South Island

• Picton
• Blenheim
• Kaikoura
• Nelson
• Abel Tasman NP
• Paparoa NP
• Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers
• Queenstown
• Wanaka
• Milford Sound
• Lake Tekapo
• Mount Cook
• Dunedin
• Christchurch

The South Island is quite different from the North Island and many believe it to be more beautiful.

Picton

Off the ferry, you will arrive in Picton, a small port. If you're not in a rush there's a few things to do. Arriving on the boat you will sail through the sound and be surrounded by mountains rising out of the sea. This is a taster of this beautiful region.

Blenheim

The place to go if you enjoy your wine. The biggest wine growing district in NZ, it holds the Wine Marlborough Festival on the second week of February.

Kaikoura

Famous for whale watching, Kaikoura is absolutely beautiful. At different times of the year you will see different types of whales. Sperm whales (Moby Dick) are a big attraction as well as orcas (Free Willy) and dolphins (Flipper).

Nelson

Nelson is quite a cultural place, with wineries, breweries, historic buildings, markets, galleries, and gardens. It's also a good place to base yourself as there are quite a few activities around the area such as skydiving and hanggliding.

Abel Tasman National Park

Situated North West of Nelson is this NP, which is fabulous for hiking. The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is astounding. Track through green bush, flanked by beatiful beaches and turquoise seas. It's a little over 50km and may take up to 5 days. There are huts along the way but these may be full so bring your own tent. It's also very popular for sea kayaking and there are many companies offering tours in the area.

Continue on up North to Golden Bay and the Farewell Spit for some scenic driving.

Paparoa NP

In Punakaiki on the west coast you will find the pancake rocks. These are rocks that surprise surprise look like stacks of pancakes, caused by weathering of the limestone. There are also blowholes here, which are quite impressive, but are best seen at high tide.

Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers

Some of the lowest lying glaciers in the world, these are truly highlights of this amazing country. Climb them with a tour and you will feel like you are high up in the alps, or get a scenic flight to get a birds eye view. The flights also take in Mount Cook, which you can't access on the road from this side. You can get helicopter flights that land high up on the glacier, where the ice is formed better. When trekking on the ice you may actually feel the glacier move, as it moves at a rate of one metre a day or more. On your own you can walk up to the glaciers, but you're not allowed on them as it's too dangerous. The towns of Fox and Frans Josef cater for tourists.

Queenstown

The adventure capital of New Zealand, and maybe the world, the sheer amount of adventurous activities in Queensland is mind boggling.

Bungy Jumping - There are three brilliant bungy jumps here, including the original commercial bungy site, the Kawarau Bridge. This jump is 43m high over the spectacular Kawarau River. The Ben Nevis Highwire Bungy was until recently the second highest bungy jump in the world at 134m or 444ft. This is extremely frightenting and if you can do this you can pretty much do any extreme sport. You take a small cable car out to the cetre of the gorge where there is a pod held up by cables. Terrifying, but brilliant. Another bungy is the Ledge bungy. The jump is 40m but you are on top of a 400m high hill, so it seems that much higher.There's also a canyon swing which is a swing across a canyon and the ledge sky swing which is similar.

White Water Rafting - Raft the Kawarau or Shotover rivers. Canyoning is going down a river without a raft basically, great fun.

Jet Boating - There are plenty of companies offering jet boating on three rivers, the popular Kawarau River, Shotover River and the probably better Dart River.

There's also skydiving, mountain biking and just about everything else you can think of.

Take the skyline gondola to the peak for some truly breathtaking views of Queenstown. At the base you will get a chance to do a luge when you get to the top. Pay for 5 or 6 as you will definitely want more than one go. It's cheaper to pay before you go up.

During the winter Queenstown turns into one of the better ski reorts in the country.

Going out

Pubs

Pog Mahones (Rees Street), Winnie Bagoes (The Mall), Montys (Church Street).

Wananka

Wananka is another adrenaline filled destination and just as beautiful. It's only 100km from Queenstown and is a quieter alternative.

Milford Sound

It's a bit of a drive to Milford sound from Queenstown, around 5 hours through wilderness, surrounded by snow capped mountains. In fact the drive is one of the best things about Milford Sound. The Sound itself is quite spectacular. You can take a cruise on one of the boats or even better hire a kayak and get out there yourself. You'll be right down on the water and if you're lucky you might be joined by dolphins and fairy penguins. Paddle right up to the magnificent waterfalls that cascade down from the mountains that rise from the sea.

Lake Tekapo

Get a picture of the small church, the Church of the Good Sheppard on beautiful Lake Tekapo. The lake has this unusual shade of blue which is bewitching.

Mt Cook

The highest mountain in New Zealand, it's quite a dramatic sight. The Mt Cook NP is famous for its challenging peaks and experienced climbers from all over the world to try their hand.

Dunedin

People come here to go to the Otaga Peninsula hich is famous for its astonishing wildlife such as the yellow eyed penguins, albotrosses and the fur seals. Dunedin itself is a decent sized city with plenty of attractions.

Christchurch

Christchurch is a picturesque city, much more visually pleasing than Auckland. Cathedral Square is the centre of the city, it gets its name from Christchurch Cathedral, which dominates the square. Climb the spire to get a better view of the square. The Metal Chalice, a large sculpture sits in the centre. Christchurch has its fair share of museums, galleries and a brewery. Take a tour on a tram, or gently float down the Avon River. Life is relaxed here, though there are plenty of pubs and restaurants here to keep you occupied.