Edmar Bernardes DaSilva (MA in Geography - Doctor of Geography Education)
The country of New Zealand is located on the conjunction of two of the Earth's great tectonic plates: the Australian and the Pacific plates.
The tectonic plates move like hard shells that slide over the surface of the Earth.
Generally speaking, the great Australian plate is moving north while the Pacific plate is moving west. The combination of these movements means that the Pacific plate, which includes most of New Zealand's South Island, is moving in the southwestern direction of the Australian plate at a rate of about 40 millimeters each year. Finally, the city Christchurch is moving away from the city Auckland about 4 meters every century.
