The correct answer is option 3: Polynesia. Polynesia is one of the three main island groups in the Pacific Ocean, along with Micronesia and Melanesia. It consists of over 1,000 islands scattered across the central and southern Pacific. New Zealand is considered part of Polynesia because it is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Micronesia, option 1, encompasses thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean, but New Zealand is not part of this island group. Melanesia, option 2, includes countries like Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji but does not include New Zealand.

Option 4, Hawaii Island chain, is separate from New Zealand and belongs to the Polynesian sub-region of the Pacific.

In summary, New Zealand is part of Polynesia, which is a group of islands located in the central and southern Pacific Ocean.