South Island

The birthplace of bungee jumping and jetboating, the South Island of New Zealand is a playground for the adventurous. The island offers mountains and glaciers as well as gentle plains.

Whether you're hiking in Fiordland National Park or riding a tram through a bustling city, beauty, history and culture will surround you.

Christchurch is the South Island's largest city and a vibrant place with festivals, theatre, modern art galleries, great shopping, activities and attractions. It has all the amenities of a modern city, but is still very much a regional center serving the rich rural hinterland, with a laid-back pace to life. The city's Gothic revival cathedral, grey-stone nineteenth century buildings, tree-lined avenues and extensive leafy parks have preserved the grace and charm of an earlier era.

For a year-round alpine destination, Queenstown enables visitors to be as active as they like or just leisurely soak up the magnificent scenery. Leading travel magazines have dubbed Queenstown one of the top 25 cities in the world, and the city offers a choice of over 100 restaurants and quaint cafes.

Active adventurers visiting the South Island may want to reserve a four or five-day hike along the Milford or Hollyford Track, with guides to encourage and teach you about New Zealand's rich beauty and history. The ever-changing scenery is unforgettable.