SimilaritiesBoth countries have unique, endemic wildlife, though New Zealand has birds while Australia has marsupials.The two countries lie completely in the southern and eastern hemispheres, with proximity to the Pacific Ocean.Both countries were charted by Captain Cook (although he just charted the eastern coast of Australia while he circumnavigated New Zealand).Both countries have a high standard of living.Both countries are multi-cultural in their makeup.Both were colonised by Britain.Whaling played an important part in the early history of each country.English is the official language of each country.each contains indigenous people whose earlier generations were displaced by the British.Both countries rely strongly on agriculture, especially sheep and wool.Australia and New Zealand share the common heritage of the ANZAC tradition.DifferencesAustralia has some of the worlds deadliest snakes. New Zealand does not have snakes.Australia is about 26 times larger than New zealand. It is a continent, whereas New Zealand is an island.New Zealand is characteristed by high mountains, and some volcanic and tectonic activity. Australia is mostly desert and flat plain, with no active volcanoes, and little noticeable seismic activity.