List of city and town nicknames in New Zealand

Many of New Zealand's cities and towns are known by various aliases, slogans, sobriquets, and other nicknames to the general population at either the local, regional, national or international level, often due to marketing campaigns and widespread usage in the media. Some nicknames are officially adopted by municipal governments, tourism boards or chambers of commerce while others are unofficial, and some are current while others are antiquated. Some nicknames are positive, while others are derisive, disparaging or derogatory.

City nicknames can help establish a civic identity, promote civic pride, build civic unity, market the community, and attract residents and businesses. They are also believed to have economic value, but their economic value is difficult to measure.

List of nicknames by city or town

Alexandra "Alex""Alexandra," Otago Central Rail Trail. Retrieved 8 December 2025.

Auckland "Big Little City"Yardley, M., "City Nicknames", Newstalk ZB, 8 July 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2017. "The City of Sails" "The Queen City" "The AK" "The Big Smoke"

Balclutha "Big River Town"McKinnon, M., "Otago places: South Otago," Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1 July 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2021.

Christchurch "The Garden City" "The Most English City Outside England"Killick, D., "Should city rebuild recreate English past?", stuff.co.nz, 5 February 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2017.Robinson, S., "Earthquakes changing 'Old English' identity for Christchurch's tourism", New Zealand Herald, 15 July 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017. "The Four Avenues" "Cyclopolis"

Dargaville Kumara Capital

Dunedin "A pretty good Plan D"McNeilly, H., "'Dunedin, a pretty good Plan D': City's 'quirky' new marketing campaign", stuff.co.nz, 28 May 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2021. "Dunners"Brown, T., "Doing better in Dunners", Otago Daily Times, 20 February 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2017. "Edinburgh of the South"Houseman, M., "Pipe bands strut stuff during Octagonal Day", Otago Daily Times, 22 February 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.

Gisborne "Gizzy"

Hamilton "The City of the Future" "The Tron"

Hokitika "Capital of pounamu" "Cool little town"

Invercargill "City of Water and Light"Hersey, P., "Invercargill: City of water and light", aa.co.nz, 22 March 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017. "Invers"

Mosgiel "Pearl of the Plain"Fox, R., "Welcome to Mosgiel sign due for update", Otago Daily Times, 6 November 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2021.

Napier "Art Deco Capital (of New Zealand/the World)"Leland, K., "All things Art Deco in Napier, New Zealand", Los Angeles Times, 26 February 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2017.Nalewicki, J., "How an earthquake turned this New Zealand town into the Art Deco capital of the world", smithsonian.com, 19 February 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Naseby "2000ft Above Worry Level"Downes, S., "The best and worst New Zealand town slogans", stuff.co.nz, 9 July 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.

Oamaru "Steampunk capital (of New Zealand/the World)"Ryan, R., "Meek's all smoke and rivets", Otago Daily Times, 20 April 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2021.Sabin, B., "Ōamaru: This is the South Island's most underrated town", stuff.co.nz, 30 August 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.Roy, E.A., "How an ordinary New Zealand town became steampunk capital of the world", The Guardian, 30 August 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2021. "Whitestone City"McKinnon, M., "Roadside Stories: Ōamaru, whitestone city," Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1 July 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2021.

Palmerston North "Palmy""Why you should leave Auckland and move to Palmy", stuff.co.nz, 6 July 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Paraparaumu "Pram" "Paraparam"

Porirua "P-Town"

Queenstown "Adventure Capital (of New Zealand/the World)"Thornber, L., "The regions hardest hit by Covid-19 are among New Zealand's most beautiful", stuff.co.nz, 23 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2021.Bain, A., "Why Queenstown is adventure central", stuff.co.nz, 17 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2021."Queenstown adventure: Adventure capital of the world", queenstownadventure.com. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Rangiora "Goon"

Riverton / Aparima "Riviera of the South"Roy, E.A., "Riverton: Just wild about the South's Riviera", New Zealand Herald, 30 January 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Rolleston "Town of the Future"Roy, E.A., "Town of the Future finds Time Now", Stuff, August 13 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2022.

Rotorua "Sulphur City"Olivier, C., "Rotorua's sulphur signature affecting more than our noses", Rotorua Daily Post, 25 January 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2021."The Smell of Rotorua", rotorua.nz.com. Retrieved 21 November 2017. "Rotovegas"

Taihape "Gumboot Capital of the World""Gumboot capital of the world", taihape.co.nz. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Tauranga "The Mount"

Tuatapere "New Zealand's Sausage Capital"Sabin, B., "Five of the South Island's quirkiest small towns", stuff.co.nz, 4 January 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.

Te Anau "Gateway to Fiordland""Fiordland National Park: Getting there", New Zealand Department of Conservation. Retrieved 22 November 2017.

Timaru "Timmers"

Wellington "Absolutely Positively Wellington" "Welly" "Wellywood""Wellywood", roughguides.com. Retrieved 21 November 2017. "The Windy City""Romance in the Windy City", stuff.co.nz, 31 January 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Whanganui "River City"Smith, S., "Whanganui gets the word out: 'We are just spoiled, really'", stuff.co.nz, 16 August 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.

Woodville "All Good in the Wood"Mitchell, P., "'All good in the Wood': Tararua town embraces its new slogan", stuff.co.nz, 8 July 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.

See also

List of city nicknames in Canada List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom List of city nicknames in the United States Lists of nicknames – nickname list articles on Wikipedia

Notes 1. "The Mount" usually more specifically relates to Mount Maunganui, a large town and promontory on the edge of Tauranga Harbour and within the Tauranga urban area.

References