South Pacific Treasures – New Zealand and French Polynesia April 2018 Two days of endless ocean sailing – water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink – due east from Sydney has brought me to a new global destination. New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island—and around 600 smaller islands. The country is situated some 1,000 miles east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly 650 miles south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands on earth to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal and plant life. The country's
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