Acoustic volume scattering measurements made during the 1971 winter season at 18 deep‐water stations north and east of Auckland, New Zealand, are presented in terms of volume scattering strength andcolumnstrength. (Columns extend from near surface to a depth of 1000 yds.) Both pulse‐type data, at 5.0 and 12 kHz, and explosive‐source data were obtained. At a given frequency, there is little station‐to‐station change incolumnstrength over the12‐octbands from 1 to 20 kHz. Typically,columnstrength rises sharply from 1 kHz to a maximum at 5 or 6 khz followed by a slight droop and another maximum at 16 kHz. Values fall in the range −40 to −70 dB. With one exception, night column strengths are higher than day values; this day‐to‐night difference has a maximum in the neighborhood of 3 kHz. The pulse results, expressed as volume scattering strength versus depth, also show station‐to‐station similarities; the principal scattering layers occur at about the same depths, andcolumnstrengths do not differ greatly. The distribution of volume scattering strengths with depth reveals distinguishing station‐to‐station differences not provided by the explosive data.Columnstrengths obtained from pulse data are in satisfactory agreement with those obtained from explosive measurements. Comparisons show that scattering levels off New Zealand are as high or higher than those observed in other North and South Pacific areas.