Variety is the essence of the South Island, a visual feast of towering snowcapped peaks, broad sun-parched plains, impenetrable rainforests, rich farmlands, spectacular waterfalls, giant glaciers, serene lakes and deep fiords. The boat from which Maui fished the North Island out of the sea, according to the ancient Polynesian legend, seems to have captured much of nature’s bounty.
The South Island is remarkably uncrowded. Christchurch, the very English ‘garden city’ devastated in the 2011 earthquake yet being rebuilt in an architectural revival, remains one of the two main points of entry, together with Picton in the picturesque Marlborough Sounds. Here at the top of the island, a region of sunken valleys and secluded bays, sun-drenched plains record New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours, much to the pleasure of grape growers.
Swimming with dolphins.
Peter James Quinn/Apa Publications
Hit the West Coast and things start to get wild; beaches pounded by the turbulent Tasman Sea meet with the immensity of the Southern Alps. Through the winding mountain passes the landscape opens up to one of wide braided rivers and high-country sheep farms. Hot mineral springs seep from the ground where the giant moa once roamed.
In the southern lakes region, Queenstown and Wanaka offer a magnificent setting with lakes, forests and mountains combining to create a scene of extraordinary beauty, with a range of adventure activities guaranteed to get the adrenaline pumping. To the east and on the coast is Dunedin, a university city where the influence of the early Scottish settlers is plain to see.
Detail from Larnach Castle.
Andy Belcher/Apa Publications
The rich farmland of Southland forms the base of the island. And then there is Fiordland, comprising 10 percent of New Zealand’s land area but less than one-thousandth of its population. Found here are the renowned Milford Track, Milford Sound, Mitre Peak and Doubtful Sound.
Maui’s anchor comes in the form of Stewart Island. Little-known to many New Zealanders themselves, those in the know say its friendly inhabitants and untouched landscapes make it the most phenomenal place of all.
