Explore South Island

What to know before visiting South Island

The South Island of New Zealand is well-known for its mountains, lakes and glaciers. The Southern Alps, home to 3,724m high Aoraki Mt. Cook run along the entire length of the island. In the southwest is Fiordland National Park with steep-sided Milford Sound while in the north Abel Tasman National Park known for its trails and ocean kayaking can be found. Queenstown has become famous through adventure sports like bungee jumping or skiing.

The North Island offers many opportunities too such as tropical forests on Waiheke island where you can go wine tasting, explore caves or surf just offshore at Muriwai Beach. If golfing is your thing then head to Waikato Valley midway up this long narrow landmass on which Auckland sits between two harbours.

It's a must-see destination if not only because it will take you from subtropical beaches around the Coromandel Peninsula (where swimmers are warned about rips) up into Mount Taranaki - also known as Egmont Volcano - whose snowy peak appears all year round near Wanganui city