Q: Why is New Guinea/Tasmania listed as part of the Australian Continent?
A: This page uses the geological definition of a continent as an uninterrupted piece of continental plate. In this case, New Guinea and Tasmania are connected to Australia by the Australian continental shelf, as such they are geologically part of the Australian continent.
Q: Why is New Zealand not part of the Australian Continent?
A: New Zealand is not connected to Australia by a continental shelf, and as such is part of its own microcontinent, sometimes referred to as Zealandia.
Q: Isn't this the same as Oceania?
A: No. Oceania is the collective name for the island regions of the Pacific ocean, and is usually not considered a continent itself in the English-speaking world, nor are the islands of Oceania geologically part of the Australian continent. Please see Oceania for the article about this region.
