South Island
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The South Island is the larger of the two main islands of New Zealand by surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. With a population of 1,256,700 as of June 2025, the S
Satellite photo, 2012
First European impression of Māori, at Murderers Bay, 1642
A true-colour image of the South Island, after a powerful winter storm swept across New Zealand on 12 June 2006
Panoramic view of some of the Southern Alps in winter from the summit of Hamilton Peak in the Craigieburn Range
Cook Strait
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Cook Strait is a strait that separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is 22 kilometre
Satellite image of Cook Strait taken by the Sentinel-2 mission
Pelorus Jack
View from Cape Koamaru of the Brothers Islands with Wellington west coast on the horizon
Wellington's coast, seen from Cook Strait