ines ▁that ▁was ▁isolated ▁when ▁New ▁Zealand ▁broke ▁away ▁from ▁G ond w ana ▁ 8 2 – 8 5 ▁million ▁years ▁ago ▁( My a ), ▁though ▁a ▁pre - P ale ogene ▁origin ▁of ▁passer ines ▁is ▁highly ▁disput ed ▁and ▁tends ▁to ▁be ▁rejected ▁in ▁more ▁recent ▁studies . ▁ ▁As ▁no ▁evidence ▁indicates ▁passer ines ▁were ▁flight less ▁when ▁they ▁arrived ▁on ▁New ▁Zealand ▁( that ▁ap omorph y ▁is ▁extremely ▁rare ▁and ▁une ven ly ▁distributed ▁in ▁Pass er iformes ), ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁required ▁by ▁present ▁theories ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁distinct ▁in ▁the ▁Mes oz o ic . ▁As ▁une qu iv ocal ▁Pass er iformes ▁are ▁known ▁from ▁Australia ▁some ▁ 5 5 ▁My a , ▁the ▁ac an this itt ids ' ▁ancest ors ▁likely ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁Late ▁Pale oc ene ▁from ▁Australia ▁or ▁the ▁then - temper ate ▁Ant ar ctic ▁coast s . ▁Pl ate ▁t ect on ics ▁indicate ▁that ▁the ▁short est ▁distance ▁between ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁those ▁two ▁contin ents ▁was ▁roughly ▁ 1 , 5 0 0   km ▁( 1 , 0 0 0 ▁miles ) ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁minimum ▁distance ▁from ▁Australia ▁is ▁a ▁bit ▁more ▁today ▁– ▁some ▁ 1 , 7 0 0   km / 1 , 1 0 0 ▁miles ▁- ▁whereas ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 , 5 0 0   km ▁( 1 , 5 5 0 ▁miles ) ▁from ▁Ant arct ica