South Island

Mt Cook
The South Island is dominated by snow-capped mountains and extreme landscapes. Huge glaciers and valleys are interspersed with lakes and rivers forming spectacular fiords. The North of the island around Marlborough is one of the best wine growing regions in the world, whilst the east coast is home to the ‘Garden City’ of Christchurch, and to the south Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world.

Stewart Island

Hotels in Stewart Island, NZ

Stewart Island, lying just of South Island across the Foveaux Strait, is a haven for native bird life and the only place in New Zealand where you can readily see kiwi in their natural habitat. Owing to a geomagnetic anomoly it is also the perfect place for seeing the Aurora Australis – the “Southern Lights”. Its Maori name, “Rakiura” is usually translated as “Glowing Skies”. More

Dunedin

Dunedin

The city of Dunedin stands on the hills of an extinct volcano. It was designed to replicate the City of Edinburgh and is a resolutely Scottish enclave. Protruding into the Pacific Ocean is Otago Peninsula, a high, rugged landscape which leads you to ‘Larnach Castle’. The Peninsula typifies New Zealand with its rare wildlife such as albatross, fur seals and yellow-eyed penguins. More

Te Anau and Fjordland

Te Anau and Fiordland

The crystal waters of Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri act as the gateways to Milford and Doubtful Sound. Arguably the most dramatic scenery in New Zealand, this is a world of looming granite peaks where waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into forested valleys. A popular destination for hikers and ‘trampers’, it is also the natural habitat of many species of birds, including the endangered Takahe. More

Queenstown

Queenstown

Located on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by majestic mountain tops, Queenstown is often referred to as ‘the adventure capital of the world’. The town itself has a casual ambience but with no compromise on finesse, while the surrounding countryside has been used in the making of several films, notably ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. With plenty of adventure options during the day, and a vibrant restaurant scene during the evenings, it has recently been gaining a reputation as the place to be. More

West Coast

West Coast

The West Coast has one of the most scenic drives along the Paparoa National Park and it’s worth stopping in Punakaiki to see the blowholes and the unusual limestone formations namely ‘Pancake Rocks’. Stay in Hokitika  where you can meander along the rugged beach or buy some locally-worked ‘green stone’, gaze in awe at the gigantic ice sheets of the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers - some of the most accessible in the temperate world. More

Mt Cook & Wanaka

Mount Cook and Wanaka

The highest peak in all New Zealand and the jewel in the crown of the Southern Alps, Mt Cook is known by the Maoris as “Aoraki”, meaning “cloud piercer”. It was later renamed by British explorers in honour of the famous Captain Cook. Surrounded by mountains and nestling at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, it is a successful resort for nature-lovers, being one of the few places in the country to enjoy a continental climate, with four distinct seasons. More

Christchurch

Christchurch

The largest city on the South Island, Christchurch enjoys a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and rests on an unbroken plateau of pastureland that stretches out to the open Ocean. The punts on the River Avon and the tramways lining the streets give it a quintessential English feel, while many famous voyages to the Antarctic started here – including those of Shackleton and Scott – earning the city the name of “the Gateway to the Antarctic”.
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Nelson and Abel Tasman

Nelson and Abel Tasman

Nelson is an irresistible blend of lifestyle and impressive landscape and the gateway to The Abel Tasman National Park which, although the smallest in New Zealand, is the most popular offering a gentle experience of the outdoors. More

Marlborough

Marlborough

Marlborough Sounds is an anomaly in New Zealand. It’s the only part of the country sinking into the sea resulting in a maze of waterways. The relatively small area makes up one-fifth of New Zealand’s coastline. Unsurprisingly, the perfect way to explore the Sounds would be on the water or looking out from the ridge peaked coastline on any number of walkways that access the tops. Travelling South of the Sounds you reach Blenheim, the gateway to the many vineyards profiting on the fertile land fed by unfailing rivers. More

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