New Zealand and Papua New Guinea: Not Joined to Australia

New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are not joined to Australia. They are entirely separate, sovereign nations.

• New Zealand lies about 2,000 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Australia across the Tasman Sea. It became a British colony in 1840 and gained full independence in 1947 (Statute of Westminster Adoption Act).
• Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, just 150 km north of Australia across the Torres Strait. It was administered by Australia under a UN mandate/trusteeship until independence in 1975.

While all three are part of the broader region called Australasia (or Oceania), and share close diplomatic, economic, and migration ties, they are politically and geographically distinct countries.