List of islands of New Zealand


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, Fereday Island, Rangitata Island, and Inch Clutha are omitted, as are temporary islands in braided river channels and tidal islands such as Rabbit Island, Nelson. The country's largest island within a lake, Pomona Island, has an area of just.
RankName of island Indigenous name Area Area % of NZ areaPopulation
1South 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%400-
4Chatham IslandRekohu ; Wharekauri 0.3%600-
5Auckland IslandMauka Huka0.2%0-
6Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island)0.1%850-
7Resolution IslandMauīkatau, Tau Moana0.1%0-
8Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville Island<0.1%About 52-
9Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku<0.1%0-
10Adams Island<0.1%0-
11Waiheke Island<0.1%-
12Secretary IslandKā Tū-waewae-o-Tū<0.1%0-
13Arapaoa Island<0.1%50-
14Pitt Island (Rangiauria)Rangiaotea <0.1%38-
15Matakana Island<0.1%225-
16Raoul IslandRangitahua<0.1%0-
17Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier IslandHauturu~0.0%0-
18Rangitoto Island~0.0%0-
19Antipodes Island~0.0%0-
20Kapiti Island~0.0%0-
21Kawau Island~0.0%81-
22Long IslandMotu Roa~0.0%0-
23Cooper IslandAo-ata-te-pō~0.0%0-
24 Ponui Island / Chamberlins IslandTe Pounui-o-Peretū~0.0%0-
25Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu)~0.0%0-
26Ruapuke Island~0.0%0-
27Motutapu Island~0.0%0-
28Codfish Island / Whenua Hou~0.0%0-
29Mayor Island / Tūhua~0.0%0-
30Coal IslandTe Puka-Hereka~0.0%0-
31Anchor IslandPukenui~0.0%0-
32Mōtītī Island~0.0%27-
33Taukihepa / Big South Cape Island~0.0%0-

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.
RankName of islandHighest pointName of peakType of peak
1South Island or Te WaipounamuAoraki/Mount CookTectonic
2North Island or Te Ika-a-MāuiMount RuapehuVolcanic
3Secretary IslandMount GronoTectonic
4Resolution IslandMount ClerkeTectonic
5Stewart IslandMount Anglem / HananuiTectonic
6Rangitoto ki te Tonga / D'Urville IslandTakapōtaka / Attempt HillTectonic
7Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier IslandMount HauturuVolcanic
8Adams IslandMount DickVolcanic
9Auckland IslandCavern PeakVolcanic
10Great Barrier IslandMount HobsonTectonic
11Long IslandUnnamedTectonic
12Campbell Island / Motu IhupukuMount HoneyVolcanic
13Arapaoa IslandNarawhiaTectonic
14Cooper IslandUnnamedTectonic
15Kapiti IslandTuteremoanaTectonic
16Raoul IslandMoumoukai PeakVolcanic
17=Anchor IslandUnnamedTectonic
17=Taranga (Hen) IslandThe PinnaclesTectonic
19Bauza IslandUnnamedTectonic
20Maud Island/Te HoiereUnnamedTectonic
21Antipodes IslandMount GallowayVolcanic
22Forsyth IslandUnnamedTectonic
23Mayor Island / TūhuaOpuahauVolcanic
24Moutohora IslandMotu HaraVolcanic
25Breaksea IslandUnnamedTectonic
26Solander Island / HautereUnnamedVolcanic
27Whakaari / White IslandMount GisborneVolcanic
28Chatham IslandUnnamedVolcanic
29Blumine Island / OruawairuaUnnamedTectonic
30Manawatāwhi/Great IslandUnnamedTectonic
31Mangere Island (Chatham Islands)WhakapaTectonic
32Stephens Island / TakapourewaUnnamedTectonic
33Rangitoto IslandRangitotoVolcanic
34Coal IslandUnnamedTectonic
35Codfish Island / Whenua HouUnnamedTectonic
36Nukuwaiata IslandUnnamedTectonic
37Pitt Island / RangiauriaWaihereTectonic
38Macauley IslandMount HaszardVolcanic
39Taukihepa / Big South Cape IslandUnnamedTectonic
40Whatupuke IslandUnnamedTectonic
41=Great Mercury Island (Ahuahu)Mount MohiVolcanic
41=Waiheke IslandMaunganuiTectonic
43Jacquemart IslandUnnamedVolcanic
44Wakaterepapanui IslandUnnamedTectonic
45South East Island / RangatiraUnnamedTectonic
46Rakitu IslandUnnamedTectonic
47Aorangi IslandUnnamedTectonic
48=Cuvier IslandUnnamedTectonic
48=Little Mangere IslandWhakapaTectonic
50Moekawa / South West IslandUnnamedTectonic
51Bollons IslandUnnamedVolcanic
52Indian IslandUnnamedTectonic
53Tawhiti Rahi IslandUnnamedTectonic
54Tinui Island (Rangitoto Islands)UnnamedTectonic
55Matapara / Pickersgill IslandUnnamedTectonic
56=Great IslandUnnamedTectonic
56=Kaikōura IslandMitre PeakTectonic
56=Pearl IslandUnnamedTectonic
59Coppermine IslandHuarewaTectonic
60Kawau IslandGrey HeightsTectonic
61Te Kakaho IslandUnnamedTectonic
62Motukawanui IslandMaungapouriTectonic
63Ōhau / West IslandUnnamedTectonic
64Motutapere IslandUnnamedTectonic
65Ponui IslandPonuiTectonic
66Motuoruhi IslandUnnamedTectonic
67Lady Alice IslandUnnamedTectonic
68The Castle / RangiwheauUnnamedTectonic
69Long Island, MarlboroughUnnamedTectonic
70Noble IslandUnnamedTectonic
71Chalky IslandUnnamedTectonic
72=Red Mercury IslandUnnamedVolcanic
72=Puangiangi IslandUnnamedTectonic

In harbours and the open sea

In rivers and lakes

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.
The New Zealand Subantarctic Islands are designated as a World Heritage Site.

Realm of New Zealand

The following islands are part of the Realm of New Zealand, but not of the country itself:

Territorial claims

New Zealand also claims the Ross Dependency in Antarctica, including: