South Island (New Zealand)

South Island Information

Overview

Things to do

Country Info (New Zealand)

Slideshow of Photos

The Southern Alps run much of the length of the South Island forming a climatic barrier between the west and east coasts. Christchurch is the South Island's largest city. It is the gateway to the South Island, which has some of New Zealand's most stunning scenery.

The Canterbury region includes a large central portion of the east coast of the South Island, centered around the city of Christchurch. The Christchurch hinterland of highly productive farmlands extends from the silvery beaches of the east coast to the jagged peaks of the Southern Alps on the western horizon.

Christchurch city is located midway down the east coast of the South Island, just north of Banks Peninsula. As the South Island's largest city (population 337,000) and main international gateway it is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place with exciting festivals, theatre, modern art galleries, great shopping, award-winning attractions and a host of activities. Its Gothic revival cathedral, gray-stone nineteenth century buildings, tree-lined avenues and extensive leafy parks have preserved the grace and charm of an earlier era.

The Otago Coast stretches from the Waitaki River to the mighty Clutha River, on the South Island's eastern coast. About halfway between is Dunedin, built around Otago Harbor, which indents Otago Peninsula.

Dunedin, with a population of 112,000, is the South Island's second-largest city and the commercial center for the Otago region. Its name is the old Gaelic one for Edinburgh - appropriate since Scottish Presbyterians established the city. It is a gracious city whose numerous grand 19th century and Edwardian buildings are unrivalled anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

A natural attraction on the Otago Peninsula is the abundant wildlife, only a 15-20 minute drive from the central business district. Nature and wildlife excursions allow for viewing fur seals, endangered yellow-eyed penguin, cormorants and albatross.

New Zealand is larger than the United Kingdom and about two-thirds the size of Japan. However its population is only 4 million, similar to that of Norway or Ireland. Distances between the main centers can be up to a few hundred miles but there are reliable air, road, ferry and rail networks linking the main centers and the two main islands; the North and South Islands. Coming to an adventure playground like New Zealand you may wish to bring your mountain bike, surfboard, snowboard or skis to enjoy the great outdoors.

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Population: 4.035.500
Languages: English, Maori (both official)
Currency: New Zealand dollar
Currency code: NZD
Local Times:
New Zealand - Auckland

New Zealand - Chatham Island

New Zealand - Wellington

Country Dialling Code: +64
Voltage: 240V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

Flat prongs, inverted 'V' positioned with earth connector

It's been Middle Earth and Narnia in the movies but New Zealand's beautiful landscapes are no fantasy.

With a varied and dramatic landscape, a long and significant cultural heritage, and some of the world's rarest and most fascinating plant and animal species, New Zealand is an ideal adventure travel destination. Take a trip here and discover why New Zealand has it all - from flightless birds to breaching whales and breathtaking fjords to erupting geysers.

New Zealand comes with a reputation as a unique land packed with magnificent, raw scenery : craggy coastlines, sweeping beaches, primeval forests, snow-capped alpine mountains, bubbling volcanic pools, fast-flowing rivers and glacier-fed lakes, all beneath a brilliant blue sky. The far north is a subtropical haven of unspoilt beaches, citrus fruits and hibiscus flowers, while volcanic mud pools and geysers feature in the central part of North Island. The South Island boasts whale watching, ice glaciers and rugged snow-covered Alps. And yes, there are many wide-open spaces.

What's more, everything is easily accessible, packed into a land area little larger than Britain and with a population of just 3.8 million, over half of it tucked away in the three largest cities : Auckland, the capital Wellington, and the South Island's Christchurch. Elsewhere, you can travel miles through steep-hilled farmland and rarely see a soul, and there are even remote spots which, it's reliably contended, no human has ever visited.

Geologically, New Zealand split off from the super-continent of Gondwanaland early, developing a unique ecosystem in which birds adapted to fill the role normally held by mammals, many becoming flightless through lack of predators.

Only in the last couple of decades has New Zealand come of age and developed a true national self-confidence, something partly forced on it by Britain severing the colonial apron strings in the early 1970s, and partly by the resurgence of Maori identity. Maori demands have been nurtured by a willingness on the part of most pakeha to redress the wrongs perpetrated over the last century and a half, as long as it doesn't impinge on their high standard of living or overall feeling of control. More recently, integration has been replaced with a policy of promoting two cultures alongside each other, but with maximum interaction. In this way New Zealand is set to forge through the new century with considerable dignity and a good deal of uncertainty.

The British represent the second largest group of visitors to New Zealand - after neighbouring Australia. But at 12,000 miles away from the UK it's a once-in-a-lifetime destination for many and takes a bit of planning.

Most British travellers either tack New Zealand on to the end of an Australian holiday and regret not having enough time, or take two or three weeks and race around like mad to see the whole country. While New Zealand is small enough to 'do' in that time, a more enjoyable option is to spend longer at just a few places - and then you have an excuse to go back!