The development of transportation technology in New Zealand has facilitated trade, opened land for settlement and built communities. As the first mode of transport in the country, the waka was invaluable in the daily lives of early Maori and was vital to interactions with other tribes, particularly for trade, society and war.
With the arrival of Europeans available transportation methods increased with the development of railways and tramways, followed in the late 19th century by the automobile. The discovery of flight in the early 1900s created even greater transport opportunities and later technological advances now allows people to travel nationally and internationally at speeds once unimaginable.
Discover the story of New Zealand's transport technology, from the earliest settlers, when most long distance journeys were made by waka or by foot, until today. Transportation has opened New Zealand up to the world, allowing people to travel the globe by land, sea and air.
