The South Island boasts epic mountains, fjords and lakes, with world-class skiing and bungy-jumping in adrenalin capital Queenstown. Historic Christchurch and whale-watching hot spot Kaikoura offer more serene stays.
Slung between the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Alps, New Zealand's second largest city offers a blend of old-English charm, contemporary dining and cutting-edge galleries.
There’s no denying the remote beauty of coastal Dunedin. And yet this South Island university city doesn’t let geography get in the way of its flourishing culinary and creative scenes.
At the north end of Lake Wakatipu, just a 40-minute drive from Queenstown yet seemingly a world away, you’ll find glacier-bordered Glenorchy – the city’s placid all-natural neighbour.
A name which translates as ‘meal of crayfish’ gives a taste of the scene in store. Lying midway between Christchurch and Picton on the spectacular South Island, the seaside town of Kaikoura is blessed with a soul-stirring surf-and-turf setting.
New Zealand’s largest wine- growing region, Marlborough, occupies the northeast corner of the South Island. Here, you’ll find world-class wine, dramatic coastal waterways and the sunniest climate in the country.
South Island’s secret cove, Pigeon Bay brings a breath of fresh air to farmsteads and rugged green hills. With strictly locavore dining and a breathtaking backdrop, this is the good life, New Zealand style.
Set on the banks of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is a picture-perfect town with a rich menu of restaurants and bars, amid a searingly beautiful mountain range setting.