South Island (New Zealand)

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Introduction

West coast of the south island

© All Rights Reserved melmonson

The South Island is one of the three major islands of New Zealand, the others being the North Island and Stewart Island, which is south of South Island.

South Island is ruggedly beautiful, dominated by the Southern Alps, which run through the heart of the island from north to south. It is larger than North Island, but only holds a quarter of the nation's population. Much of the island is undeveloped and inaccessible, though most of the main tourist attractions can be reached by road.

The largest cities on South Island are Christchurch, Dunedin and Nelson. Queenstown is smaller but very popular due to its reputation as the place to go for adventure activities.

History

Geography

Regions

South Island is divided into seven regions:

• Tasman
• Nelson
• Marlborough
• West Coast
• Canterbury
• Otago
• Southland

Cities

• Nelson
• Christchurch
• Queenstown
• Dunedin
• Invercargill
• Picton is where the ferry from Wellington docks.

Sights and Activities

Milford Sound Waterfall

© All Rights Reserved Laur456

• Milford Sound, despite its remote location is one of the country's most popular attractions. Boat tours around the Sound (which is technically a fjord, not a sound) are the most popular way to get around, though the more adventurous travellers can set out in their own kayak.
• To the south of Milford Sound is the altogether more remote feeling Doubtful Sound. Both the Milford and Doubtful Sound are part of the Fiordland National Park.
• Mount Cook or Aoraki, which means "cloud piercer", is the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3754 metres above sea level.
• Nelson is the geographical heart of the country and is known as the sunniest place in New Zealand. Although the town itself and its nearby beaches are fun, the adjacent Abel Tasman National Park is the real gem in this area. There are great (multiple) day hikes along the beaches, coastline, through forests with huge ferns and the views are awesome. You will have to travel west from Nelson by road and be transported by boat further into the park where you can walk back in a day (or more if you like).
• The Catlins is an area of green rolling hills, abandoned coastline and wildlife like the albatross and rare yellow eyed penguin. It is found in the southeast of South Island, with Dunedin its largest city.
• Scenic Drives: Drive down the west west coast of the South Island from Nelson to Queenstown and see some of the most beautiful coastline in the world.

Events and Festivals

• Christchurch Arts Festival
• Queensland Winter Festival

Weather

The South Island on average is colder than the North Island. Summers last from December to March with generally warm weather, around or slightly above 20 degrees Celsius on average though hot days up to 35 degrees are not unheard of, especially in the north and east of the island. Winters last from June to September with cool to cold weather and snow in the moutains. The westcoast of the island can be particularly wet and rain is possible in all months. Nelson on the other hand, in the north, is one of the sunniest places in New Zealand.

Getting There

By Plane

Christchurch International Airport (CHC) is the main airport on the South Island and has a growing number of connections to destinations in the Pacific. There are also international airports in Dunedin, and Queenstown, though these airports only have flights to/from Australia. Air New Zealand and Qantas have domestic and international flights and other airlines serve Christchurch as well.

By Boat

Interislander operates a regular ferry service between Wellington on the North Island and Picton on the South Island.

Getting Around

By Plane

Though there are flights to various destinations within the South Island, most travellers use buses, cars or the scenic trains. Christchurch International Airport (CHC) has most flights, for example with Air New Zealand and Qantas.

By Train

One of the most scenic routes in the world is the Tranz Alpine between Christchurch and Greymouth on the South Island. It is operated by Tranz Scenic.

By Car

Renting or buying a car is incredibly cheap and easy and coupled with the relatively short distances it helps explain why road transport is the preferred way to travel around. It is quite possible to see several major attractions in the space of a few weeks when travelling by car. Driving is on the left hand side of the road. Explore More is a cheap rental option with depots in Christchurch offering several car and camper types.

By Bus

The distances and infrastructure make bus travel a great way to see a lot of the island inexpensively. The Kiwi Experience, Magic and Stray backpacker buses are a popular "hop-on, hop-off" method to travel around, visiting most of the major sights with commentary and advice provided by the driver. There are many different long-distance bus providers, which are all listed on the Bus and Coach Association New Zealand website. The two main nationwide bus companies are Intercity and Nakedbus.

By Boat

Eat

Drink

Sleep