World Atlas 2010 (4th edition)

132

Tasman

Bay

Hawke

Bay

North Taranaki

Bight

South Taranaki

Bight

Bay ofPlenty

Great Exhibition

Bay

Hauraki

Gulf

Tasman

Sea

North Island

Great BarrierIsland

Three KingsIslands

aR

gn

ti

ki

Lake ie

Lake Taupo

Rotorua

NEW ZEALAND

Cape Farewell

North Cape

R

a

ku

u

m

ra

(^) a
R
a
gn
se
East Cape
Cape Turnagain
Masterton
Levin
Wanganui
New Plymouth
Taupo
Gisborne
Whakatane
Waiuku
Whangarei
Paraparaumu
Woodville
Waipawa
Taihape
Hawera
Wairoa
Stratford
Taumarunui
Te Kuiti
Ruatoria
Cambridge
WhitiangaPaeroa
Warkworth
Kaikohe
Paihia
Kaitaia
Te Kao
Ruawai
Palmerston North
Hastings
Napier
TaurangaRotorua
Takapuna

Hamilton

Manurewa

Auckland

Ninety Mile Beach is in fact only about55 miles (88 km) long. Nevertheless, this stillmakes it one of the longest sandybeaches in the world.Around 130 CE, something in the order of 33 billion tons(tonnes) of pumice was ejected in a massive volcanic eruption that left a 20,000 sq mile (51,800 sq km) debrisfield and created an enormous caldera thatsubsequently became Lake Taupo.More than 46 million sheep thrive in New Zealand’smild climate, outnumbering the humanpopulation by 12 to 1.

The lizardlike tuatara is found on some of the islands

and rocky stacks off New Zealand. It is the soleremaining representative of the reptilian order

Sphenodontia, which first evolved before the

dinosaurs. It has a third “eye” on the top of

its head, which is sensitive to light.

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

E

D

B

A

C

AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA

New Zealand

135

131

127

127