Is Tonga close to Australia or New Zealand?

Tonga is an archipelago of 169 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand. As such, it is closer to New Zealand than Australia.

Tonga lies approximately 872 km east of the northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island. This is approximately the same distance between mainland New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands, which are part of New Zealand. To reach Australia, you would need to travel an additional 2,000 km southwest.

Tonga is a sovereign state in free association with New Zealand, meaning that it is an independent country under the protection of New Zealand. This means that New Zealand is responsible for its defence and foreign relations, while Tonga is solely responsible for its internal affairs. As such, Tonga has a closer relationship with New Zealand than with Australia, and it is geographically closer to New Zealand as well.