The Extreme Points Of New Zealand
The island country of New Zealand is part of Oceania. The islands of the country are located in the Pacific Ocean. The two main islands here are the North and the South Islands. 600 smaller islands are also a part of this country. The extreme points of New Zealand are listed below:
Northernmost Point - Nugent Island
Nugent Island (29°13′54″S 177°52′09″W) is the northernmost location in New Zealand. It is part of the Kermadec Islands, an island arch located in the Pacific Ocean. The island has a circular shape The Nugent Island has been declared as an Important Bird Area by the BirdLife International since it attracts a great diversity of nesting seabirds.
Southernmost Point - Jacquemart Island
Jacquemart Island (52°37′10″S 169°07′33″E) is the southernmost location in New Zealand. It is located only 1 km to the south of the Campbell Island. Although the island is accepted as the country’s southernmost island, New Zealand also claims territory in Antarctica as far south as the South Pole. However, most nations do not recognize the territorial claims of the country in the frozen continent. The island is inaccessible by sea but only accessible by helicopters. Precipitous cliffs characterize the island’s landscape. A large number of seabirds nest on these tall cliffs.
Westernmost Point - Cape Lovitt
Cape Lovitt (50.799838°S 165.870128°E) is the westernmost point in the country. The cape is located on the Auckland Island’s west coast. Auckland is one of the country’s outlying islands.
Easternmost Point - Forty-Fours
The easternmost location in New Zealand includes a group of islands called the Forty-Fours (43°58′S 175°45′W). These islands are present in the Chatham Archipelago and are known as Motuhara in the local language. The Chatham fulmar prion breeds on these islands which serves as one of the two breeding sites of this bird in the world. Other seabirds like the northern royal and Buller’s albatrosses also nest on these islands. The BirdLife International identifies this area as an Important Bird Area.
Highest Point - Mount Cook
With an elevation of 12,218 ft or 3,724 m above sea level, Mount Cook is New Zealand’s highest point. The mountain is also known as Aoraki in the local language. The mountain is part of the Southern Alps mountain range. The mountain attracts a large number of climbers as well as tourists. There are three peaks in Mount Cook, the Low, Middle, and High with elevations of 3,593 m, 3,717 m, and 3,593 m, respectively.
Lowest Point - Taieri Plains
The Taieri Plains, located 2 m below sea-level, is the lowest point in New Zealand. The plains are located in Otago to the southwest of Dunedin. The fertile soil in this area allows agriculture to flourish. The total area encompassed by the plain is 300 square km.
