New Zealand is located in the South Pacific, southeast of Australia. The country is made up of the main islands, the large North Island and the smaller South Island. There are also numerous smaller islands that belong to the national territory of New Zealand, including Stewart Island in the south of South Island and the Chatham Islands in the southeast of North Island.

Tourists come to New Zealand mainly because of the scenic beauties. Here you will find original rainforests, rugged mountain peaks, quiet mountain lakes and raging rivers. The largest city of New Zealand, Auckland, is located in a fertile, hilly / mountainous region (here heights of up to 2,790 m are reached) in the north of North Island. New Zealand is known for its volcanic activity, and you can see geysers, hot springs and active volcanoes while traveling around the country. The area around Rotorua, south of Auckland, in particular, has become a world-famous tourist island thanks to geysers, hot mineral springs and silica terraces.

New Zealand is not necessarily a destination for a last-minute vacation, but thanks to its incredibly diverse natural landscape, it offers the best conditions for nature lovers traveling independently: many beautiful sandy beaches for swimming, active but safe volcanic areas, the snow-covered Southern Alps for skiing or mountain hiking as well as protected marine reserves, the Divers can explore underwater.

According to directoryaah, New Zealand is famous for its special flora and fauna. The flora and fauna here are considered to be some of the most extraordinary in the world. New Zealand’s archipelagos were separated from the mainland a long time ago. This almost complete isolation made it possible for very special plant and animal species to develop here. New Zealand’s vegetation is similar to that on the islands of New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island. These have also been geographically isolated for a long time and show parallels to the vegetation of New Zealand.

But of course not only the New Zealand vegetation is interesting. For many vacationers in New Zealand, the beaches are the focus of interest. All kinds of water sports can be practiced here, surfing is particularly popular.

New Zealand climate

New Zealand is generally characterized by a mild climate, but the weather is often changeable and precipitation must be expected all year round . The north of the country and the east coast are sunnier and drier. The large masses of water that surround the country ensure a maritime climate, only east of the high mountains on the South Island and in the Rangipo Dessert on the North Island there is a continental climate. The summers can get very hot here with temperatures above 30 ° C, whereas there is regular snow in winter. In the rest of New Zealand, however, snowfalls can only occur in the high regions.

New Zealand consists of two main islands, the North and South Island, which also have different climates. The North Island has a temperate climate with pleasant temperatures, around 15 ° C in winter and around 25 ° C in summer. The northern part of the North Island, however, is a special case. The climate here is subtropical, with very warm summers and mild winters.
The temperatures of the South Island are around 5-10 ° C less, and there is also a moderate climate here. The west coast of this island is considered rough and rainy. Strong westerly winds, the so-called Roaring Forties, are responsible for this. Large masses of water accumulate in them over the Tasman Sea, which finally fall on New Zealand in the form of rain showers at the high peaks behind the west coast.

Best time to travel to New Zealand

There is no best travel time in New Zealand, because in the extensive landscape the most different climatic conditions can be found in every season. New Zealand is therefore a classic year-round destination where you should be prepared for any weather. Basically, it must be noted that it is summer in New Zealand when it is winter in Germany and vice versa. From December to March, the northern part of the North Island is very suitable for a beach holiday thanks to the warm temperatures.

Population distribution of New Zealand

This map of the population distribution in New Zealand was created by the Worldmapper team. Densely populated areas appear bloated, the area of ​​sparsely populated areas is reduced. The shape of the grid has been preserved; an underlying map with the original geographic extent helps with the interpretation of the cartogram. The distorted map is intended to help visualize abstract statistical information.