Pacific Travel Guides

Geography

New Zealand is in the South Pacific Ocean, 1600km (994mi) southeast of Australia. It stretches 1600km (994mi) from north to south and consists of two large islands and a smattering of smaller islands - some hugging its shores, others hundreds of kilometres away. The North Island (115,000 sq km/44402 sq mi) and the South Island (151,000 sq km/58301 sq mi) are the two major land masses; the next largest is Stewart Island (1700 sq km/656 sq mi), which lies directly beneath the South Island. The North Island has a number of large volcanoes (including the recently active Mount Ruapehu) and highly active thermal areas, while the South Island boasts the Southern Alps - a spine of magnificent mountains running almost its entire length. Another notable feature of New Zealand is its myriad rivers and lakes: notably the Whanganui River and the breathtaking lakes Waikaremoana, Taupo and Wanaka.