South Island Chapters
NZDH South Island Chapters
The South Island, an awe-inspiring panorama of majestic snowy mountains, dripping
rainforest, silent fiords and sounds, ancient glaciers, wide open plains, and blue
lakes and rivers, is home to only one quarter of NZ’s population. It’s a place of
grandeur and solitude, where visitors can truly become at one with nature. In parts
you can drive for hours before meeting another soul.
At its northern tip, the regions of Marlborough and Tasman enjoy New Zealand’s highest
sunshine hours, while the Marlborough Sounds, a series of beautiful drowned sea
valleys, is a boaties’ paradise of numerous inlets, islands, peninsulas, and deep
sandy coves, many of which cannot be reached by road.
The West Coast offers a wealth of contrasting scenery: in the north clusters of
nikau palms sprout from glistening white sands, while to the south dense forests
of beech cascade down to meet the sea. The rugged coastline features unique rock
formations, deep fiords, and dense rainforests, as well as the icy tongues of Franz
Josef and Fox Glaciers poking from the snowcapped Southern Alps.
These mountains, a spine of jagged mountains running the length of the South Island,
were formed by a collision of tectonic plates, which, in a bid to outdo each other,
force the mountains heavenwards by some 10mm per year. As it is, the Southern Alps
rise to heights of over 3000 metres in places, with Aoraki (Mt Cook), New Zealand’s
highest mountain, dominating the range at 3,754 metres.
The small picturesque towns of Wanaka, Te Anau and Queenstown nestle amongst the
alps beside shimmering lakes and provide a base for adventure and outdoor activities
including hiking, skiing, whitewater rafting, jetboating and bungy jumping – just
to name a few. To the east genteel towns bask amid farming plains beneath the Southern
Alps and provide a home to most of the South Island’s inhabitants. The largest of
these is the city of Christchurch, well known for its beautiful gardens set beside
the clear waters of the Avon River, and an excellent starting point for any scenic
tour of New Zealand.
Picton to Christchurch
Extract from the Picton to Christchurch chapter
From the moment you disembark from the inter-island ferry in Picton after cruising
through breathtaking Queen Charlotte Sound, there’s no doubt in any visitor’s mind
that the South Island is very special... Click here to view the
Picton to Christchurch chapter.
Akaroa and Banks Peninsula
Extract from the Akaroa and Banks Peninsula chapter
A scenic one and a half hour’s drive from Christchurch leads to Akaroa on the Banks
Peninsula, a quaint town steeped in European history with more than a touch of French
charm. Captain James Cook and the crew aboard the Endeavour were the first Europeans
to sight the peninsula in February 1770... Click here to view the
Akaroa and Banks Peninsula chapter.
Christchurch to Queenstown
Extract from the Christchurch to Queenstown chapter
The Southern Alps provide a pristine playground for New Zealanders and nowhere more
so than at Mt Hutt, an easy two-hour drive from Christchurch. Travelling south the
road hugs the foothills to the quintessential country towns of Geraldine and Fairlie,
before ascending into Mackenzie country where the turquoise-blue waters of Lake
Tekapo and Lake Pukaki contrast sharply with the dry, rocky hinterland... Click
here to view the Christchurch to Queenstown
chapter.
Queenstown Action
Extract from the Queenstown Action chapter
Adventure Capital of the World. A mighty title for a small town nestled on the shores
of Lake Wakatipu but one that has been well earned. Upon arrival adventure seekers
soon discover that whether you’re into high adrenaline-pumping activities like bungy
jumping, skydiving, jet boating, whitewater rafting, parapenting, and rally driving,
or prefer milder forms of adventure entertainment such as luging, ballooning, four
wheel driving, mountain biking or horse trekking, Queenstown offers something for
everyone... Click here to view the Queenstown Action
chapter.
Christchurch to Dunedin
Extract from the Christchurch to Dunedin chapter
South Canterbury’s flat plains, flanked by the dramatic peaks of the Southern Alps,
stretch in a colourful patchwork of fields south to Timaru, the urban heart of the
Central South Island. A lively, colourful town with a striking piazza overlooking
Caroline Bay, Timaru has preserved much of its historical heritage in a collection
of Edwardian and bluestone buildings, local museum treasures, and Maori rock art
found in caves nearby... Click here to view the
Christchurch to Dunedin chapter.
Dunedin to Te Anau
Extract from the Dunedin to Te Anau chapter
The Southern Scenic Route, which curves around the southern coast of the South Island
from Dunedin through the Catlins to Invercargill, then on up SH95 to Te Anau, provides
a range of dramatic scenery. From rocky islets, sparkling waterfalls, high headlands,
thunderous surf, quaint fishing villages, and dense native forests to snowcapped
mountains and mirrored lakes the landscape provides eye candy for all tastes...
Click here to view the Dunedin to Te Anau
chapter.
Stewart Island
Extract from the Stewart Island chapter
Stewart Island, or Rakiura (glowing skies) as it is known to the Maori, is one of
NZ’s least explored eco-tourism destinations. Granite-based with high rocky outcrops
it offers a mix of deep clear bays, white sandy beaches and towering emerald-green
rainforest... Click here to view the Stewart Island
chapter.
Fiordland and Milford Sound
Extract from the chapter
Some of NZ’s wildest and most dramatic scenery can be found in Fiordland, from waterfalls
that tumble through dense forests of beech into deep ice carved fiords, to shimmering
lakes and small towns cradled amongst magnifi cent mountains. Fiordland has 14 fiords
which are carved through steep mountain ranges and span some 215 kilometres of coastline,
and of these Doubtful and Milford Sound are the most accessible to the visitor...
Click here to view the Fiordland and Milford
Sound chapter.
Central Otago
Extract from the Central Otago chapter
Wide plains, tussock smothered mountains, rocky tors, clear rivers and opalescent
turquoise lakes. This is Central Otago, a region of some 11,000 kilometres squared.
It’s big sky country where crystal clear light draws mountains closer by day and
produces star-studded skies by night... Click here to view the
Central Otago chapter.
Queenstown to Greymouth
Extract from the Queenstown to Greymouth chapter
From the ice-blue waters of Lake Wanaka to the grandeur of the Haast Pass, SH6 cuts
a winding route through dense forest in Mt Aspiring National Park, before continuing
on up the spectacular West Coast of the South Island. This epic journey provides
the traveller with fresh inspiration at every turn... Click here to view the
Queenstown to Greymouth chapter.
Greymouth to Nelson
Extract from the Greymouth to Nelson chapter
When one thinks of the West Coast, visions of rugged and dramatic hills, acres of
rainforest and spectacular surf spring to mind, but from Greymouth to Westport the
scenery also has an almost tropical appeal with nikau palms sprouting from glistening
white sands and clinging to rocky escarpments... Click here to view the
Greymouth to Nelson chapter.
Murchison Action
Extract from the Murchison Action chapter
The South Island is the island of action and adventure and here where the northern
tip of the Southern Alps meets the Murchison/ Nelson Lakes region visitors have
two choices: relax and soak up the beautiful scenery, or break personal boundaries
and enjoy a new activity in the great outdoors... Click here to view the
Murchison Action chapter.
Nelson to Golden Bay
Extract from the Nelson to Golden Bay chapter
A wise man once said that when you drive over the Takaka Hill, you leave all your
troubles behind. In Takaka, the gateway to Golden Bay, this certainly seems to be
true for here life moves to a relaxed and friendly beat, and its locals, many of
whom are creative artisans, endorse strong environmental principles... Click here
to view the Nelson to Golden Bay chapter.
Nelson to Picton
Extract from the Nelson to Picton chapter
The Marlborough Sounds: New Zealand just doesn’t come any cleaner or greener. Its
waters are so pure that many of these spectacular sunken sea valleys are used to
commercially cultivate a local delicacy, NZ Greenshell mussels. With over 1500 kilometres
of coastline the Marlborough Sounds also provides a pristine environment to enjoy
a number of sea-based activities from sailing and diving to kayaking and fishing...
Click here to view the Nelson
to Picton chapter.