34 and 47 S in the South Pacific Ocean. Its nearest neighbour, Australia, is roughly the same distance that New York is from Chicago or London is to Rome. Approximately 1600 kilometres in length and a maximum of 300 kilometres wide, the two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, make up almost all the land area of 166,940 square kilometres. The Southern Alps run much of the length of the South Island forming a climatic barrier between the west and east coasts.
Coastal plains predominate on the east coast of both main islands.
While New Zealand is situated on a fault line, and forms part of the Pacific's 'Rim of Fire,' you will be pleased to learn that major earthquakes are a rarity. Major volcanic eruptions are even less common. Indeed, since the time of European settlement, the number of earthquakes causing fatality can be counted on one hand. The Tarawera eruption of 1887, and the Ruapehu eruption of 1953 remain the only major volcanic episodes to cause death on the New Zealand mainland in modern recorded history. The weather in New Zealand can be changeable, and experiencing four seasons in one day is quite possible.