About South Island
The South Island of New Zealand is
divided into 10 tourist regions, including:
The South Island is an adrenalin junkies
paradise. It is well known for its breath taking
scenery, lakes, rugged mountains, lush forests and
raging rivers.
the larger of the two main islands
of New Zealand and
it is
the
12th
largest island in the world. The Maori name for
the South Island is Te Wai Pounamu which
means "The
Water of Greenstone", greenstone being jade
which the Maori used to make jewellery, was
sourced from the rivers of the South Island.
The
South Island is home to Mt Cook (Aoraki) located
in the Southern Alps it is New Zealand's
highest point at 3,754 m (12,316 ft) above sea
level. The largest city is
Christchurch, with Dunedin, with its Scottish heritage,
is
the second largest centre.
Nelson
Nelson is a diverse region offering visitors everything
from a large art and craft community, fresh
food and
produce
markets to exquisite
beaches
and world-renowned
national parks. Known as the sunniest region in New
Zealand it offers easy access to 3 National Parks
- Abel Tasman, Nelson Lakes and Kahurangi. Read
more.
Marlborough
The region of Marlborough is famous as one of New
Zealand’s largest wine
growing areas. Whilst in this region make sure you
visit the stunning Marlborough Sounds,
comprising the Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus
Sounds. The port at at Picton is the southern terminal
for the inter island ferry service to the North
Island and Wellington. Activities in Marlborough
include wine tasting, hiking,
horse riding and
mountain biking. Read more.
West
Coast
The West Coast region lies between the Tasman
Sea and the Southern
Alps. It offers visitors 600km of mountains,
glaciers, stunning blue lakes,
raging rivers, rainforests forests and spectacular
coastline. The main towns of the West Coast are
Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport. There are
so many outdoor activities to experience in
the West Coast including: whitewater rafting,
canyoning, cave rafting,
jet boating, kayaking, horse riding, wilderness
hiking. The West Coast is home to the famous
Franz Josef
and Fox glaciers, both of which are easily accessed. Read more.
Christchurch
- Canterbury
Canterbury encompasses some of New Zealand's
best mountain recreational areas. The vast
Canterbury Plains, appear like a patch work
quilt from the top of the southern alps. Christchurch
provides access to the South Island via its
major international airport and access to many
of the region's ski fields and national parks
including Mt Hutt, and Mt Cook. Christchurch,
is known as the city of churches and as the
garden city.It has a lively café and cultural
scene. Read
more.
Dunedin - Coastal Otago
Home to the countries first university, Dunedin is
also known as a student city and as such offers visitors
a vibrant, energetic culture. Beyond
Dunedin you will find a wealth of natural wonders
on the Otago Peninsula and the Catlins including
the magnificent wilderness areas, home to
gannets, albatross, sea lions and penguins.
The splendid Otago coastline stretches from the
Waitaki River to the Clutha River on the South
Island's
eastern
coast.
Lake
Wanaka
Lake Wanaka is a popular tourist destination.
Lake
Wanaka
has a well deserved
international reputation for its beauty, crystal clear blue waters and tranquility.
Lake Wanaka is ideal for fishing, water skiing, hiking, kayaking, jet boating,
canyoning, whitewater
rafting, horse riding, hang-gliding, and golf. During winter, Wanaka is a destination
for skiers and snow boarders, providing access to nearby ski
resorts of Treble Cone, Cardona
and Waiorau
Nordic ski areas. Read
more.
Queenstown
Queenstown is situated on the shores of
Lake Wakatipu and surrounded by the rugged mountain
peaks of
the Remarkables,
it is considered the "Adrenaline Capital" of
New Zealand, offering steep alpine skiing, jet boating,
white
water rafting and bungy jumping all in one day.
The skiing and snowboarding are fabulous. For those
who prefer a more sedate holiday golf and hiking
is also available. Read
more.
Central
Otago
The Central Otago region is New Zealand's most inland region. It has a famous
goldmining
past.
There
are several
old
gold
mines
that can still be visited. It is a
plateau located in a semi desert environment, and
because of its dry climate
Central
Otago is a living museum, scattered with historic features
well preserved. Central Otago is fast becoming
one
of
New Zealand's leading tourism destinations. Read
more.
Fiordland
The Fiordland region is an exquisite World Heritage
Area offering some of New
Zealand’s most breathtaking views. The deep
carved fiords, towering peaks, and
rainforest make this one of the most spectacular
regions. Here you will find the world renowned
Routeburn, Kepler and Milford Tracks.
Southland
Southland region encompasses the southern tip of
the South Island and Stewart Island. Here you
can experience towering rainforests, alpine
tussocks, rolling fertile farmlands and long expanses
of golden beaches.
The South Island is dominated
by the Southern Alps and Canterbury Plains
and has ten national
parks - Abel Tasman,
Arthur’s Pass, Fiordland, Kahurangi, Mount
Aspiring, Mount Cook, Nelson Lakes, Paparoa,
Rakiura, Westland. These wonderful parks include
World Heritage
Sites, fiords, glaciers, lakes, ski resorts,
coastline, forests, and
hiking tracks.
The South Island is also home
to New Zealand's highest mountain, Mount Cook.
The summit,
which is actually three peaks, is 3,764 metres
above sea level. It use to be 10 metres higher,
but in December 1991, an avalanche containing
10 million cubic metres of snow, ice and rock
fell reducing its height. Mt Cook is located
in the Mt Cook National Park, which comprises
about 70,000 hectares.
Weather conditions differ depending
on which part of the island you are in. The inland
alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as —10°C
in winter.
In summer, the average maximum temperature
ranges between 20-30ºC and in winter between
10-15ºC, however, the weather in New Zealand
can change unexpectedly as cold fronts or tropical
cyclones blow in quickly.
By Air
The majority of visitors arrive on the South Island of New Zealand by air and
consequently there are three international airports: Christchurch,
Dunedin and
Queenstown.
By Boat
Ferry links run
between the north and south islands.
Cruise ships visit New Zealand, but
there are no regular passenger ship services so this
is not any easy method of
travel to New Zealand.
For more information about the South
Island visit the official New Zealand
Tourism web
site www.newzealand.com/
Useful Links To Shops, Services and other things
in South Island
If you would like to display your business here,
click here to contact us.
|
