New Zealand maps: Cities, national parks, and must-see destinations
Use my customised Google Maps to get familiar with New Zealand
New Zealand is so remote, it’s often left off world maps.
In fact, we’re one of the most remote countries in the world — our closest neighbour is Australia, more than 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) away.
If you want to see New Zealand on a world map, use my custom Google Maps below.
When I’m travelling, I save dozens of pins to my Maps — I find it a convenient place to keep track of my travel wish list. Hopefully some of the places I’ve highlighted help you plan your New Zealand trip.
Some quick facts about New Zealand:
New Zealand is an archipelago with three main islands — North Island, South Island, and Rakiura/Stewart Island. There are around 600 smaller islands scattered around these larger ones.
From the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, New Zealand is about 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) long, and around 450 kilometres (280 miles) across at the widest point.
The narrowest point of New Zealand is in Auckland — you can actually walk from the east to west coast of the country on the Coast to Coast Walk.
New Zealand isn’t a huge country — it’s about two-thirds the size of California, or half the size of France.
Even so, it can take a while to get used to distances and place names. If you’re looking for a map of New Zealand, I’ve pulled some of my best New Zealand travel tips into Google Maps, so you can use these to get the lay of the land.
jump ahead.
Map of New Zealand highlights
Use this map to explore the highlights and top attractions around New Zealand.
You can click in and out of the layers on this map, according to what you’re interested in (just uncheck the red tick box if you don’t want to see national parks, for example).
Click the icon in the top right corner to open this map in a new tab.
New Zealand itineraries
New Zealand regions map
New Zealand is divided into 16 regions for the purposes of local government.
You’ll hear people talk about the regions when discussing the best places to visit.
The map above roughly outlines the regions, but I’ve included a few other areas that I think are useful as well. For example, the Coromandel Peninsula is technically part of the Waikato, but it’s a destination in its own right and has its own regional tourism organisation.
So, take this map of regional New Zealand with a pinch of salt — it’s just to help you get your bearings and know Northland from the West Coast.
I’ve added the main New Zealand cities into this map as well.
North Island New Zealand map
The North Island is more populated than the South Island, home to the largest city (Auckland) and the capital city (Wellington).
Most international flights to New Zealand arrive into Auckland. From there, you can catch domestic flights to the South Island, or visit North Island highlights like Hobbiton, Rotorua, Taupo, and the Bay of Islands.
North Island itineraries
South Island New Zealand map
Most people arrive into Christchurch or Queenstown. From either city, you can see many of the South Island’s key highlights.
🔵 Top activities
🟣 National Parks
🟢 Main towns
🟡 Great Walks
South Island itineraries
Map of New Zealand's national parks
Visiting a national park is one of the best things to do in New Zealand — these are areas of exceptional natural beauty.
New Zealand has 13 national parks (Te Urewera used to be a national park, but its status changed when governance of the land was returned to the local iwi/tribe).
From north to south, these are New Zealand’s national parks:
Tongariro National Park
Egmont National Park
Whanganui National Park
Abel Tasman National Park
Kahurangi National Park
Paparoa National Park
Arthur's Pass
Westland Tai Poutini
Fiordland National Park
Rakiura (Stewart Island) National Park
Looking for a map of New Zealand campgrounds?
If you’re travelling in a campervan, it’s handy to download an app that shows various free and paid campsites on a map.
I recommend using Campermate or Rankers apps to find campgrounds, grey/black water dump stations, and public toilets around New Zealand.
New Zealand map FAQs
Where is New Zealand located on a world map?
On most world maps, New Zealand is located on the lower right corner — and sometimes it’s left off completely.
New Zealand is in the Pacific Ocean, which is the largest ocean in the world. That means it’s an isolated country and takes 3 hours just to fly from Auckland to Sydney in Australia, our closest neighbour.
How big is New Zealand compared to the United States?
Compared to the United States, New Zealand is a very small country. It’s roughly the same size as Colorado, with a population of only 5 million people.
New Zealand driving times and distances
I use Google Maps to navigate around New Zealand, and the driving times are usually accurate. I typically add on about 10 minutes per hour though, to account for my slower driving on winding roads, toilet stops, and scenic photo stops.
Thanks for reading this far! I hope you found these maps of New Zealand helpful for planning your journey around Aotearoa.
If you’re still early in your trip planning journey, you might find these articles useful:
