New Zealand coastline pictorial factoids

IN OCTOBER 1769 English explorer James Cook makes his first visit to New Zealand on board HMS Endeavour and mapped the majority of the New Zealand coastline.

The country extends more than a thousand miles along its main,north-north-east axis, with approximately 9,400 miles of coastline, making it the 10th longest country-coastline in the world.

The coast encloses a total area of 103,738 square miles.

New Zealand's most ancient rocks are over 500 million years old, and were once part of Gondwanaland. This massive supercontinent began to fragment 160 million years ago, budding New Zealand into the Pacific 80 million years later.

The longest beach in New Zealand is called 90 mile beach, (which is only 60 miles long) famous for its sand dunes and Kiwi Experience bus rides.

New Zealand boasts many fantastic surfing beaches, the most famous being near Hamilton in a small town called Raglan. Known for its extended rides, Raglan beach is a part of the world circuit for serious surf dudes.

The Surville Cliffs are the northernmost point of the mainland of New Zealand, situated on the North Cape of the North Island, 30 kilometres to the East of Cape Reinga.

Comments

[Pat]

The photographs above are beautiful and I hope you have a happy and healthy life in New Zealand. I will put you into my favourites column.

[William]

Thanks Pat. These photos were all taken around the bays of Wellington by my partner. Thanks for your best wishes.

[Ali]

Fabulous pictures. I feel as if I'm right there

[William Knight]

But you could be, Ali! It's only a 28 hour flight.