New Zealand consists of more than six hundred islands, mainly remnants of a larger land mass now beneath the sea. New Zealand is the sixth-largest island country, and the third-largest located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. The following is a list of islands of New Zealand.
The two largest islands – where most of the population lives – have names in both English and in the Māori language. They are the North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui and the South Island or Te Waipounamu. Various Māori iwi sometimes use other names, with some preferring to call the South Island Te Waka o Aoraki. The two islands are separated by the Cook Strait. In general practice, the term mainland refers to the North Island and South Island. However, the South Island alone is sometimes called "the mainland" – especially by its residents, as a nickname – because it is the larger of the two main islands.
To the south of the South Island, Stewart Island is the largest of the smaller islands, and Waiheke Island in the urban Auckland Region has the largest population of the smaller islands.
Listed by size The following table lists the largest islands of New Zealand by area. River delta islands such as Rakaia Island (),Taylor, Marie. Once-a-day milking next Turner challenge , 1 May 2004. Fereday Island, Rangitata Island, and Inch Clutha (approximately , , and respectively) are omitted, as are temporary islands in braided river channels and tidal islands such as Moturoa / Rabbit Island (). The country's largest island within a lake, Pomona Island, has an area of just .Pomona Island Charitable Trust, Department of Conservation. Retrieved 22 November 2010.
Rank Name of island Indigenous name Area (km2) Area (sq mi) % of NZ area Population1South Island or Te Waipounamu Te Wahi Pounamu, Te Waka a Māui, Te Waka o Aoraki56.2%2North Island or Te Ika-a-Māui Aotearoa42.3%3Stewart Island / RakiuraTe Punga o Te Waka-a-Māui0.6%4004Chatham IslandRekohu (Moriori); Wharekauri (Māori)0.3%6005Auckland IslandMauka Huka0.2%06Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island)0.1%8507Resolution IslandMauīkatau, Tau Moana08Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island<0.1%About 52Gerard Hindmarsh (2006). Discovering D'Urville, Heritage New Zealand, Winter 2006.9Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku010Adams Island 11Waiheke Island12Secretary IslandKā Tū-waewae-o-Tū013Arapaoa Island 5014Pitt Island (Rangiauria)Rangiaotea (Moriori)3815Matakana Island22516Raoul IslandRangitahua017Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier IslandHauturu~0.0%18Rangitoto Island19Antipodes Island20Kapiti Island21Kawau Island8122Long IslandMotu Roa023Cooper IslandAo-ata-te-pō24 Ponui Island / Chamberlins IslandTe Pounui-o-Peretū25Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu)26Ruapuke Island27Motutapu Island28Codfish Island / Whenua Hou29Mayor Island / Tūhua30Coal IslandTe Puka-Hereka31Anchor IslandPukenui32Mōtītī Island2733Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island0
Listed by highest point
The table below lists the islands of New Zealand ranked by their highest elevation. All of these islands are located in either harbours or the open sea. The country’s tallest island situated within a lake is Pomona Island, which rises to above sea level, approximately above the normal lake level of Lake Manapouri.
Rank Name of island Highest point Name of peak Type of peak1South Island or Te WaipounamuAoraki/Mount CookTectonic2North Island or Te Ika-a-MāuiMount RuapehuVolcanic3Secretary IslandMount GronoTectonic4Resolution IslandMount Clerke5Stewart IslandMount Anglem / Hananui6Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville IslandTakapōtaka / Attempt Hill7Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier IslandMount HauturuVolcanic8Adams IslandMount Dick9Auckland IslandCavern Peak10Great Barrier IslandMount HobsonTectonic11Long IslandUnnamed12Campbell Island / Motu IhupukuMount HoneyVolcanic13Arapaoa IslandNarawhiaTectonic14Cooper Island Unnamed15Kapiti IslandTuteremoana16Raoul IslandMoumoukai PeakVolcanic17=Anchor IslandUnnamedTectonic17=Taranga (Hen) IslandThe Pinnacles19Bauza IslandUnnamed20Maud Island/Te Hoiere21Antipodes IslandMount GallowayVolcanic22Forsyth IslandUnnamedTectonic23Mayor Island / TūhuaOpuahauVolcanic24Moutohora IslandMotu Hara25Breaksea IslandUnnamedTectonic26Solander Island / HautereVolcanic27Whakaari / White IslandMount Gisborne28Chatham IslandUnnamed29Blumine Island / OruawairuaTectonic30Manawatāwhi/Great Island31Mangere Island (Chatham Islands)Whakapa32Stephens Island / TakapourewaUnnamed33Rangitoto IslandRangitotoVolcanic34Coal IslandUnnamedTectonic35Codfish Island / Whenua Hou36Nukuwaiata Island37Pitt Island / RangiauriaWaihere38Macauley IslandMount HaszardVolcanic39Taukihepa / Big South Cape IslandUnnamedTectonic40Whatupuke Island41=Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu)Mount MohiVolcanic41=Waiheke IslandMaunganuiTectonic43Jacquemart IslandUnnamedVolcanic44Wakaterepapanui IslandTectonic45South East Island / Rangatira46Rakitu Island47Aorangi Island48=Cuvier Island48=Little Mangere IslandWhakapa50Moekawa / South West IslandUnnamed51Bollons IslandVolcanic52Indian IslandTectonic53Tawhiti Rahi Island54Tinui Island (Rangitoto Islands)55Matapara / Pickersgill Island56=Great Island56=Kaikōura IslandMitre Peak56=Pearl IslandUnnamed59Coppermine IslandHuarewa60Kawau IslandGrey Heights61Te Kakaho IslandUnnamed62Motukawanui IslandMaungapouri63Ōhau / West IslandUnnamed64Motutapere Island65Ponui IslandPonui66Motuoruhi IslandUnnamed67Lady Alice Island68The Castle / Rangiwheau69Long Island, Marlborough70Noble Island71Chalky Island72=Red Mercury IslandVolcanicPuangiangi IslandTectonic
In harbours and the open sea
Aiguilles Island Aldermen Islands Allports Island Amerikiwhati Island Anatakupu Island Anchor Island Anchorage Island Anvil Islet Aorangaia Island Araara Island Arakaninihi Island Arapaoa Island Aroha Island Aua / King Billy Island Awarua Rock Bauza Island Beehive Island / Taungamaro Island Bell Island Bench Island Best Island Bignell Reef Bishop and Clerks Islands Bland Rocks Blue Gum Island Blumine Island / Ōruawairua Boat Passage Islands Boom Rock Bragg Nugget Breaksea Island The Brothers Browne Island Browns Island (Motukorea) Bull and Cow Islands Calliope Island, Whangārei Heads Catherine Island, Charles Sound Cavalli Islands Chalky Island
Chetwode Islands Coal Island Codfish Island / Whenua Hou Cooper Island Dog Island Cuvier Island Dragon Island Eleanor Island, Charles Sound Elizabeth Island Fanny Island, Charles Sound Fergusson Island, Southland Fisherman Island Forsyth Island Frenchman Island, Whangārei Heads Goat Island / Rakiriri Great Barrier Island/Aotea Great Island Green Island (Okaihe) Green Island Guano Island, Whangārei Heads Hares Ears Haulashore Island Hen and Chicken Islands High Island Herald Island Horomaka Island Indian Island Jacky Lee Island Kaikōura Island Kapiapia Rock Kapiti Island Kārewa / Gannet Island Karewa Island Kawau Island Kopuahingahinga Island, Manukau Harbour Lee Island Lloyd Island Long Island, Marlborough Long Island (Southland) Māhungarape / Round Island Mahurangi Island Mahurangi Island (Goat Island) Mākaro / Ward Island Mana Island Matakana Island Matapara / Pickersgill Island Matapia Island Matiu / Somes Island Maud Island/Te Hoiere Mauitaha Island, Whangārei Heads Mayor Island / Tūhua Mercury Islands Mokohinau Islands Mokopuna Island Mōtītī Island Motuara Island Motuareronui / Adele Island Motuarohia Island Motueka Island (Pigeon Island) Motuhoa Island, Tauranga Harbour Motuihe Island Motukaraka Island Motukaraka Island, Hokianga Motukaroro Island Motukōrure Island / Centre Island Motukawao Islands Motuketekete Island Motukiore Island, Parua Bay Motukōkako Island / Piercy Island Motu Matakohe / Limestone Island Motunau Island Motunau / Plate Island Motuora Motuoroi Island Moturaka Island Moturoa / Rabbit Island Moturekareka Island Moturiki Island Motutapu Island Moutohora Island/Whale Island Native Island Nee Island Ngarango Otainui Island Shelter Island Ngā Motu / Sugar Loaf Islands Ninepin Rock, Manukau Harbour Noble Island North Island Okorotere Island Opahekeheke Island Open Bay Islands Ōtamahua / Quail Island Pakatoa Island Pakihi Island Pararekau Island, Manukau Harbour Pearl Island Pepin Island (a tied island connected to the mainland) Ponui Island Poor Knights Islands Portland Island Pourewa Island Puketutu Island Putauhinu Island Quarantine Island / Kamau Taurua Rabbit Island (Bluff) Rabbit Island (Coromandel, North) Rabbit Island (Coromandel, South) Rabbit Island (Great Barrier Island) Rabbit Island (Warkworth) Rat Island (Whangārei) Rakino Island Rakitu Island Rangitoto Island Rangitoto Islands, Marlborough Sounds Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island Raratoka Island Resolution Island Ripapa Island Rotoroa Island Rurima Rocks, including Rurima Island Ruapuke Island Secretary Island Shark Island, Manukau Harbour Shoe Island / Motuhoa Simmonds Islands Slipper Island South Island Stephens Island / Takapourewa Stephenson Island Stewart Island Taieri Island / Moturata Takangaroa Island Taputeranga Island Tarahiki Island Tarakanahi Island Tata Islands Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island Te Motu-o-Kura / Bare Island Te Hāwere-a-Maki / Goat Island Te Tio Island Tikitiki Island, (The Ninepin), Bay of Islands Tiritiri Matangi Island Tītī / Muttonbird Islands Tokomāpuna Island / Aeroplane Island Tonga Island Ulva Island Urupukapuka Island Waiheke Island Waikaranga Island Wakatehāua Island Walker Island Watchman Island Whakaari / White Island Whanganui Island Whangaokeno / East Island Whatitirinui Island White Island (Otago) Wiroa Island, Manukau Harbour
In rivers and lakes
Arran Island (in Lake Te Anau) Belle Vue Island (in Lake Manapouri) Birch Island (in the Clutha River / Mata-Au) Bird Island (in the Pōrangahau River) Black Jacks Island (in Lake Benmore) Budges Island (in Big Lagoon) Bull Island (in Lake Wānaka) Buncrana Island (in Lake Manapouri) Bute Island (in Lake Te Anau) Channel Islands (in Lake Manapouri) Cumbrae Island (in Lake Te Anau) Dome Islands (in Lake Te Anau) Doubtful Island (in Lake Te Anau) Centre Island Entrance Island (in Lake Te Anau) Erin Island (in Lake Te Anau) Fereday Island (in the Rakaia River delta) Harwich Island (in Lake Wānaka) Hidden Island (in Lake Wakatipu) Holmwood Island, (in Lake Manapouri) Inch Clutha (in the Clutha / Mata-Au delta) Junction Island (in Lake Benmore) Karihoa Island (in Waikato River) Kaiwaka No.1 Island (in Waikato River delta) Kaiwaka No.2 Island (in Waikato River delta) Lee Island (in Lake Te Anau) Mahara Island (in Lake Manapouri) Manutahi Island (in Waikato River) Mary Island (in Lake Hauroko) Mokoia Island (in Lake Rotorua) Motakorea Island (in Waikato River) Motuariki Island (in Lake Tekapo) Motukakako Island (in Waikato River delta) Motutaiko Island (in Lake Taupō) Moutoa Island (in the Whanganui River) Mou Tapu (in Lake Wānaka) Mou Waho (in Lake Wānaka) Motutieke Island (in Waikato River delta) Namuheiriro Island (in Waikato River) Ngāhinapōuri Island (in Waikato River delta) Opuawhanga Island (in Waikato River) Pigeon Island/Wāwāhi Waka (in Lake Wakatipu) Pig Island/Mātau (in Lake Wakatipu) Pomona Island (in Lake Manapouri) Puehunui Island (in Waikato River delta) Rabbit Island (Canterbury) (in Rakaia River) Rakaia Island (in the Rakaia River delta) Rangitata Island (in the Rangitata River delta) Rona Island (in Lake Manapouri) Ruby Island (in Lake Wānaka) Silver Island (in Lake Hāwea) Stevensons Island/Te Peka Karara (in Lake Wānaka) Tarahanga Island (in Waikato River) Tawanui Island (in Waikato River delta) Te Kopura Island (in Waikato River) Te Toki Island (in Waikato River) Te Weranga Okapu Island (in Waikato River delta) Tree Island (in Lake Wakatipu) Whatamakiri Island (in Waikato River delta)
Outlying
New Zealand administers the following islands outside the main archipelago. Only the Chatham Islands have a permanent population although others also did in the past. Others host visitors for science, conservation, meteorological observation and tourism. Chatham Islands