Lake Rotoroa topographic map

Auckland’s topography is uniquely shaped by its position on a narrow, undulating isthmus between the Waitematā Harbour to the north and the Manukau Harbour to the south, creating a landscape defined by low coastal plains interrupted by abrupt volcanic relief. The city stands atop the Auckland Volcanic…

Average elevation: 32 m

Average elevation: 74 m

The climate of Dunedin in general is temperate. The city is recognised as having a large number of microclimates and the weather conditions often vary between suburbs mostly due to the city's topographical layout. Under the Köppen climate classification, Dunedin features an oceanic climate. The city's climate…

Average elevation: 110 m

Averaging 2,055 hours of sunshine per year, the climate of Wellington is temperate marine, (Köppen: Cfb), generally moderate all year round with warm summers and mild winters, and rarely sees temperatures above 23 °C (73 °F) or below 4 °C (39 °F). The hottest recorded temperature in the city is 31.1 °C…

Average elevation: 85 m

Average elevation: 66 m

The town is at a relatively low altitude for a ski and snowboarding centre, at 310 metres (1,020 ft) above sea level at the lake shore, but is nestled among mountains, most notably the scenic attraction of The Remarkables, to the town's southeast. Below the lake lies the deep Kawarau Gorge, and there are…

Average elevation: 592 m

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Fiordland has a wet mountain climate though conditions vary due to altitude and exposure. Rainfall is the highest in the country and varies between 6,500 and 7,500 mm annually. The farthest coastal reaches of Fiordland are characterized by a limited temperature range with increasing rainfall at higher…

Average elevation: 229 m

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The first development in the young Tongariro National Park was the construction of tourist huts at the beginning of the 20th century, but it was not until the opening of the North Island Main Trunk railway line between Auckland and Wellington in 1908 and the building of roads in the 1920s that a significant…

Average elevation: 888 m

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The South Island, also officially named Te Waipounamu, is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean.…

Average elevation: 201 m

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The topography puts Napier in danger from a tsunami, as the centre of the commercial city is near sea level – should the sea ever crest Marine Parade, the sea would run through to Ahuriri. Furthermore, by virtue of its pre-1931 existence, the bulk of Napier is susceptible to soil liquefaction, the risk…

Average elevation: 12 m

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Average elevation: 1,658 m

Mount Arthur (Tuao Wharepapa in Māori) is in the Wharepapa / Arthur Range in the north western area of the South Island of New Zealand. Mount Arthur, named after Captain Arthur Wakefield, lies within Kahurangi National Park and has a peak elevation of 1,795 metres (5,889 ft).

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Lower altitudes are characterised by tawa and tree ferns, as well as tall native trees, including kahikatea, mataī, miro, rimu, and tōtara. The Pouakani Tōtara tree, New Zealand's tallest Tōtara, is located east of the Field Centre. The giant tōtara, rimu, mataī, miro and kahikatea trees tower 40–60…

Average elevation: 419 m

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The special character of flora and fauna in the region was recognised prior to 1920. One particular example is the Gouland Downs, an area with unusual geology and vegetation, situated at around 600 m (2,000 ft) elevation to the west of Mt Perry. The Gouland Downs was one of eleven sanctuaries designated by the…

Average elevation: 338 m

Although the land Palmerston North is situated on is bounded by the lofty Ruahine and Tararua ranges in the east and south respectively, the city has a predominantly flat appearance. The occasional rise in elevation occurs further away from the river and is especially pronounced in the north and northeast, and…

Average elevation: 118 m

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Several large lakes lie wholly or partly within the park's boundaries, notably Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri, both on the western boundary of the national park, as well as the southern lakes Lake Monowai, Lake Hauroko, and Lake Poteriteri. All of these lakes exhibit the topography typical of glacier-carved…

Average elevation: 417 m

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Average elevation: 33 m

The South Island (Māori: Te Waipounamu, lit. 'the waters of Greenstone', officially South Island or Te Waipounamu or archaically New Munster) is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island and sparsely populated Stewart…

Average elevation: 201 m

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The Clutha River drains the high mountains of the Southern Alps in the west and passes through a complex topographic system of basins and ranges towards the east before reaching into the Pacific Ocean. A majority of the topographical features of the Clutha River catchment area are a direct result of the late…

Average elevation: 555 m

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The river is 155 kilometres (96 mi) long, rising at an elevation of 740 metres (2,430 ft) above mean sea level, 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Lake Taupō and 130 kilometres (81 mi) south of the Bay of Plenty coast. From its source in the Ahimanawa Ranges, at the confluence of the Tirikahu Stream and the…

Average elevation: 465 m

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The source of the Mangawhero River is located on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu at elevation of approximately 1,800 m (5,900 ft). The river begins within the area of the Tūroa skifield and flows down the slopes of the mountain in a south west direction. The Ohakune Mountain Road, built during the 1950s and 60s,…

Average elevation: 460 m

Average elevation: 856 m

Average elevation: 236 m

Average elevation: 45 m

The strait is named after James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it, in 1770. The waters of Cook Strait are dominated by strong tidal flows. The tidal flow through Cook Strait is unusual in that the tidal elevation at the ends of the strait are almost exactly out of phase with one another, so…

Average elevation: 70 m

Average elevation: 113 m

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Average elevation: 1,035 m