New Zealand's climate gets warmer the further north you go, so the North Island is generally much warmer than the South. Head north of Auckland to the subtropical Bay of Islands and you'll stays warm even in the winter months!
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Generally speaking, if you want to engage with city culture or explore Maori history, the North Island is for you. If you want to deep-dive into nature, the South Island has plenty of lakes, mountains, fjords, and glaciers to discover.
A Scot has set a new world record for the fastest swim across the Cook Strait - the waters between New Zealand's North and South Islands. Andy Donaldson, 31, swam through the night to complete the 23km route in four hours and 33 minutes.
Ophir, a quaint and historic gold mining town, 114kms from Queenstown in New Zealand's Central Otago Reigon, has the unenviable reputation of being New Zealand's coldest town.
In terms of population distribution, 85.7% of Maori live in the North Island and 14.2% live in the South Island. The Chatham Islands has the highest concentration of Maori people at 66.1%, followed by the Wairoa District (65.7%), Opotiki District (63.7%), Kawerau District (61.7%) and Gisborne District (52.9%).