When looking at New Zealand and all it's exciting locales, it's often easy to forget that the country is divided into two islands. Picking one can be a difficult decision and we often receive requests for comparisons. Below is some of the differences, pluses and minuses, that should help you narrow your choice.

The North Island

Two words sum up the North Island of New Zealand: Opportunity and Population. Of the little over four million people that live in New Zealand, close to three million of them live on the North Island. Here you find two of the largest cities; the capital Wellington, and the business sector, Auckland. Auckland hosts over a million people and is home to some of the largest international firms in the country. Opportunity for employment is high in this metropolitan area. While Auckland suffers from crime, it is much less compared to other cities of the world. Urban sprawl, however, has started to become an issue and driving in the suburbs outside the city can be frustrating. That being said, however, if you're looking for a city lifestyle with all the cultural fixins surrounded by beautiful scenery, look no further.

The North Island also enjoys slightly warmer temperatures than the South. I mention 'slight' because except for a few times out of the year, there's rarely a difference of more than five degrees between the two. However, because of it's location sunshine is more prevalent in the North than the South.

With regards to scenery, the North Island has some amazing locations to visit--some only an hours drive from the major city centers. Places like the Bay of Islands, Waitomo Caves, and the geological wonder, Rotorua are all within reach. Lest I forget, simply driving around is a beautiful experience with rolling green hills and gorgeous coastline to explore.

The South Island

Looking for something a little more rugged? The South Island is the crown jewel of New Zealand, recently ranked #2, in National Geographic Magazine as one of the most amazing places on Earth (If you're curious, the Norwegian Fiordlands came in first). We're talking an entire island here. If you've looked at our experiences living on the South Island, than you can imagine how much it has to offer. Put simply, there's nothing else like it out there.

With regards to economic activity, the South Island's main cities are ChristChurch, Dunedin, Nelson, and Invercargill. Both Invercargill and Dunedin are University cities currently in the middle of a small economic boon. Opportunities for employment are increasing and more businesses are being drawn to the 'slower' pace of life and large tax breaks cities are offering. Most people living on the South Island have returned after experiencing life in Auckland or some other international city. They've simply not found anywhere else like it or are looking to raise a family away from the rush of elsewhere.

I believe there are over 50 million sheep on the South Island.

With regards to activities, there's simply too much to mention. Bungee jumping, incredible hiking, snowboarding, surfing. cave tubing, kayaking, etc. While many of these are also available on the North Island, the scenery around you is simply unmatched.

Only about a million people live on the South Island (which is rougly twice the size of the North Island). Even with worldwide interest growing as a result of the Lord of the Rings, population experts expect the population in the South to actually decrease and more and more people move to the city centers on the North. New Zealand is simply too remote and too expensive to fly easily to for a massive population increase to take place.

That's about all I can come up with at the moment. As I find more information, I'll add it to this section.