It offers Also, some of the mountains … Not all of New Zealand is like that of course, but a whopping seventy five percent of the landmass is either mountains or hills. All of New Zealand's peaks over 3,000 metres are in the Southern Alps. The Southern Alps are a mountain barrier to the moist westerly winds of the Southern Ocean, this causes the rainfall on the West Coast. The North Island's highest peak is Mt Ruapehu which is 2, 797 metres or 9, 175 feet high. 25 New Zealand Animals and Where You Can See Them; 17 Souvenirs Your Friends Back Home Will Love; … New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific ocean, between latitude 34'S and 47'S. Lying in the south-west Pacific, New Zealand consists of two main islands - the North Island and the South Island. claire68938959 - Verified member since 2020 . But the North Island also has intense volcanic activity along the plate boundary. 1. The country runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. Captain James Cook,the real-life captain Jack Sparrow, was a captain of the Royal Navy of Britain who discovered New Zealand for the … Its nearest neighbour is Australia which is around 1,600 kilometres (995 miles)away. The capital of New Zealand owes its name to the first Duke of Wellington , who emerged victorious from the Battle of Waterloo against the Napoleonic troops. It measures 3, 684 meters Average psnz May 03 20 135 plays 2. New Zealand’s highest mountain outside of the Mt Cook region, Mt Aspiring (3,033 metres or 9,951 feet), is part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site. No New Zealand native animal list would ever be complete without mentioning the country’s most famous bird. Also in this area are the Southern Alps, which is the highest and longest mountain range in New Zealand. Read more →. Most people's image of New Zealand is a country filled with snow capped mountains. Mt Aspiring National Park is best accessed from Wanaka, a small lakeside resort town just an hour from Queenstown in the South Island. Those are part of the Misty Mountains. By Tayja Kuligowski, Junior Writer. Please recommend us. Twinkl » New Zealand » Years 0 - 3 » Social Sciences » New Zealand. Providing a credit or link is appreciated.Our content: logos, site names, text, photos, and website design are protected by international copyright law.Original versions of our photos can be purchased / licensed & web versions can be shared subject to conditions. * Map * Directions * Contact Get directions to and from MOUNTAIN AIR - Ruapehu. The southern Alps as seen from Lake Matheson. Most Fun Facts About Wildlife in New Zealand. The Mickey Mouselook-alike in the animal kingdom is found only in New Zealand. Ratings & Reviews; Curriculum Links; Make a Request; Resource Updates; Sign in to leave a review. Learn some interesting information about New Zealand while enjoying a range of fun facts and trivia that's perfect for kids! They are as follows: Author & photographer: David Johnson (Virtual New Zealand). kilometres (104,454 sq. Two large islands called the North Island and South Islands are the main islands of New Zeland, but there are many surrounding smaller islands of which the combinedland area is 270,534 sq. At its heart lies Christchurch, with a settled charm and lively cultural scene that was disrupted in 2010 and 2011, when the region experienced a swarm of earthquakes that redefined its physical and cultural landscape. New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. New Zealand Facts for Kids. New Zealand also contains some deeply indented mountainous fiords along the south west coastline, and give the country some of its most spectacular Reviewed on 07 June 2020 . All of New Zealand's peaks over 3,000 metres are in the Southern Alps. The South Island has 23 named peaks over 3,000 metres high. The Cook… MOUNTAIN AIR - Ruapehu : New Zealand Tourism Guide …spectacular lakes on the mountains, the Emerald Lakes, the Blue Lake and the Tama Lakes. Approximately 60% of the South Island is covered by mountain ranges. New Zealand lies in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. 70 Interesting Facts about New Zealand. One Day in Auckland 10 questions … Without a doubt, it is a very dramatic setting! It’s also one of best-known adventure destinations in the world. New Zealand has 24 peaks above 3000 metres. A handy set of fact sheets featuring key information about the biggest mountains in New Zealand. New Zealand is an exciting country in the South Pacific. And if you didn’t know that Queenstown makes a perfect stunt-double for many Middle Earth locations in Lord Of the Rings, get out from under your rock. (12, 283 feet) high. scenery. There are more than 3,000 glaciers or permanent snow patches in the South Island, including Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier that extend down to the floor of the valley. To celebrate International Mountain Day we have collated this list of interesting facts about the South Island mountains. The beautiful mountains of New Zealand have wondrous peaks soaring up high into the sky and majestic mountains that will inspire you to be a climber. Mount Tasman is nearby at 250 metres shorter than Aoraki/Mt Cook. New Zealand is about the same size as the UK or Japan. New Zealand is a land of great contrasts and diversity. Related Posts . New Zealand enjoys varied landscape and dramatic geographical features - from cascading glaciers, to active volcanoes, from placid lakes, to vast mountain ranges. New Zealand is balanced on the edge of 2 tectonic plates which move and swing in 2 directions. NZ is developing at about the same speed as your fingernails grow. The 100 highest mountains. Its two main islands (North and South) cover 266,200 square kilometres (103,735 square miles), about the size of Japan or California and slightly larger than Great Britain. Aoraki/Mt Cook, at 3,724 metres high, is New Zealand’s tallest mountain. A country of pristine landscapes, snowcapped mountain ranges, and exotic biodiversity, New Zealand is probably on everyone’s list of travel destinations. Let me know if this resource is updated. Stunning mountains, beaches, and woodlands make this one of the most beautiful places in the world! The massive Southern Alps form the backbone of the South Island. These mountains are an impressive 650-kilometre's long on an island that is only 840 km/522 mi long. A very odd thing to imagine for people living in the Northern Hemisphere. Take a guided trip with Alpine Fault Tours to learn more and see this for yourself. The Southern Alps are by Its impact upon the topography is unmistakable, forming an extremely sharp and straight northwest boundary to New Zealand’s tallest mountains, the Southern Alps. The North Island's highest peak is Mt Ruapehu which is 2, 797 metres The third-largest is Stewart Island (or Rakiura), located 30 kilometres (19 miles) off the tip of the South Island across Fove… The two main islands by size are the North Island (or Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (or Te Waipounamu), separated by the Cook Strait. Aoraki/Mt Cook is New Zealand's tallest mountain at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet) high. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and more than 700 smaller islands, covering a total area of 268,021 square kilometres (103,500 sq mi). Tips Contact this business using the details … Mount Cook is the highest peak in the miles. 3. This was the perfect location for the Misty Mountains, where the Fellowship had to walk under snowy conditions in the first movie. New Zealand's landscapes are spectacular and include the South Island's Southern A… Major urban areas have English or Maori names. This mountain is a volcano, and had some eruptions back in 1995 and 1996. Published November 10, 2016. Queenstown is one of the most popular destinations in New Zealand. Mt Try our Google Map of New Zealand with Search →, Aoraki/Mount Cook - 3, 755 m (12, 319 ft), Mount Elie de Beaumont - 3109 m (10, 200 ft), Mount Aspiring/Tititea - 3, 033 m (9, 951 ft) [2]. The Hector Dolphin, native to the southern island has two protruding ears, giving it a funny look. New Zealand also contains some deeply indented mountainous fiords along the south west coastline, and give the country some of its most spectacular scenery. The central North Island is dominated by the Volcanic Plateau, an active volcanic and thermal area. It is also one of the last places where humans settled which makes its history a very recent one and also inspires a sense of newness. When it was determined by Dutch explorers that New Zealand was not attached to the South American continent, they changed its name from Staten Landt (South America) to Nova Zeelandia (New Zealand), after the Dutch province of Zeeland. New Zealand has a stunning variety of landforms--from spectacular alpine glaciers and massive mountain ranges to rolling green farmland and long sandy beaches...(Geo… Ruapehu is also the location for the best skiing in the North Island. The South Island also has: 1. 23 named peaks over 3,000 metres high 2. more than 3,000 glaciers or permanent snow patches 3. many lakes of glacial origin (including seven of the 10 largest lakes in the country) 4. ice-carved fiords 5. the deepest and longest cave systems in the Southern Hemisphere and the best example of glaciated karst terrain (with limestone formations such as fissures… To finish off a quote from Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins, The Lord of the Rings) “The beauty of it (New Zealand) was not lost on us and the fact that it looked like CGI … kinda looked more perfect than nature, it was just funny because we were just looking at mountains thinking no one is going to believe this is real.”, This website will not function correctly without javascript. Along the Alpine Fault, the plates are sliding past each other (moving horizontally) somewhere between 35-40 millimeters per year. Sir Edmund Hillary gained his mountaineering experience on We hope you’ve found it enlightening and that it may even encourage a few more of you to make the trip down under! That’s right, New Zealand isn’t just all about the sheep… Learning about how wildlife evolves on an isolated set of islands in the South Pacific is just an added bonus to backpacking around New Zealand. New Zealand is a relatively mountainous nation with ranges in both the North and South. mountain before becoming the first man in the world to climb the highest peak on Earth, Mount Everest. Yep, the bunjy jump was born here in 1988 at the Shotover River’s Kawarau Bridge. Stewart Island and many smaller islands lie offshore. New Zealand facts to remember for your next visit! Its foundation dates back to the 10th century when Hawaiki’s chief Kupe explored the region and settled his people. Situated on two techtonic plates, the Australian Indian plate and the Pacific Plate, New Zealand is a land lifted high. of New Zealand's ski fields are located in the South Island however. New Zealand is an exciting, dynamic country in a constant process of change. Discover some interesting facts about New Zealand below. “ Te Mata Peak and surrounds provides a central point for fantastic Hawkes Bay views of the region towards the coast and also views of Havelock North, Hastings and Napier. Interesting Facts about Wellington: History. These mountains rise abruptly near the western coast and only reach the east coast of the island in the small town of Kaikoura. Here are 5 topographic and environmental things that you might not know: 1. ... Two of New Zealand's three official languages are English and Maori, the other being NZ Sign Language. The mountains are made of schist on the West Coast. It consists of a large number of islands, estimated around 600, mainly remnants of a larger land mass now beneath the sea. Santa Clause’s reindeer have a hard time delivering presents in New Zealand because it’s summertime during Christmas. New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the south-western Pacific Ocean, near the centre of the water hemisphere. 15 fun facts about New Zealand to inform your next holiday to our wonderful country. This rich blend of cultures, combined with geologically fascinating landscapes and unique flora and fauna, make New Zealand an exciting country to explore. To the east of the Southern Alps is the r… The Southern Alps are by far the highest, longest and most glaciated chain of mountains in the country. It is 230 metres higher than its nearest rival, Mt Tasman. These are all the mountains over 2,400 m with a topographic prominence (drop) of at least 300 m (985 ft), closely matching those on the list of mountains of New Zealand by the New Zealand Alpine Club.Five peaks overlooked on that list are indicated with an asterisk. So there we have it! Big skies, braided rivers, vast plains and snow-capped mountains: Canterbury has beauty and drama in all directions. Lake Mapourika is a kettle lake that was formed from a large block of ice was left behind by the Southern Alps Franz Josef Glacier over 14,000 years ago. Sort out the facts about islands across the globe. How would people fare if common place names are translated? The best example of glaciated karst terrain with limestone formations such as fissures, sinkholes and underground stream can be found at the Oparara Arches in Kahurangi National Park. In the South Island the process is different as the two plates are smashing into each other, (the same process that created the Himilaya's). The North Island of New Zealand has a 'spine' of mountain ranges running through the middle, with gentle rolling farmland on both sides. In the North Island one plate is slipping under the other which has created one major stretch of mountains from the East Cape down to Wairarapa and Wellington on the southern coastline. Southern Alps as well as Australasia. Approximately 60% of the South Island is covered by mountain ranges. Take a tour with Franz Josef Glacier Guides and Fox Glacier Guiding to see both of the glaciers. One of the best ways to get up close to the peak of Aoraki/Mt Cook is with Air Safaris, Franz Josef. So, here are some interesting facts about New Zealand that you will enjoy reading about. Some of the … 2. This … Active volcanoes, spectacular caves, deep glacier lakes, verdant valleys, dazzling fjords, long sandy beaches, and the spectacular snowcapped peaks of the Southern Alps on the South Island—all contribute to New Zealand’s scenic beauty. or 9, 175 feet high. New Zealand is a welcoming, diverse country with a history of Māori, European, Pacific Island, and Asian immigration. On the West Coast the mountains end steeply and abruptly at the line of the Alpine Fault. Read about New Zealand's tallest mountain, its population, major cities, islands, exports, animals, popular sports and much more. This amazing geography has made New Zealand a popular location for tourists as well as the production of television programmes and films, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy. 1. On the 11th of December 2003, the world celebrated the first International Mountain Day, to help create awareness and pay tributes to the incredible natural formations that have always inspired us to reach the peak. The Southern Alps contains all of the névés (large high snowfields) . This has given New Zealand its most spectacular natural feature, the mighty Southern Alps.