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Australia is a large island continent surrounded by thousands of islands, including the state of Tasmania, Fraser Island, and Kangaroo Island. However, the island country closest to Australia to its southeast is New Zealand, which is part of the broader Pacific Islands region. The Pacific Islands comprise three ethnogeographic groupings: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. New Zealand and New Guinea make up approximately nine-tenths of the Pacific Island region's landmass.
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What You'll Learn
- New Zealand: The country is famous for its natural beauty, including Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park
- Papua New Guinea: The closest country to Australia, it was once physiologically connected
- Lord Howe Island: A small oceanic island in the Tasman Sea, it is the most remote island off Australia's coast
- Macquarie Island: One of Australia's most distant possessions, it is 200km closer to Antarctica than Tasmania
- K'gari: The world's largest sand island, it is known for its diverse landscapes and coloured sands
New Zealand: The country is famous for its natural beauty, including Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park
New Zealand, an island country just southeast of Australia, is famous for its natural beauty. One of its most famous attractions is Milford Sound, nestled deep within the Fiordland National Park.
Milford Sound is a spectacular fjord in the southwest of New Zealand's South Island. It boasts a combination of majestic mountain peaks, ink-dark waters, and dramatic forest-clad cliffs. The sound was initially discovered by the Māori people over 1,000 years ago, who visited the area to fish, hunt, and collect pounamu (greenstone). They named it Piopiotahi, after the legend of a native bird that flew to the sound to mourn the death of the Māori god, Māui.
Today, Milford Sound is a renowned tourist destination, attracting between 550,000 and 1 million visitors annually. It offers breathtaking views and a range of activities, including kayaking, hiking, and cruises. The Milford Track is a popular four-day hike that covers 54 kilometres of mountain passes, glacier-carved valleys, and ancient rainforests. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, including marine mammals such as seals and bottlenose dolphins, as well as whales and penguins.
The journey to Milford Sound is equally captivating, with scenic routes from Te Anau and Queenstown offering eye-grabbing views and a chance to explore the Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes, and the Homer Tunnel. The sound itself is a sight to behold, with Mitre Peak, Lady Bowen Falls, and Stirling Falls being some of its iconic landmarks. Rudyard Kipling, the famous writer, was so impressed by Milford Sound that he dubbed it the "eighth wonder of the world."
Fiordland National Park, home to Milford Sound, is a vast and largely untouched area of New Zealand. Its natural beauty, including ancient glaciers and pristine waterways, has attracted both national and international acclaim. The park is also a part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site, recognised for its significant natural and cultural value.
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Papua New Guinea: The closest country to Australia, it was once physiologically connected
Papua New Guinea is the island country that is closest to Australia, geographically speaking. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, north of Australia. The two countries share a maritime border, with only about 3.75 km separating the two at Saibai Island in the Torres Strait.
Papua New Guinea is part of the Pacific Islands, which can be divided into two major physiographic regions: continental and oceanic. The Pacific Island region covers over 300,000 square miles of land, of which New Guinea and New Zealand make up about 90%. The continental islands tend to be larger and have richer soil that can support a wider variety of vegetation. Papua New Guinea is part of the Melanesian islands, which are geographically close to Australia and New Zealand.
Papua New Guinea and Australia have a shared history, as the former was once a colony of the latter. In 1883, the southern half of eastern New Guinea (the Territory of Papua) was annexed by the Colony of Queensland on behalf of the British Empire. In 1920, the League of Nations gave Australia a mandate to rule German New Guinea, and in 1945, Papua and New Guinea were combined in an administrative union. Papua New Guinea remained an external territory of Australia until 1975, when it became an independent Commonwealth nation.
The two countries continue to maintain close relations. They have signed various agreements, including the "Agreement on Trade and Commercial Relations between the Government of Australia and the Government of Papua New Guinea" (PATCRA) in 1977, which established a free trade area between them. Australia has also provided development aid to Papua New Guinea and supported the development of its political institutions, which are modelled on the Westminster system used by Australia. In 2020, the two countries signed the Papua New Guinea-Australia Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnership (CSEP), which aims to strengthen their already close ties. They also have a deep police-to-police partnership, with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) working together to address crime and safety issues.
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Lord Howe Island: A small oceanic island in the Tasman Sea, it is the most remote island off Australia's coast
Lord Howe Island is a small oceanic island in the Tasman Sea, and it is the most remote island off Australia's coast. It is about 600 kilometres (370 miles) east of the Australian mainland. The island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant, with two dramatic peaks, Mount Gower (875 metres) and Mount Lidgbird (775 metres). It is part of the Australian state of New South Wales and is regarded legally as an unincorporated area administered by the Lord Howe Island Board. The island is about 10 kilometres long and between 0.3 and 2 kilometres wide, with an area of 14.55 square kilometres.
Lord Howe Island is the highly eroded remains of a 7-million-year-old shield volcano, which was formed by an underwater volcanic eruption. The sea gradually wore away most of the original volcano, leaving a few small islands. Lord Howe is the largest of these islands and is named after Richard Howe, the 1st Earl Howe. The island group is home to a diverse range of landscapes and natural attractions, including the world's southernmost barrier coral reef and nesting seabirds.
The island's standard time zone is UTC+10:30, or UTC+11 when daylight saving time is in effect. The currency used is the Australian dollar. Commuter airlines provide flights to Sydney, the Gold Coast, Newcastle, and Port Macquarie. The island's main source of income is tourism, and it offers a range of natural attractions for visitors, including a semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef lagoon along its west coast. Most of the population lives in the north of the island, while the south is dominated by forested hills.
Lord Howe Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of global natural significance. The island is home to many unique plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. National parks cover about three-fourths of the island's land area, preserving rare vegetation and birdlife. The island was first discovered in 1788 and was named after Admiral Lord Howe by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball of the British Navy. It was first settled in 1834 and became a supply station for whalers.
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Macquarie Island: One of Australia's most distant possessions, it is 200km closer to Antarctica than Tasmania
Macquarie Island is one of Australia's most distant possessions. Located in the Southern Ocean, it is about 1500 kilometres from the Antarctic continent and the island of Tasmania, which lies to the northwest. Macquarie Island is, in fact, 200 kilometres closer to Antarctica than Tasmania. Covering 128 square kilometres, Macquarie Island measures 34 kilometres in length and five kilometres at its widest point.
The island is the exposed crest of the undersea Macquarie Ridge, formed where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate. It is the only place on Earth where rocks from the Earth's mantle are exposed above sea level. Macquarie Island is part of the state of Tasmania and has been governed as part of the state since 1880. It became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978 and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1933 under the Tasmanian Animals and Birds Protection Act 1928.
The island was discovered by Australian Frederick Hasselborough on 11 July 1810, while he was searching for new sealing grounds. Hasselborough claimed the island for Britain and annexed it to the colony of New South Wales. The island was named for Colonel Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. In 1890, the Colony of New Zealand requested permission to annex the island, which was transferred from the Colony of Tasmania.
Macquarie Island is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including penguins, seals, and seabirds. It is the annual nesting site for the entire royal penguin population. The island was nominated by the Australian Government for inscription on the World Heritage Register in 1996, recognising its unique geological features.
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K'gari: The world's largest sand island, it is known for its diverse landscapes and coloured sands
Tasmania is an island country located off the southeast coast of mainland Australia. It is the largest island state in Australia, constituting 94% of the state's land area.
Now, let's focus on K'gari, also known as Fraser Island, which is the world's largest sand island. Located just off the coast of southern Queensland, Australia, K'gari spans 165,280 hectares, stretching over 123 kilometres in length and 25 kilometres at its widest point. The island boasts diverse landscapes, ranging from freshwater lakes and wetlands to sand dunes, crystal-clear lakes, and dense rainforests.
One of K'gari's most famous features is its coloured sands, which have been stained by the natural process of decaying vegetation leaching into the sand over thousands of years. Some of these sand deposits are up to eight million years old, providing a glimpse into the ancient geological history of the region. The island's sand dunes are a striking feature, offering a unique and ever-changing landscape for visitors to explore.
The island also features an abundance of wildlife, with native species such as kangaroos, sea lions, koalas, and diverse bird species calling the island home. K'gari's rainforests are equally impressive, with lush greenery extending all the way down to the beach, creating a unique contrast of landscapes. The island's freshwater lakes, including the famous Lake McKenzie with its powder-white sands, provide tranquil spots for visitors seeking a break from the beach.
K'gari, or Fraser Island, is a testament to nature's diversity and beauty, offering a range of experiences for nature enthusiasts, adventurers, and those seeking a unique island getaway just off the coast of Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
New Zealand is an island country located southeast of Australia.
Other island countries near Australia include Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Tonga.
Yes, some islands that are part of Australia include Tasmania, Kangaroo Island, and Fraser Island.
The largest island in the Pacific Islands region is New Guinea, shared by Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
