Landforms of New Zealand Second Edition.
Mountains are one of the dominant features in the New Zealand landscape.
Sixty percent of the South Island, and twenty percent of the North Island, can be classified as mountain land. The mountains in New Zealand result from the collision between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, and their location follows the boundary of the two plates. In the east of the North Island the axial ranges extend in a uninterrupted chain, from Wellington and the Rimutaka Ranges in the south to the Tararua, Ruahine, Kaimanawa-Kaweka, and Raukumara Ranges in the north. Finally, the specific character of New Zealand's native vegetation also contributes to the character of the mountains.