As an Australian, I naturally love New Zealand. They are our closest ally and best friend. Most Aussies know at least some kiwis and we love going there on holidays and eating their delicious foods. When there is a natural disaster in either country such as the 2009 Black Saturday bush fires in Australia or the 2011 earthquakes in New Zealand, both countries rush to aid each other.
@Aiman-hw9ev6 ай бұрын
Kiwi here, when you see Kiwi trashing on Australia. We mean it in a nicest way possible. Its a tsundere relationship
@ugaboga98296 ай бұрын
Sweden, Austrailia and New Zealand truely have a special relationship. Some call it the holy triangle😊
@XRPLIKEWATER6 ай бұрын
Aussies And Kiwis will always be close, we are the same people with qwerky differences 👍🏼
@nickbenfell43276 ай бұрын
As a South Islander could we please keep our slice of heaven to ourselves. I wouls call our winters cold but not brutal unless of course you are up high in the mountains.
@Chris-NZ6 ай бұрын
@@nickbenfell4327 well exactly, many very populated Canadian city enjoy more than minus 30 in winter , thats more brutal than anything the South Island has to offer. (Grew up in CHCH can still remember riding my dad’s bike to Christchurch South in the winter and not being able to feel my hands.
@gazzamuso6 ай бұрын
Kiwi here, really good video! There are a few things I would fix but they're not major, mostly pronunciations of words and the placement of the word Wellington in the graphic. A key point that was missed was that at one point in history the South Island was actually more populated, but once the Otago gold rush had died down the population shifted north for the reasons you've mentioned. Thanks for featuring us 😊
@VKM336 ай бұрын
Ditto Gaz - Wellyz was pinned near Kaikoura
@stevenshorkey72716 ай бұрын
Agree, Wellington is placed on the wrong island.@@VKM33
@SmithCaro6 ай бұрын
... And Dunedin ...
@rad49246 ай бұрын
I'm one of the 1.2 million people in the south island! The climate here is brutal compared to the north (hotter summers, freezing winters) but it's much MUCH cheaper than living in Auckland and I do not regret moving down here.
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
Xercon Iame whlteboy
@viviennehayes28566 ай бұрын
I agree - very hot and very cold inland compared to the cost, which I don't like but it is still a great place to live! Not brutal though.
@Huia876 ай бұрын
Yeah exactly. I am from and grew up in Wellington, NZ - from Eastbourne, specifically and I love it here, especially Day's Bay... a magical place where primary (old growth) indigenous temperate rainforest comes down within 20 metres of sea level. I am an ecologist and conservationist... there is only ONE OTHER PLACE on the entire island where this happens. That block of forest if 5000 acres/2000 ha!! Close to where I am today, you can stand on a hill ridge in native forest that feels like it is home to elves and fairies above this side of Wellington harbour, besides 500 year old Northern Rata trees with trunks 9 feet/1.5 metres wide, 75 feet/25 metres high, festooned in vines, native lilies and flowering native orchids... and see high rise buildings and the NZ parliament buildings in the distance (!!). Probably the only capital city in the world (CERTAINLY of a developed country) where this is possible... wow! 😳🤩😍 But for MOST PEOPLE... especially if you were not born and raised here and/or you do not have deep family roots in the area (my family has been in this area since 1841) ... here is the question... What would you choose??? a) Sub-tropical climate similar to that of parts of Southern California or Northern NSW in Australia (think Byron Bay) OR b) Cold continental climate more similar to that of Canada or Southern Norway... New Zealand has both options!! 🤷♂️ Climate and comfort is the reason over 50% of the country's population lives on less than 25% of the land in the top half of the North Island - which is smaller than the South Island. It's not an accident 😅 Aucklanders mock us in Wellington for our relatively colder, windier weather but many (most?) Kiwi's and tourists agree that Wellington is the best of NZ's three biggest cities: amazing nature, kind/conscious people (its local custom/cultural protocol to say or yell (!!) "thank you" to the bus driver as you get off the bus here) and many (not all!) Aucklanders are famously superficial.
@YouChwb6 ай бұрын
@@Huia87 No major earthquakes for a while in Australia.
@patricknelson6 ай бұрын
@@Huia87 when I visited, I toured much of NZ from Auckland down to Queenstown over a period of only 2 weeks. Wellington and Christchurch were my two favorite cities, for sure. Queenstown was probably one of the if not _the_ most beautiful places I had ever been too. Also, for what it's worth, we were visiting in March 😅
@dontcomply39766 ай бұрын
One correction. The South Island used to have a roughly equal population to the North Island in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, due to the Otago gold rush. The population has been drifting north ever since
@viviennehayes28566 ай бұрын
I live there. In the middle of the South Island. I don't think the mountains (which I can see from my house) have anything to do with the lower population. It could be the colder climate or lack of job opportunities.
@ibonigga6 ай бұрын
Vivienne Hayes Iame whlteboy
@ibonigga6 ай бұрын
k - I I
@GIJadaSmith6 ай бұрын
@@ibonigga Ooga booga 👩🏿🦲
@StevenHanover6 ай бұрын
@vivien is gold panning or mining allowed on south island?
@viviennehayes28566 ай бұрын
I think so - panning but not mining I guess. Most of it was in the provinces of the West Coast and Otago many years ago. @@StevenHanover
@revinhatol6 ай бұрын
FUN FACTS: 1. The "triple star" in God Defend New Zealand refers to the two main islands (N & S) and Rakiura/Stewart Island. 2. Dunedin is the Gaelic translation for "Edinburgh",
@GeorgePrice-wf5lx6 ай бұрын
And is not pronounced "Doon a din". :)
@mattpotter87256 ай бұрын
@@GeorgePrice-wf5lx That made me laugh so much, mainly because he'd not been doing too bad a job at most of the other place names!!! Doon a din sounds like a place taken right out of Tolkien though where there would be a castle and a great battle!!!
@mastertonberry92246 ай бұрын
I have heard it used to be "triple shore", which kinda makes sense since it would actually rhyme with "strife and war", no idea why or when it changed or if it really did though
@brucesim20036 ай бұрын
@@GeorgePrice-wf5lx Americans in general seem to have trouble with Dunedin. Dun-eee-din
@GeorgePrice-wf5lx6 ай бұрын
@@brucesim2003 I went there once. Had no trouble ;)
@tomricketts78216 ай бұрын
I live in the South Island my family has lived in the south island for the last 182 years most south islanders rather like our lower population
@funghouls54985 ай бұрын
I am Canadian and have been to New Zealand twice. I can attest it is one of the most naturally beautiful countries on earth, the people are open, funny and welcoming.
@darylmckay6 ай бұрын
I was surprised how many key errors and missing information there was. The video made it seem like the South Island was nothing but mountains and nasty weather. I was born and bred in Christchurch and frequently had far hotter summers than I ever experienced in the North Island, although winters can be frosty, but nothing even close to as cold as northern Europe, or eastern US. New Zealand's first city was Dunedin. Lots of pronunciation errors. The South Island also produces huge amounts of food, even in the mountainous permafrost you suggest in the video. Disappointing.
@Krypto_Knight_336 ай бұрын
We grew up in the UK and have been living in Dunedin for 12 years. We love living down here. I like the fact that the South Island is the same land area as the UK but has 1.2 million people and the UK has 80 million people! The South Island probably has 80 million sheep and cattle!
@samdaniels26 ай бұрын
It’s not. It’s around 150,000 km^2. The UK is around 244,000 km^2.
@Krypto_Knight_336 ай бұрын
@@samdaniels2 yes you’re right. I saw the two maps overlaid once and saw they were similar, but now I’ve fact-checked, the South Island is similar to England + Wales, which have 60m people. You learn something new every day!
@aihackathongr4 ай бұрын
Dunedin seems an amazing place to be in! How's the climate like there? Is sun a big problem (due to UV radiation) in NZ ? Is it depressing with less sun whole year around? Are there any natural disasters such as earthquakes/whatever that would prevent you from living there? What are the negatives of Dunedin/South NZ that you see as a local citizen? NZ seems so amazing, wish I was there or learn more about this beautiful place🙄
@Krypto_Knight_334 ай бұрын
@@aihackathongr yes the South Island is beautiful. And very diverse too. Similar climate to UK, Dunedin is like a big town like Cheltenham or Chester if it were there. Hardly any earthquakes in Dunedin and the one I’ve felt was a rumble. Earthquakes are along the Southern Alps on the west side of the Island. UV is worse in the southern hemisphere generally but you just get used to cream and hat. Upside is few people and a lot of open space, but the flip side is that the choices of everything are fewer.
@aihackathongr4 ай бұрын
@@Krypto_Knight_33 so people can buy unlimited anounts of land there I guess 😂 that's a dream place to be in 😄 Thanks for your detailed reply, I appreciate it🙏
@SaadAliArts6 ай бұрын
South Island has a lot of mountains. I think that's why South Island has far less population than the North. New Zealand also has less population than Singapore.
@ibonigga6 ай бұрын
Saad Alis Art and Drawing Iame whlteboy
@ibonigga6 ай бұрын
k -I I
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
m u s I im are whltef-ck
@raymondgough60706 ай бұрын
I hope thats not the explanation. Japan is mountainous and has 120 million people
@ruckusbeblack6 ай бұрын
@@iboniggahush Ooga booga 👩🏿🦲
@thehangmansdaughter11206 ай бұрын
I live in Dunedin (Dun-need-in), in the lower south island. We are a small city, but have a university, a medical school and a friendly population. I greatly prefer living in the south, it's less crowded, more friendly and doesn't get nearly as hot. We're also closer to stunning wild life. A short drive from my house you can see penguins, sea lions, seals, dolphins, whales and Royal albatross (truly giant birds that land on my roof with a hell of a thud).
@miolner886 ай бұрын
I'm gonna say the way he says it from now on.
@davidstevenson95176 ай бұрын
Five years in Dunedin for me meant: cold; smog; mouldy, decrepit housing; beaches polluted by raw sewage; drug addicts; depressed economy; and drunken, rioting University students getting a slap on the wrist from the Courts. And the Royal Albatross NEVER land on roofs, you bloody liar; they nest in their exclusive Colony at the end of the Otago Peninsula; I lived out there. You stay in Dunedin and keep away from the North Island.
@thehangmansdaughter11206 ай бұрын
@@davidstevenson9517 Then what the hell bird is it? It's bigger than a seagull and has blue legs.
@aihackathongr4 ай бұрын
Dunedin seems an amazing place to be in! How's the climate like there? Is sun a big problem (due to UV radiation) in NZ ? Is it depressing with less sun whole year around? Are there any natural disasters such as earthquakes/whatever that would prevent you from living there? What are the negatives of Dunedin/South NZ that you see as a local citizen? NZ seems so amazing, wish I was there or learn more about this beautiful place🙄
@ronquiring77966 ай бұрын
Wonderful episode! New Zealand has been a 'bucket list' destination for my travels for quite some time. What a beautiful country.
@matthalpin19816 ай бұрын
I thoroughly recommend going there and I hope you get there one day soon. You can visit stunningly beautiful and diverse locations in quite short drives. But, allow yourself at least a couple of weeks to do it at a relaxed pace.
@atfjacknz6 ай бұрын
Bring A LOT of money, shits expensive here. Especially the tourist traps.
@barneyboy20086 ай бұрын
As a South Islander. Its job opportunities and temperature. In the top half of the north island summer lasts 6 months compared to 2 months in the lower south and winter is very mild in the north.
@wrxstigoabs6 ай бұрын
As a former South Islander I found this to be an excellent summary (except it’s Duneedin emphasis on the 2nd syllable). The biggest reason for the population disparity are the greater job opportunities in the North Island. Greater Auckland comprises almost 1/3 of NZ’s population so is a huge magnet for internal and external migration. Wellington, as the capital, has its own economic pull like any capital city driven by government spending on administrative staffing. The weather is a factor as the climate in the most populous northern half of the North Island is significantly milder than the South Island. However, the lower population density and spectacular more dramatic scenery of the South Island makes for a more accessible outdoorsy lifestyle.
@reubennz16 ай бұрын
The idea that earthquakes turn people off the south island makes no sense. Historically most of the earthquakes are in the north island. Wellington and Napier to name but a few. Some of the North Island footage used is actually of the South Island as well.
@marriedkiwi3 ай бұрын
there is one example to support you. A first settlement "Petone" suffered an earthquake in 1841. It was to become the capital but that idea was delayed and placed in Wellington which had the benefit of reclaimed land
@nunyabidniz28683 ай бұрын
Fear of [rare, mostly inconsequential] earthquakes is what keeps a large # of people here in the US' midwest [where they are subject to common tornados and ridiculously cold winters] from moving to California. Be grateful for your natural defenses from invasive mouth-breathers! 😄 Of course, enough of them have moved here over the years to vote stupidly and keep electing witless Democrat politicians who continually do the same stupid things over & over expecting different results, leading to the recent mass emigration of smarter residents to other parts of the US. I'll be one of them soon, which should lead to a sufficient decrease in my co$t of living to afford a trip to visit NZ. See you soon(ish!) 👍
@loganjohnston896 ай бұрын
As a South Islander here, additional fact the South Island is sometimes still referred to as 'The Mainland' and the people as Mainlanders, this is to differentiate us from the Northerners, and especially from Aucklanders.
@Chris-NZ6 ай бұрын
As someone who grew up in Christchurch, then Wellington, then moved to Auckland for my job I can say while most non-Aucklanders have a negative view of us, I got called a Dorklander in Taranaki and treated as some kind of alien in Geraldine, I can say that Aucklanders don’t have negative views of people in the rest of the country. Of course this is because as far as they are concerned nothing exists south of the Bombay Hills, well except Christchurch where most of us could buy a street for what it costs to own a house in Auckland. Cheers Mainlander at heart 😀
@VKM336 ай бұрын
@@Chris-NZJAFA!
@Chris-NZ6 ай бұрын
@@VKM33 thanks Just another fabulous Aucklander.
@jesseleeward23596 ай бұрын
Only south islanders call it mainland
@Chris-NZ6 ай бұрын
@@jesseleeward2359 arh yes but do you have to live in the South Island to be a Mainlander ?
@JonFairhurst6 ай бұрын
One thing that would help make these videos more fulfilling would be to include more data. For instance, what are the average and extreme temperatures of Auckland, compared to Dunedin? How many sunny days for each? What about wind? What is the ratio of land area? The numbers and charts would provide more insight. I already knew the South Island would be cold by looking at the map, but I still don’t know how cold. Like, does it snow regularly in Christchurch? I have no idea!
@gwened6 ай бұрын
Agree, and also why not rewrite the script to avoid the unnecessary repetitions
@brucehutch54196 ай бұрын
Yes more detail would be be of interest for some people. Produce a Supplemental podcast on each topic that containes more detai. The success would depend on the sufficient funding to do it and number of followers he would get for those detail podcasts.
@Donny-xz3px6 ай бұрын
Snow in chch little bit once every 5yrs, very good. Not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter. See you there.
@JonFairhurst6 ай бұрын
It’s like the old Johnny Carson bit. Carson: “The South Island is so cold…” Audience Yells: “How cold is it?”
@Alamo-df8vp6 ай бұрын
The South Island can be cooler but also hotter, however most of the South Island is not particularly cold in general. Jon you asked for some comparisons, Auckland is much wetter than both Christxhurrch and Dunedin. The South Island cities are the driest cities with around 600 mm per year while Auckland around 1400mm per year. Christchurch has more frosty days than Dunedin during winter and lower overnight minimums. Wellington scores high on the wind index while Dunedin and Chriztchurch score much lower. The figures for 2023 have Dunedin as the sunniest major city, generally Wellingtkn is the least sunny. Would asd that some of those popilation figures look a,little low, Dunedin is about 135,000 in recent figures and Wellington and,Hamilton look a bit light as well..
@usaexplore4106 ай бұрын
9:45. The way he said Dunedin 😂😂
@poesiarica6 ай бұрын
It's such a great value video about New Zealand. I think one of the best things in South Island is the fact it has only few people living there. It gives us the opportunity to enjoy untouchable nature and stunning views. Thanks for the content.
@philstanton2316 ай бұрын
The South Island is hot and dry in summer and freezing cold in winter. I lived there (for work only) for 20 years and moved back to the North Island as soon as i retired.
@viviennehayes28566 ай бұрын
Except the West Coast! Quite a bit of rain but mild temperatures all year round.
@barneyboy20086 ай бұрын
@@viviennehayes2856 if you a temperature range of 10-20 degrees mild
@Emet19966 ай бұрын
It never ceases to amaze me how little these channels seemingly care to learn how to pronounce these names and words properly. That pronunciation of Dunedin was especially horrendous and easily avoidable through proper research.
@cestmoi12626 ай бұрын
Amazed that nobody mentions how "Ma-ori" is pronounced. Apparently NZers are ok with "mauri"?
@marriedkiwi6 ай бұрын
The sunniest place in New Zealand is Marlborough/ Nelson where 80% of the wine comes from. Canterbury grows most of the wheat needs of NZ with most of the rest coming from Australia. Really the climate difference is exaggerated here.
@PhilRable6 ай бұрын
Don’t worry about population, the South Island has the best places to visit in New Zealand. Go in autumn it is sensational.
@lpf18366 ай бұрын
Yup!
@thelanonline6 ай бұрын
Just a heads up, the graphic at 1:18 incorrectly shows Wellington as being on the south island.
@michelhenri8816 ай бұрын
Thanks Geoff. I enjoy your content. Excellent work!
@tomsemmens62756 ай бұрын
One of the main reasons for the low Maori population of the South Island is the so called "kumara line" - the latitude where kumara (sweet potato) can no longer be cultivated. This is roughly aligned with the top of the South Island, so Maori were reasonably populous in Nelson but existed in hunter-gatherer numbers only south of there. Also, it took Polynesians so long to discover NZ because of the countries latitude - strong prevailing westerlies (trade winds, roaring forties, etc) meant Polynesian navigators could not go far into the wind before returning home as they ran out of food & water.
@viviennehayes28566 ай бұрын
I often wondered how they survived the winters down here!
@andrewrutherford91816 ай бұрын
It’s not so much that more people live in the North Island it’s that there is one big city Auckland and half the people live there.
@bobm46236 ай бұрын
08:30 Did anyone notice, when Geoff said "highly fertile," the lamb in the foreground poop'ed. That was a setup of perfect timing.
@richardpayne26256 ай бұрын
I visited the south and north islands and did not find the south island that deserted. I was there in February and the weather was fantastic.
@brianbell89586 ай бұрын
Most of the negative weather views of the South Island originate from Auckland, but they never tell you how wet, damp and humid it is in Auckland, South Island weather is way better.
@iprey4surf4 ай бұрын
The most important thing about NZ is the lack of good surf spots. It's freezing and there are giant sharks.
@kiwi-freedom5113Ай бұрын
@@iprey4surf not good surf spots? Really? There are amazing surf spots in nz. Dunedin in south and Taranaki and raglan in north to only name a few!
@Huia876 ай бұрын
Climate!!! I am from and grew up in Wellington, NZ - from Eastbourne, specifically and I love it here, especially Day's Bay... a magical place where primary (old growth) indigenous temperate rainforest comes down within 20 metres of sea level. I am an ecologist and conservationist... there is only ONE OTHER PLACE on the entire island where this happens. That block of forest if 5000 acres/2000 ha!! Close to where I am today, you can stand on a hill ridge in native forest that feels like it is home to elves and fairies above this side of Wellington harbour, besides 500 year old Northern Rata trees with trunks 9 feet/1.5 metres wide, 75 feet/25 metres high, festooned in vines, native lilies and flowering native orchids... and see high rise buildings and the NZ parliament buildings in the distance (!!). Probably the only capital city in the world (CERTAINLY of a developed country) where this is possible... wow! 😳🤩😍 But for MOST PEOPLE... especially if you were not born and raised here and/or you do not have deep family roots in the area (my family has been in this area since 1841) ... here is the question... What would you choose??? a) Sub-tropical climate similar to that of parts of Southern California or Northern NSW in Australia (think Byron Bay) OR b) Cold continental climate more similar to that of Canada or Southern Norway... New Zealand has both options!! 🤷♂️ Climate and comfort is the reason over 50% of the country's population lives on less than 25% of the land in the top half of the North Island - which is smaller than the South Island. It's not an accident 😅 Aucklanders mock us in Wellington for our relatively colder, windier weather but many (most?) Kiwi's and tourists agree that Wellington is the best of NZ's three biggest cities: amazing nature, kind/conscious people (its local custom/cultural protocol to say or yell (!!) "thank you" to the bus driver as you get off the bus here) and many (not all!) Aucklanders are famously superficial.
@kjriwoutube6 ай бұрын
Like your channel hope you feel better don't over Work on videos and stay safe
@Turitea6 ай бұрын
GNS Science, with its intensive study of the Hikurangi Trench which runs down the East coast of the North Island, is very concerned at a potential 9 on the Richter Scale. They estimate a 25% chance of such a quake in any given year within the next 50 years. Potentially worse than the 8 which is due any time on the Alpine Fault. NZers need to prepare as best they can.
@Adrian_91116 ай бұрын
New Zealand is a beautiful country. I have been living in Auckland for the past 10 years. I have also visited some popular places in North island . I paid a visit to South Island two years ago. I fell in love with the people there . They were really friendly and down to earth . South Island is calm and quiet compared to North Island . I like quiet places . I prefer places with less population. So I’m definitely setting down with my wife in South Island in the future..
@gareth44576 ай бұрын
Seems weird to say that 4M people live in the North Island when almost half of that 4M (1,739,300) live in one little isthmus on that island. But there is a big difference. 8 people/sqkm in the south vs 20 people/sqkm for most of the north, and then Auckland clocking in at 352 people/sqkm
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
Gareth Iame whlteboy
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
Gareth Iame whlteboy
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
yo s e If
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
Gareth Iame whlteboy
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
k- I I
@discoverglobeliving6 ай бұрын
Lifestyle choices impact retirement planning. South Island's tranquility may appeal to retirees. Let's explore all options for a fulfilling retirement. Thanks for shedding light on this aspect!
@Astr0b0y86 ай бұрын
Would love to visit NZ one day. Its scenery looks stunning
@TheBEARofHIGHWAY16 ай бұрын
Its funny how people usually think New Zealand is just an Island just off of Australia. But no. Its so far away. Though beware! It is the country that posses the highest ORC population.
@CathodeRayNipplez6 ай бұрын
What is an 'ORC'?
@phildownard26556 ай бұрын
@CathodeRayNipplez - Perhaps referencing Lord of the Rings? ORC's? Because the film series was filmed in NZ.
@sahandd126 ай бұрын
Please do a video on KURDISTAN autonomous region refurendam
@marcussver6206 ай бұрын
Besides the rugged terrain, harsh climate, distance from urban centers, and less developed infrastructure compared to the north, it's also influenced by limited migration and a low birth rate in New Zealand.
@Battleneter6 ай бұрын
Christchurch metro population at around 500K which is the 2nd largest in NZ after Auckland, its the 2nd largest city. The climate in east coast centers are rather mild certainly not harsh compared to much of Europe or the East coast of the US in winter. Migration is fairly strong to Canterbury and Nelson Marlborough but very weak in the rest of the South island.
@philomelodia6 ай бұрын
The metroplex I live in in North Texas has a population of 6.2 million. I just looked up New Zealand’s population and it’s about 5 million. That is insane!
@FastGuy16 ай бұрын
Not really. If you look up Namibia in Southwestern Africa, they have a population of under 3 million and their twice as big as New Zealand.
@craiggillett59856 ай бұрын
The North Island has a better climate and economies of scale for business, goods and services. At a micro level, over 2 million people live within Auckland Hamilton Tauranga triangle which ensures its very own economic dominance over the rest of the country.
@charlietwotimes6 ай бұрын
Mmmn I live in Marlborough again after living in the North Island. Didn't notice the North Islands weather being better back then & certainly don't now. I'll take our hotter summers, frosty winter mornings followed by clear blue skies, skifields within an hour's drive, the Sounds & actual mountains and lack of constant flooding over the "better weather" up North.
@craiggillett59856 ай бұрын
@@charlietwotimes it all depends on what you like, I too moved south and I’ve moved back north. I couldn’t take the bitter cold in winter. And as for hotter summers, temp wise it’s about the same, what I love about the south is the lack of humidity, delicious dry heat. Auckland summers feel increasingly like Singapore or the Pacific islands.
@simonalexandercritchley4395 ай бұрын
A pretty good video overall apart from some names not pronounced properly. There was a few islands not mentioned since there are many small ones,Chatham island is far to the east of Chritchurch. Before Wellington became capital,the centre of government was Auckland.
@dnomyarnostaw6 ай бұрын
Cold. Who would prefer icy winters of the south to the milder north, where growing food is easier.
@rad49246 ай бұрын
We have hotter summers though so it balances out.
@dnomyarnostaw6 ай бұрын
@@rad4924 hmm, perhaps. The South Island has double the recorded cold temperature to offset.
@viviennehayes28566 ай бұрын
It is not THAT cold here! Certainly the coastal areas in the top half of the South Island are fairly mild. The top of the South Island is very mild with Nelson and Blenheim etc having high sunshine hours per annum. Christchurch has fairly high sunshine hours and inland North Canterbury has very high sunshine hours per annum.
@Battleneter6 ай бұрын
Winters in Christchurch for example are FAR more mild than New York or much of Europe, certainly not harsh by world standards. It rains a crap ton more in Auckland than it does in Christchurch, and Christchurch can have much nicer summers so there is more to the story.
@predomalpha55966 ай бұрын
I bet if you put a thermometer on the top of Mt Ruapehu you’d eventually see a temperature below -20. With only a 8 or so years of temperature recording of only a few months in the year half way up the mountain recorded -12.5.
@roberthutchison15616 ай бұрын
I live in the South Island most of my life and some part of my life I have lived in north island . South Island is more touristy and the weather in the South Island winters are cold as!!! Snowing sometimes , summers are extremely hot and dry . Where I live in central Otago . Summers are hot and we always go into droughts … earthquakes in New Zealand happens all over the country not just the South Island. I prefer the lower population in the South Island tbh. Tbh there are a lot job opportunities in the South Island it honestly does depend where you live in New Zealand
@guayames6 ай бұрын
One of my ancestors, Victor Delannoy accompanied Jules Dumont d Urville in theFrench first world trip 1823-1829. Could have made New Zealand French!
@debbieanne79626 ай бұрын
There is a French town on the South Island called Akaroa, it’s very beautiful
@nismo0076 ай бұрын
Nz is expensive houses are unaffordable and wages are low.
@FastGuy16 ай бұрын
Wages are low in NZ? I thought they were wealthy
@brucesim20036 ай бұрын
@@FastGuy1 Not even close. And the new gov't is going to make sure the poor get poorer.
@nismo0076 ай бұрын
@FastGuy1 do some research. The country is downright beautiful. However, high living costs. High sucicide rates. Youth crime. Alot of under 25 on welfare. Too many low skilled migrants. Expensive housing need at least 1 million Nzd and that may not even get you a good home. Wages are not high and the reason why 1 million kiwis live in Aussie and plenty more will go.
@braybray45736 ай бұрын
Such a great video overall, probably should win an award. Best educational infotainment video of 2024 !
@darrylpeterson75006 ай бұрын
So glad to have Geoff doing this as I never expected it. Especially for someone who was born in the South Island and have lived in the North Island for over half my life, I can tell you why. The weather and better job opportunities. The South Island is still great though. An interesting one would be, why half of NZ's population lives in the relatively small triangle between Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton
@andrewrutherford91816 ай бұрын
Weather isn’t better though. People say Nelson has some of the best weather in New Zealand.
@grahamrankin47256 ай бұрын
There was a lot more repetition in this episode. It seemed like you recorded several versions of the arible land of the north island vs. mountainous south island and then kept them all in.
@chickentoucher557 күн бұрын
The south isn’t that cold, the West Coast and south of timaru ya but the Canterbury Plains are very dry because of the southern alps, it can get to 30 degrees a lot of days in summer and doesn’t ofter get very cold in the winter, mostly 3-11 degrees Celsius
@philiphodgesnz6 ай бұрын
'Landscape of the North Island' - shows a clip of Queenstown Airport :-) Cmon Geoff...
@jmckenzie9626 ай бұрын
7:11 Born and bred kiwi here, and I hate to be that guy but this statement isn't entirely true. There was actually a period in the mid-late 1800's where there were significantly more European settlers in the South Island than the North Island - in the 1870s, Dunedin, now only the second-largest city in the South Island, was the largest settlement in NZ. This was for two primary reasons - first, fewer Māori lived in the South Island which gave Europeans who wanted to settle there an easier time doing so. The South Island's colder climate was also in many ways more reminiscent of home for a lot of the early settlers, much of whom were Scottish (this is why Dunedin is named as it is - "Dun Edin" is the original Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh). Second, and more pertinent, was gold. In the 1860s in particular there was a massive gold rush in the South Island like there was in Victoria (Aus) in the decade prior, concentrated in Otago and on the West Coast, which brought a huge wave of mostly Scottish and Irish men there, although there was also a small but notable community of miners who came from China - these were NZ's first Asian immigrants. Anyway, the gold rush, combined with mass Māori death from introduced diseases, had the effect of dragging the populational center of gravity in NZ considerably further south in the late 1800's compared to pre-colonization times, and the center of gravity only started shifting north again once the gold rush died down towards the end of the 19th century and going into the 20th, and it has only been drifting further north (i.e. towards Auckland) ever since. You can find plenty of modern Pakeha who live in the North Island whose families originally settled in the South Island back in the colonial times and moved to the North Island later on.
@davidmcgregor62686 ай бұрын
A couple of geog gaps worth mentioning. The Physical; Zealandia, mountain uplift rate greater than the Himalaya. The human; remoteness and size have led to an independent, self-deprecating, resourceful and progressive national character. This is why NZ cuts above its weight.
@matthalpin19816 ай бұрын
Such a stunning place. Thank you for all the wonderful landscape scenery (along with the great facts). Anyone know where this 6:37 location is exactly? I think it might be the Hooker Valley Track at the base of Mt Cook.
@raymondpulham16006 ай бұрын
I lived and worked on Southland Times in Invercargill in 1974-75 and loved it, beautiful countryside and people, food n beer just so so, but overall a wonderful experience, got worse case of sunburn way down there with long summer twilights. Bluff oysters, White Bait fritters good but had misfortune to try mutton bird. Did trips over bith islands and the area of Nelson my favourite place. Back home in sydney i still have many Kiwi friends and love the friendly banter between us over a beer or three except when it comes to the All Blacks. Great place to visit or live, i was very grateful for the time i had there abd the experiences i had in South Island and Southland
@MrGHawaii6 ай бұрын
"Ross Dependecy?" Whaaat? I start my day off learning new things. Thank You, Geoff!
@tukamadafuka6 ай бұрын
Christchurch resident here! It wasnt just a 6.2. We had 3 massive shakes between September 2010 and july 2011 the 6.2 was the smallest but alot of people died hence why probably easier to come across
@marriedkiwi6 ай бұрын
South Island is lovely. But the best island of the THREE is Steward Island which has no rodents, rabbits and truly is beautiful as NEW ZEALAND WAS. It has only a few hundred residents and a mile of so of road.... and 150 beaches most relatively unexplored. I highly recommend bypass the other two islands go there..starting at Half Moon Bay.
@TOKObee6 ай бұрын
I'm from Auckland, I lived in Christchurch for about 2 and a half years! The south island to us up here is whole another world. It snows down there in the winter, up here we NEVER see the snow. They get winter storms and blizzards down there, we get Tropical Cyclones and tornados here. The land down there is mostly flat, where as up here its hills and volcanoes Down there its temperate weather similar to Europe, and up here its sub-tropical similar to Queensland, Australia. The accent down there is different and has a twang to it, where as up here the accents / dialect / slang is different depending on the town. Don't even get me started on the Maori culture of both islands, I could go on forever about that! Love my home NZ
@FettiMagazine6 ай бұрын
Can you do Madagascar next? 🇲🇬
@684046 ай бұрын
10% of New Zealanders actually live in Australia. And it's pronounced Dun - Eden
@Valhalla888886 ай бұрын
But like Great Britain with Scotland in the North and England in the South though in reverse❤
@markimrie36166 ай бұрын
Geoff, I love your videos and your usual expert analysis. However, I'm from NZ, and when you showed Queenstown (located in the lower South Island of NZ while discussing the geography of the North Island, you lost a lot of credibility as a geography expert in my view. 😢 From a fellow geography major.
@BendyDH6 ай бұрын
Can’t believe New Zealand made it on the map!
@ChineseKiwi6 ай бұрын
Dunedin is pronounced ‘Done-nee-din’ - New Zealander here
@RatelHBadger6 ай бұрын
I don't know much about those South Islanders. I've lived in two medium sized towns in the North Island (about 30-50,000 people each). I wouldn't want to be anywhere more densely populated, as I like my green space and parklands. At the same time, I quite like the community feel, so anywhere that has wide open land between the next cluster of houses, just seems a bit too lonely and isolated to me.
@turdbomitch90076 ай бұрын
9:46 = pronounced "Done - eden". Also a few of the example pictures of north island landscapes are from the south island and that building destroyed in the earthquake segment isn't from NZ. Otherwise a good video.
@100percentSNAFU6 ай бұрын
FYI, no claims by any country to Antarctic land is recognized internationally.
@braybray45736 ай бұрын
Maori people came to my church one time and praised the Lord with their traditional dancing and regalia. It was awesome still have the group picture
@lioneldemun60333 ай бұрын
I find the " Haka " dance repulsive
@graemehelleur16276 ай бұрын
I love living in the South Island. The origional name for NZ is Aotearoa (Long white cloud). The names of the two Islands were Te Ika a Maui, (The fish of Maui) and SI is Te Waka a Maui, (The canoe of Maui). Looking at your map you can see that the NI resembles a fish and the SI is a canoe. Maui is a Polynesian trickster demigod. Thank you for your video.
@skyfeelan6 ай бұрын
is the name historical or contemporarily made by Maori? I'm pretty sure there's no satellite imaging back then
@graemehelleur16276 ай бұрын
@@skyfeelan These are old legendary names. The stories of Maui are all over Polynesia. How they knew about the fish and the canoe is a mystery. They were amazing navigators, but once they settled in Aotearoa, a lot of those skills were lost, and they did not return to their original Islands. The oral traditions and stories of a homeland called Hawaiiki were passed down through the generations. Captain Cook recorded these names. So, they have pre-European antecedents. A Maori, Hector Busby, has done much to revive this knowledge of navigating by the stars and has passed this on to his followers and they have used this knowledge to sail a double hulled waka on the Pacific.
@caseclosed93426 ай бұрын
Fun fact: the Cook Islands and Niue maintain close relations with Kosovo because it’s breakaway status
@mapache-ehcapam6 ай бұрын
I wanna live there for ever
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
yoseIf
@DroidDude-jz8yz3 ай бұрын
8:29 One of the sheepies releases a nice dark sticky one.
@OzkalaytaАй бұрын
There's this rarely talked about part of New Zealand not many know, its an old legend of a place worse than Paris and London combined, they call it Hamilton
@QCCatPlanes6 ай бұрын
8:22 this is the South Island, Queenstown
@timnicholls196 ай бұрын
First reason you have earthquakes um the north island has had huge earthquakes in past, now I lived in Nelson for 7 years and thought it was weird the 2 next big towns / cities to us was Richmond 12km and blenham 62km away them the next town over 10k was Christchurch at 255km. Now I know the area of the top of the north island well and still can't believe it wasn't settled heavier especially around the takaka or parapara areas at the spit or even a settlement started in the whanganui inlet which would of given a haven for shipping and similarly allowed fisheries and logging to establish
@51countrymix21 күн бұрын
1350 is a date for initial settlement of Aotearoa (NZ) that is a wee bit on the late side because both carbon dating and Maori wakapapa back suggest late 1200s. Given the time available the brief geographical survey is quite good, thank you, but I would suggest that you ensure towns / cities are in the right place on the map and that names are pronounced correctly. Where NZers have chosen to live - you mentioned the climate. And that is largely true. Natural disasters however have historically occurred in both main islands - the 2011 quake in Christchurch is a good example, but by no means a 'stand alone'. Also, re populations.... Wellington does not have as many people as Christchurch, and the population of Christchurch is not yet over 500 000 tho getting close. Thank you for the video.
@mateuszcielas33626 ай бұрын
thats wild that they are so close but so different
@Thomas8286 ай бұрын
Is it just me or does the North Island look roughly the same shape as Hokkaido, the most northerly of Japan main islands?
@callumgibson91676 ай бұрын
4:42 I can see my house from here!
@CrystalClearWith8BE6 ай бұрын
Imagine plenty of New Zealanders live in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Well, Welington is the capital and is geographically centralized in the country. Auckland is to the north and is the financial hub for not just North Island, but for the entire country. Christchurch is the financial center of South Island. As for other cities, there is Hamilton, home to the University of Waikato.
@hamdog97036 ай бұрын
Yeah but Hamilton is a shithole, and the Uni is FUGLY! -source I went there
@Kiki-cs8xv6 ай бұрын
Hamilton is primarily a hub for agriculture - it's the biggest driver of Hamilton's economy. The dairy industry in New Zealand is very large, and the Waikato region (where Hamilton is located) is traditionally a dairy region. That's why Hamilton hosts the southern hemisphere's largest agricultural trade show every year (in June, when the local dairy cows are "dried off" and basically no one is milking).
@g11a6 ай бұрын
Congratulations for making a whole video about NZ and not once mentioning Lord of the Rings! We're so much more than that 👍(though bragging rights about that are welcome, lol)
@topplacetoLive6 ай бұрын
South Island's tranquility may appeal to retirees. Consider its unique lifestyle and amenities for retirement planning.
@user-wf4gs2jp6k6 ай бұрын
didnt hear south islands sand flies mentioned
@stephenbrockett7106 ай бұрын
Have to visit that exciting Doo -a-din.Hope it’s not too cold!Archh,that Eden of the South.
@polymath93726 ай бұрын
Actually, it's pronounced Dun-EE-din...!
@westcoastferral92426 ай бұрын
Born and raised 4th generation westcoaster..love the place..ive found over the years some people come for a visit and never leave other's never come back 😆
@markwalker26276 ай бұрын
"Nobody" lives on the south Island. 23% live here. Geography Geoff needs to meet Mathematics Mike😂
@Johndoe-ob1Ай бұрын
We need more people here by jef
@Johndoe-ob1Ай бұрын
Where you live, jef, let's let 100 million live there from migration
@user-mg2ip8cr8z6 ай бұрын
As a Kiwi I liked your video ,however missed out on the Moriori NZs other indigenous people ,who are native to Rekohu or the Chattan Islands .
@-DHR48706 ай бұрын
We chose to be as far North on the NI as possible . No winters👌
@lioneldemun60333 ай бұрын
In the Coromandel peninsula ? Close to cape Maria van Diemen ?
@-DHR48703 ай бұрын
@@lioneldemun6033 that's not that Far North.
@lioneldemun60333 ай бұрын
@@-DHR4870 Kermadec islands ?
@-DHR48703 ай бұрын
@@lioneldemun6033 no, just on the NI , like I said in my original comment.
@MarktYertd6 ай бұрын
Because perhaps NZ has less industry in the south where people are discouraged from going there and prefer it, and there is not as much migration there.
@juanmartin17296 ай бұрын
true
@igbonnigga6 ай бұрын
k- I I
@vince12296 ай бұрын
Actually legal migrants get more points towards residency by moving to the South Island.
@mapache-ehcapam6 ай бұрын
@@igbonnigga Shut up, lame bot.
@Battleneter6 ай бұрын
Not really correct, keep in mind the 2nd biggest city is in the South Island, and immigration to Christchurch is stronger than most other centers in the North Island (certainly not Auckland). Point being its not as simple as just talking North and South Island, specific towns and cities are more relevant.
@vince12296 ай бұрын
Captain Cook navigated NZ using Dutch charts.
@keithtonkin69596 ай бұрын
Just a few things to correct, otherwise not too bad at all. I live in the South Island (West Coast) So anyway you showed a picture of the Queenstown area (in the South Island) when you were talking about the North Island twice, you called our highest mountain as Mt Cook. That name while still is official is not the only official name and now most people refer to it as Aoraki because that was agreed with the Ngai Tahu treaty settlement in the 90s as it is spiritually the most important mountain to the Ngai Tahu (Kai Tahu) iwi of the South Island (Te Wai Pounamu) Interestingly the South Island has all the extreme weather statistics, Wettest and driest, hottest and Coldest and lest windiest (exactly where I live) although Wellington is probably the windiest. Oh and I've never heard Dunedin pronounced the way you did (it's Dun - e - din) the original name of Edinburgh actually. Also the 'ng' in Maori is a consonant blend not the end of one and not split between syllables and all Maori syllables end in a vowel. so it is "Wa - i - ta - ngi and Ta - u - ra - nga
@rodolfocifuentes96746 ай бұрын
Perfect video please a video of Mainland Australia
@nogames89826 ай бұрын
Being an American, I don't have a lot of knowledge about other places in the world. I knew that New Zealand is not the same country as Australia but in my mind, they are always linked. So I find it very interesting that Australia was not mentioned one time in this video. It makes total sense, but in my small area of knowledge of this area, I think they will just always be linked for some reason.
@GeorgePrice-wf5lx6 ай бұрын
Not when it comes to rugby union!
@kiwimunster6 ай бұрын
It is still in the Australian Constitution that we (New Zealand) could potentially be another Australian state. Yeah, we said no 😅😅
@BobTheTesaurus6 ай бұрын
maybe when they agree to be the West Island of New Zealand XD@@kiwimunster
@user-ww4fm7wt9c6 ай бұрын
is canada and mexico the 51st and 52nd state?
@silverdale32076 ай бұрын
@@kiwimunster That would be yeah/nah😁
@guycowannz6 ай бұрын
Good job with the pronunciation!
@pickledkumera50656 ай бұрын
South Island has hotter summers. Colder winters.
@kiwimunster6 ай бұрын
Pretty good pronunciation for the most part - well done. There was a time that the South Island had way more people for 2 reasons. Scottish settlers found the climate more like home & The Gold Rush.
@geoffhoutman15576 ай бұрын
We gotta change the names of our islands. North should be "Ika", cause it looks like a fish. South should be "Waka" cause it looks like a canoe, and Stewart Island should just be named "Stewart".