▁Zealand ▁and ▁Australia ▁( and ▁sometimes ▁other ▁South ▁Pacific ▁areas ), ▁and ▁" Ant ip ode ans " ▁to ▁their ▁inhabitants . ▁ ▁Ge ology ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁Zealand ia , ▁a ▁micro cont inent ▁nearly ▁half ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁Australia ▁that ▁gradually ▁sub mer ged ▁after ▁breaking ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁G ond wan an ▁super cont inent . ▁Zealand ia ▁extends ▁a ▁significant ▁distance ▁east ▁into ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁and ▁south ▁towards ▁Ant arct ica . ▁It ▁also ▁extends ▁towards ▁Australia ▁in ▁the ▁north - west . ▁This ▁sub mer ged ▁continent ▁is ▁d otted ▁with ▁top ographic ▁high s ▁that ▁sometimes ▁form ▁islands . ▁Some ▁of ▁these , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁main ▁islands ▁( N orth ▁and ▁South ), ▁Stewart ▁Island , ▁New ▁C aled onia , ▁and ▁the ▁Ch ath am ▁Islands , ▁are ▁settled . ▁Other ▁smaller ▁islands ▁are ▁e co - san ctu aries ▁with ▁carefully ▁controlled ▁access . ▁ ▁The ▁New ▁Zealand ▁land ▁mass ▁has ▁been ▁u pl ift ed ▁due ▁to ▁trans pression al ▁t ect on ics ▁between ▁the ▁Ind o - Austral ian ▁Pl ate ▁and ▁Pacific ▁pl ates ▁( th ese ▁two ▁pl ates ▁are ▁gr inding ▁together ▁with ▁one ▁r iding ▁up ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁other ). ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁numerous ▁earth qu akes ▁and ▁vol cano es . ▁ ▁To ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Island ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Pl ate ▁is ▁forced ▁under ▁the ▁Ind o - Austral ian ▁Pl ate .