Qibla direction in New Zealand
The Qibla in New Zealand lies towards the west. Depending on the city the angle from true north ranges from 245.0° in Waitangi to 262.7° in Whangarei, and the Kaaba is between 14,637 km and 15,842 km away. The table gives the exact bearing for 46 cities.
Stand facing true north, then turn clockwise by the angle of your city. A phone compass shows magnetic north, which in New Zealand can differ from true north by a few degrees; our Qibla finder corrects this automatically when your phone reports true heading.
Why the Qibla changes across the country
Between the cities in the table the Qibla angle varies by 17.7°. Invercargill is the closest to the Kaaba (14,637 km) and Waitangi the farthest (15,842 km). The farther apart two cities are, the more their bearings to Makkah diverge, which is why the angle of the capital, 256.4°, should not be used everywhere.
Inside a mosque, the mihrab already shows the Qibla. Elsewhere, a compass app, the position of the sun or our Qibla finder can be used; scholars agree that facing the general direction is enough when the exact angle cannot be known.
Qibla in New Zealand: questions
What is the Qibla direction in Wellington?
256.4° from true north, towards the west, 15,270 km from the Kaaba.
Which city in New Zealand is closest to Makkah?
Invercargill, 14,637 km from the Kaaba, among the 46 cities listed.
Does a phone compass show the right Qibla?
Only if it is calibrated and corrected for magnetic declination. Turn the phone in a figure 8 and keep it away from metal; our Qibla finder uses the true heading when the phone provides it.
| City | Qibla | Direction | Distance to Makkah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashburton | 256.4° | west | 14,959 km |
| Auckland | 261.2° | west | 15,365 km |
| Avondale | 261.2° | west | 15,358 km |
| Blenheim | 256.8° | west | 15,197 km |
| Cambridge | 259.5° | west | 15,404 km |
| Christchurch | 255.9° | west | 15,039 km |
| Dunedin | 255.6° | west | 14,812 km |
| Gisborne | 256.6° | west | 15,606 km |
| Greymouth | 258.2° | west | 14,952 km |
| Hamilton | 259.8° | west | 15,393 km |
| Hastings | 256.4° | west | 15,483 km |
| Invercargill | 257.0° | west | 14,637 km |
| Levin | 256.7° | west | 15,327 km |
| Lower Hutt | 256.3° | west | 15,283 km |
| Mangere | 261.0° | west | 15,366 km |
| Manukau | 261.0° | west | 15,372 km |
| Masterton | 256.0° | west | 15,350 km |
| Napier City | 256.5° | west | 15,492 km |
| Nelson | 257.7° | west | 15,149 km |
| New Lynn | 261.2° | west | 15,357 km |
| New Plymouth | 259.3° | west | 15,264 km |
| Otahuhu | 261.0° | west | 15,370 km |
| Otara | 261.0° | west | 15,372 km |
| Palmerston North | 256.7° | west | 15,362 km |
| Papakura | 260.8° | west | 15,377 km |
| Papatoetoe | 261.0° | west | 15,369 km |
| Paraparaumu | 256.6° | west | 15,299 km |
| Porirua | 256.5° | west | 15,280 km |
| Pukekohe East | 260.7° | west | 15,375 km |
| Rangiora | 256.2° | west | 15,041 km |
| Remuera | 261.1° | west | 15,367 km |
| Richmond | 257.7° | west | 15,139 km |
| Rolleston | 256.1° | west | 15,018 km |
| Rotorua | 258.6° | west | 15,468 km |
| Stoke | 257.7° | west | 15,143 km |
| Takanini | 260.9° | west | 15,376 km |
| Taupo | 258.1° | west | 15,442 km |
| Tauranga | 259.2° | west | 15,471 km |
| Timaru | 256.3° | west | 14,909 km |
| Upper Hutt | 256.3° | west | 15,296 km |
| Wainuiomata | 256.3° | west | 15,284 km |
| Waitangi | 245.0° | south-west | 15,842 km |
| Wellington | 256.4° | west | 15,270 km |
| Whakatane | 258.2° | west | 15,536 km |
| Whanganui | 257.6° | west | 15,326 km |
| Whangarei | 262.7° | west | 15,343 km |