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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
@@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 😅
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.
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 😊
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.
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-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!!!
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
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
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.
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!
@@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!
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🙄
@@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.
@@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🙏
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.
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).
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.
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🙄
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.
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
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!) 👍
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.
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 😀
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
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..
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
@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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
At ~ 7:30 -- You mention the North Island being "more conducive to traditional Maori lifestyle" which I presume is code for "the taro plant won't grow further south" which is why the Maori pretty much exclusively settled the N.I., since no taro = no poi. Once again, alcohol fuels civilization FTW!
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)
Most Kiwi’s don’t live on either island. If they’re smart they live in Australia. If you’re straight you live in Melbourne, bent - Sydney, lazy - Queensland. But everyone loves Kiwi’s in Perth because they’re there to work.
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.
@@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.
The name Aotearoa in the context of a name for New Zealand was first known and published around 1856 or 1867. That use of Aotearoa was not used for the country that we now call NZ. New Zealand a coherent country was beyond imagination a few years before then. It was a series of Large and small islands, with tribal people who 'owned' there own area. There was no Country... just a series of often warring tribes. So places had names, even the Islands had names...... but no Country name or name of a nation. But for the Europeans, the group of Islands was named by Abel Tasman in the early 1600's as New Zealand (in Dutch) as he sailed past. About the 1780's Capt Cook spent much time looking around the place, over three expeditions. I just took a look at COOK's detailed map / chart..... it is New Zealand in the title or heading..... and the main separate islands are named in Maori (the best as he could at that time... it wasn't perfect)
@@colonelfustercluck486 The name Aotearoa was on Cooks map. It was probably a navigational reference for Polynesian navigators. It is currently used as a name for NZ buy many Kiwi. After all, why should a foreigner name our country?
@@graemehelleur1627 the term Aotearoa was coined around 1856 or 57 when it was first seen in newspapers / pamphlets. It wasn't used in the 1830 Maori Proclamation or the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. Remember, before the whites arrived, it was not a country.... if it was, where was HQ, Like their version of a Parliement or Council of Chiefs, or the bosses office? Their wasn't. The islands had various populations of Maori across them, under the chieftainship of various leaders. Some got on OK... and many other just made wars with their neighbours. SO you had tribal areas all over the place. The place, all over was not named. Just the island names, and then was divided up, into localities. Tasman arrived and gave it a name (for the whole collection of islands) of New Zealand. He spelled it a little different coz he was Dutch. Many Kiwi do call the country Aotearoa. I am not sure why they do that though. Maybe wishful thinking and not knowing the accurate history. Maori oral history was written down by church people very early on. NO mention of Aotearoa has been found in earlier records. Foreigners naming countries.... does that apply to the people in the 1300's or just the later white guys aren't allowed to do that?
Forgot to mention that the percentage of Rugby Champions is heavily weighted in favour of the South Island with the legendary Canterbury Crusaders. Also, the city of Christchurch is amazingly flat and is the Garden City and exceptionally beautiful.
How much could the population of New Zealand grow by? Look at the size of the country. It's very similar to Japan in its physical geography and both are susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and Tsunamis.
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.
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.
Also the fact that all governments pour so much money into Auckland at the expense of the South Island it is not surprising that Auckland is booming, it is where they get the votes to stay in power.,
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
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.
Kiwi here, when you see Kiwi trashing on Australia. We mean it in a nicest way possible. Its a tsundere relationship
Sweden, Austrailia and New Zealand truely have a special relationship. Some call it the holy triangle😊
Aussies And Kiwis will always be close, we are the same people with qwerky differences 👍🏼
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.
@@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.
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.
Xercon Iame whlteboy
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.
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.
@@Huia87 No major earthquakes for a while in Australia.
@@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 😅
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.
Saad Alis Art and Drawing Iame whlteboy
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I hope thats not the explanation. Japan is mountainous and has 120 million people
@@iboniggahush Ooga booga 👩🏿🦲
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 😊
Ditto Gaz - Wellyz was pinned near Kaikoura
Agree, Wellington is placed on the wrong island.@@SBW_85
... And Dunedin ...
@@SBW_85 Bloody near true in the last quakes.
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.
Vivienne Hayes Iame whlteboy
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@@ibonigga Ooga booga 👩🏿🦲
@vivien is gold panning or mining allowed on south island?
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
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",
And is not pronounced "Doon a din".
:)
@@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!!!
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
@@GeorgePrice-wf5lx Americans in general seem to have trouble with Dunedin. Dun-eee-din
@@brucesim2003 I went there once. Had no trouble ;)
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
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
...and west.
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.
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!
It’s not. It’s around 150,000 km^2. The UK is around 244,000 km^2.
@@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!
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🙄
@@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.
@@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🙏
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.
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).
I'm gonna say the way he says it from now on.
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.
@@davidstevenson9517 Then what the hell bird is it? It's bigger than a seagull and has blue legs.
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🙄
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.
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
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!) 👍
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.
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 😀
@@Chris-NZJAFA!
@@SBW_85 thanks Just another fabulous Aucklander.
Only south islanders call it mainland
@@jesseleeward2359 arh yes but do you have to live in the South Island to be a Mainlander ?
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.
yes... But said as two words run into one "Dun-Edin", but said fast....... it is the former name for Edinburgh in Scotland. (Several centuries ago).
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.
Just a heads up, the graphic at 1:18 incorrectly shows Wellington as being on the south island.
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.
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.
Except the West Coast! Quite a bit of rain but mild temperatures all year round.
@@viviennehayes2856 if you a temperature range of 10-20 degrees mild
Wonderful episode! New Zealand has been a 'bucket list' destination for my travels for quite some time. What a beautiful country.
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.
Bring A LOT of money, shits expensive here. Especially the tourist traps.
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!
Agree, and also why not rewrite the script to avoid the unnecessary repetitions
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.
Snow in chch little bit once every 5yrs, very good. Not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter. See you there.
It’s like the old Johnny Carson bit.
Carson: “The South Island is so cold…”
Audience Yells: “How cold is it?”
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..
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.
9:45. The way he said Dunedin 😂😂
just day Dun-Edin quickly....
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.
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.
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.
I often wondered how they survived the winters down here!
08:30 Did anyone notice, when Geoff said "highly fertile," the lamb in the foreground poop'ed. That was a setup of perfect timing.
Thanks Geoff. I enjoy your content. Excellent work!
Don’t worry about population, the South Island has the best places to visit in New Zealand. Go in autumn it is sensational.
Yup!
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..
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.
Amazed that nobody mentions how "Ma-ori" is pronounced. Apparently NZers are ok with "mauri"?
@@cestmoi1262 not to mention Whellington and Whanaka
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.
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.
Like your channel hope you feel better don't over Work on videos and stay safe
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
Gareth Iame whlteboy
Gareth Iame whlteboy
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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!
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.
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.
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.
You can't talk about New Zealand population distribution without mentioning that 1million New Zealanders live in Australia.
Nope it’s all got to do with employment.
90% of the jobs are in the north island and the south is more for tourism
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.
What is an 'ORC'?
@CathodeRayNipplez - Perhaps referencing Lord of the Rings? ORC's? Because the film series was filmed in NZ.
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
I find the " Haka " dance repulsive
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
Would love to visit NZ one day. Its scenery looks stunning
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.
Such a great video overall, probably should win an award. Best educational infotainment video of 2024 !
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.
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
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
Weather isn’t better though. People say Nelson has some of the best weather in New Zealand.
@@andrewrutherford9181 Marlborough or Nelson Provinces..... both are hand in hand for the best weather, and still pleasant in winter
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
Yeah but Hamilton is a shithole, and the Uni is FUGLY! -source I went there
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).
Cold. Who would prefer icy winters of the south to the milder north, where growing food is easier.
We have hotter summers though so it balances out.
@@rad4924 hmm, perhaps.
The South Island has double the recorded cold temperature to offset.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
One of my ancestors, Victor Delannoy accompanied Jules Dumont d Urville in theFrench first world trip 1823-1829. Could have made New Zealand French!
There is a French town on the South Island called Akaroa, it’s very beautiful
8:22 this is the South Island, Queenstown
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
Nz is expensive houses are unaffordable and wages are low.
Wages are low in NZ? I thought they were wealthy
@@FastGuy1 Not even close. And the new gov't is going to make sure the poor get poorer.
@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.
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
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.
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
great vid!!
The most important thing about NZ is the lack of good surf spots. It's freezing and there are giant sharks.
@@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!
But like Great Britain with Scotland in the North and England in the South though in reverse❤
"Ross Dependecy?" Whaaat? I start my day off learning new things. Thank You, Geoff!
It's much nicer on the north Island. You all need to stay there. You'll hate the South Island.
Regards,
South Islander
South Island's tranquility may appeal to retirees. Consider its unique lifestyle and amenities for retirement planning.
10% of New Zealanders actually live in Australia.
And it's pronounced Dun - Eden
correct
'Landscape of the North Island' - shows a clip of Queenstown Airport :-) Cmon Geoff...
South Island has hotter summers.
Colder winters.
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.
no, the film was out of sync...... and its YT, you just use whatever filim you can. It's not a presentation for a doctorate thesis...... FFS
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
FYI, no claims by any country to Antarctic land is recognized internationally.
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.
Not when it comes to rugby union!
It is still in the Australian Constitution that we (New Zealand) could potentially be another Australian state. Yeah, we said no 😅😅
maybe when they agree to be the West Island of New Zealand XD@@kiwimunster
is canada and mexico the 51st and 52nd state?
@@kiwimunster That would be yeah/nah😁
"Nobody" lives on the south Island. 23% live here. Geography Geoff needs to meet Mathematics Mike😂
Can you do Madagascar next? 🇲🇬
Please do a video on KURDISTAN autonomous region refurendam
Can’t believe New Zealand made it on the map!
At ~ 7:30 -- You mention the North Island being "more conducive to traditional Maori lifestyle" which I presume is code for "the taro plant won't grow further south" which is why the Maori pretty much exclusively settled the N.I., since no taro = no poi. Once again, alcohol fuels civilization FTW!
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)
I’m surprised after all your research on NZ..you didn’t know how to pronounce Dunedin.
Most Kiwi’s don’t live on either island. If they’re smart they live in Australia. If you’re straight you live in Melbourne, bent - Sydney, lazy - Queensland. But everyone loves Kiwi’s in Perth because they’re there to work.
Dunedin is pronounced ‘Done-nee-din’ - New Zealander here
thats wild that they are so close but so different
Fun fact: the Cook Islands and Niue maintain close relations with Kosovo because it’s breakaway status
Is this a reupload?
Had to shut it down after 3:59 mentioning people haven’t been there long… sorry but we know that’s incorrect
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.
is the name historical or contemporarily made by Maori? I'm pretty sure there's no satellite imaging back then
@@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.
The name Aotearoa in the context of a name for New Zealand was first known and published around 1856 or 1867. That use of Aotearoa was not used for the country that we now call NZ.
New Zealand a coherent country was beyond imagination a few years before then. It was a series of Large and small islands, with tribal people who 'owned' there own area. There was no Country... just a series of often warring tribes. So places had names, even the Islands had names...... but no Country name or name of a nation.
But for the Europeans, the group of Islands was named by Abel Tasman in the early 1600's as New Zealand (in Dutch) as he sailed past. About the 1780's Capt Cook spent much time looking around the place, over three expeditions. I just took a look at COOK's detailed map / chart..... it is New Zealand in the title or heading..... and the main separate islands are named in Maori (the best as he could at that time... it wasn't perfect)
@@colonelfustercluck486 The name Aotearoa was on Cooks map. It was probably a navigational reference for Polynesian navigators. It is currently used as a name for NZ buy many Kiwi. After all, why should a foreigner name our country?
@@graemehelleur1627 the term Aotearoa was coined around 1856 or 57 when it was first seen in newspapers / pamphlets. It wasn't used in the 1830 Maori Proclamation or the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi.
Remember, before the whites arrived, it was not a country.... if it was, where was HQ, Like their version of a Parliement or Council of Chiefs, or the bosses office? Their wasn't.
The islands had various populations of Maori across them, under the chieftainship of various leaders. Some got on OK... and many other just made wars with their neighbours.
SO you had tribal areas all over the place. The place, all over was not named. Just the island names, and then was divided up, into localities.
Tasman arrived and gave it a name (for the whole collection of islands) of New Zealand. He spelled it a little different coz he was Dutch.
Many Kiwi do call the country Aotearoa. I am not sure why they do that though. Maybe wishful thinking and not knowing the accurate history.
Maori oral history was written down by church people very early on. NO mention of Aotearoa has been found in earlier records.
Foreigners naming countries.... does that apply to the people in the 1300's or just the later white guys aren't allowed to do that?
Is it just me or does the North Island look roughly the same shape as Hokkaido, the most northerly of Japan main islands?
Forgot to mention that the percentage of Rugby Champions is heavily weighted in favour of the South Island with the legendary Canterbury Crusaders. Also, the city of Christchurch is amazingly flat and is the Garden City and exceptionally beautiful.
Cantabs. So modest 🙄
Good job with the pronunciation!
How much could the population of New Zealand grow by? Look at the size of the country. It's very similar to Japan in its physical geography and both are susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and Tsunamis.
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.
true
k- I I
Actually legal migrants get more points towards residency by moving to the South Island.
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.
Also the fact that all governments pour so much money into Auckland at the expense of the South Island it is not surprising that Auckland is booming, it is where they get the votes to stay in power.,
Any chance of bumping into Xena: Warrior Princess if I visit?
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
that place (Hamilton) is known as 'the Tron' for some unknown reason. This is fact.
Have to visit that exciting Doo -a-din.Hope it’s not too cold!Archh,that Eden of the South.
Actually, it's pronounced Dun-EE-din...!
Dun-Edin... say it a little faster and you will be OK
8:29 One of the sheepies releases a nice dark sticky one.