fuzzy, grey-green leaves. What am I?
Answer: The koromiko.
59. I am a native NZ plant with large, colorful flowers nicknamed the “NZ Christmas tree.” What am I?
Answer: The pohutukawa tree.
60. I am a climbing vine native to NZ forests. My flowers are shaped like violins. What am I?
Answer: The kohia/NZ passionflower vine.
Riddles About New Zealand Birds
New Zealand’s unique bird species like the flightless kiwi have spawned many riddles over time.
61. I cannot fly but I have a great sense of smell. What native NZ bird am I?
Answer: The kiwi.
62. I am a cheeky forest bird known for stealing shiny objects. What am I?
Answer: The kea parrot.
63. I am a small forest bird with a beautiful song found only in NZ. What am I?
Answer: The tui bird.
64. I am a NZ parrot with bright red feathers under my wings. What am I?
Answer: The kakapo.
65. I am a large NZ sea bird with a distinctive honking call. What am I?
Answer: The southern royal albatross.
66. I am a small grey bird that feeds on insects. I tilt my tail up and down while hunting. What NZ bird am I?
Answer: The fantail.
67. I am a NZ forest bird with a beautiful, bell-like song. What am I?
Answer: The bellbird.
68. I am a large NZ parrot with green feathers and bright red markings under my wings. What am I?
Answer: The kaka parrot.
69. I am a small grey bird known for flitting quickly from branch to branch. What am I?
Answer: The grey warbler.
70. I am a plump NZ bird with olive-brown feathers and a spot of blue on my cheeks. What am I?
Answer: The New Zealand robin.
Riddles About New Zealand Wildlife
Beside birds, New Zealand has many other unique animals which have inspired riddles.
71. I am New Zealand’s only native land mammal. What am I?
Answer: The long-tailed bat.
72. I am a large, flightless parrot found only in New Zealand. What am I?
Answer: The kakapo.
73. I am New Zealand’s oldest reptile species, living over 100 years. What am I?
Answer: The tuatara.
74. I am New Zealand’s largest spider, found in caves and forests. What am I?
Answer: The cave weta.
75. I am a small creature that glows in the dark caves of New Zealand. What am I?
Answer: The glowworm.
Conclusion
New Zealand’s unique wildlife, landscape, history and culture have inspired many imaginative riddles over time. Solving riddles about kiwis, sheep, hobbits and more is a fun way to learn more about the Land of the Long White Cloud. Next time you visit New Zealand, see how many local riddles you can solve!
