The North Island is northern most island of the three main islands that form New Zealand. The other islands being the South Island and Stuart Island.

Most notable of the cities found in the North Island is Wellington, the capital, and Auckland, which is New Zealand's largest city. Infact around 76% of New Zealand's population lives in the North Island.

Maori mythology says that New Zealand came from the time of Maui. Maui and his brothers were fishing from their canoe (the South Island) when he caught a giant fish and pulled it from the sea. This great fish became the North Island and thus the Moari name for the North Island is Te Ika a Maui (The Fish of Maui). While he was not looking his brothers fought over the fish. The mountains and valleys are said to have been formed as a result of Maui's brothers' fighting which hacked up the fish.

Main regions of the North Island

Northland
Auckland
Coromandel
Waikato
Bay of Plenty
Rotorua - Taupo
Gisborne
Taranaki
Ruapehu
Hawkes Bay
Manawatu - Wanganui
Wellington

North Island Travelling Distances & Times

The chart below is a convenient way of finding the travelling time and distance between any two points in North Island. The times shown are in hours and minutes and are based on an average speed of 80 Km/h with an allowance for a brief stop every hour.

Major Regions, Cities & Towns of North Island

Auckland, Auckland City, Awanui, Bay of Plenty, Bulls, Cambridge, Coromandel, Coromandel Town, Dargaville, Egmont Village, Eketahuna, Feilding, Fletcher Bay, Foxton, Gisborne, Gisborne City, Great Barrier Island, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Hawkes Bay, Helensville, Hokianga, Huntly, Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Kawakawa, Kawhia, Kerikeri, Leigh, Levin, Lower Hutt, Maketu, Manawatu - Wanganui, Mangakino, Mangawhai, Manukau City, Martinborough, Masterton, Matamata, Mt Maunganui, Murupara, Napier, National Park, New Plymouth, Northland, Ohakune, Ohope, Opononi, Opotiki, Opunake, Orewa, Paekakariki, Paeroa, Pahiatua, Paihia, Palmerston North, Paraparaumu, Piha, Porirua, Raglan, Rotorua, Rotorua - Taupo, Ruapehu, Russell, Silverdale, Stratford, Taihape, Tairua, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga, Te Araroa, Te Aroha, Te Awamutu, Te Kaha, Te Kuiti, Te Puke, Thames, Turangi, Tutukaka, Waiheke Island, Waihi, Waikato, Wainui, Waiouru, Waipoua, Waipu, Wairoa, Waitomo, Wanganui, Warkworth, Wellington, Wellington City, Whakatane, Whangarei, Whatuwhiwhi, Whitianga