The recent HowTo thread he was referring to is Terrain Relief Models, Unabridged, in which I attempted to cover the full process in considerable detail. If you’d want to make your own models of New Zealand topography, you obviously won’t be using USGS elevation data, but a cursory search seems to indicate that you can get (some) digital elevation data from LINZ.
Personally, I’m wondering if anyone can ID all the models. Obviously, ‘92 is Mount Saint Helens – my MSH model is on display in my parents’ kitchen (next to their Cheez-Whiz jar of ash, actually). The others I couldn’t tag as easily. Nice and interesting torch styling on '91, by the way.