Summer services update
Information Summer services update

Our offices and services will have reduced availability over the holiday period.  Read more about our holiday hours and services availability.

Antarctica and Pacific regions

This section contains information on the role of LINZ in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica and the Pacific region.

New Zealand needs up-to-date and accurate information for it to govern the territories and areas under its jurisdiction. Toitū Te Whenua supports New Zealand's role in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica and the Pacific region through its work in place naming and surveying, and providing maps, charts and geodetic information.

Maps and places

You can download topographic map images for the Cook, Niue and Tokelau Islands in the Pacific region at 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scales.

Download a map image of the Antarctic Ross Sea region at 1:3 million scale.

New Zealand has jurisdictional responsibility for a number of offshore islands. Map images at 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scales can be downloaded for the New Zealand offshore islands Auckland, Chatham, Antipodes, Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku, Raoul, Snares Islands / Tini Heke, and Bounty Islands.

Toitū Te Whenua supports and advises the New Zealand Geographic Board (NZGB), which is responsible for place-naming in New Zealand, including its offshore islands. The board's jurisdiction also extends to the Ross Sea region of Antartica. Find out more about Antarctic place names.

Charts and oceans

New Zealand's official digital maritime boundaries are created by Toitū Te Whenua.

We also produce the NZ202 - Chart Catalogue, which includes Pacific, Southern Ocean and Ross Dependency charts. As well as an index to charts by region, the catalogue has:

  • a numerical chart list
  • ocean sounding charts
  • general bathymetric chart of the oceans (GEBCO)
  • a record of chart corrections published in Notices to Mariners.

A lot of our work is in cooperation with other organisations around the world. Toitū Te Whenua is responsible for coordinating and issuing long-range navigational warnings to cover NAVAREA XIV in the Pacific region. Find out more about the NAVAREA XIV Coordinator.

Geodetic information

Toitū Te Whenua maintains the Ross Sea Region Geodetic Datum 2000 (RSRGD2000), which was implemented in 2000 as the official geodetic datum for this Antarctic region.

Separate projections have been defined for the Antipodes, Auckland, Bounty, Campbell Island / Motu Ihupuku, Chatham, Kermadec, Raoul and Snares / Tini Heke Islands. Find out more about New Zealand's offshore island projections.

Spatial data covering New Zealand's continental shelf can be represented using the Continental Shelf Lambert Conformal 2000 projection.

Related links Purongo