Southland

Southland is a land of rugged coast and rolling plains, world-renowned Bluff oysters and the launching place for a visit to Stewart Island.

Southland’s largest centre is Invercargill. If you’re a garden lover you must see Queens Park and its 80 hectares of tree-lined walkways and diverse gardens. The city turns on the hospitality so, if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, you’ll find plenty of friendly and high standard accommodation.

Half an hour from Invercargill is the fishing port of Bluff. Known for its fabulous seafood, this is the place to taste the famous Bluff oysters. If you like bird watching, catch a ferry to Stewart Island where you’ll find a haven for native bird life and the only place in New Zealand where you have a fair chance of seeing kiwi in their native habitat.

And speaking of wildlife, head along the coast to the Catlins. The Catlins River Walk leads you through beech forest and is known for its hidden waterfalls and rare native birds. At Curio Bay you’ll find fossilized trees, over 180 million years old, embedded in coastal bedrock. And at Nugget Point you’ll find fur seals, sea lions, sooty shearwaters, shags, yellow-eyed penguins, spoonbills and a breeding colony of gannets. And if you look closely, you may see Hector's dolphins frolicking out in the waves.

Fiordland

Fiordland is one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of New Zealand. Absorb the breathtaking treasures of this region by water, air or hiking.

Carved by glaciers over 100,000 years the landscape is one where waterfalls cascade hundreds of metres into deep black fiords; where ancient rainforest untouched by man clings to mountains and where shimmering lakes and granite peaks look as they did a thousand years ago.

Fiordland National Park is a World Heritage Site and includes Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds. Milford Sound, Rudyard Kipling described as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Take a scenic flight over it and you will understand why.

Some of the fiords can be explored by kayak but if you’d like to see the less accessible fiords, eco-tours can be arranged.

But this, really, is the place for hiking. Fiordland National Park has three of New Zealand’s ‘great walks’, the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn Tracks. Milford Track is arguably New Zealand’s most famous walk. Starting in Te Anau, it takes you, over 53 kilometres, through the most breath-taking scenery; mountains, lakes and enormous valleys right up to the Sutherland Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Accommodation ranges from the most basic hiker’s hut to the better-than-normal level of comfort.

Central Otago

Central Otago is a powerful landscape, sunny, dry and brown with weathered ancient mountains, alpine herb fields and fast flowing rivers. 

In the 1860’s this was a place of gold; you can still pan for it, in amongst the miners' old trails, stone cottages and relics of mine machinery.

But the gold today, in Central Otago, is wine. Pinot noir, that most fickle of grape varieties, excels in these southernmost vineyards and most of the wineries will welcome you for tours and tastings.

Many tourists hire a motorhome. This way you can see some of the region’s more remote sights; incredible scenery that you will often have to yourself. Go wildflower walking in Alexandra, take a cruise on Lakes Dunstan and Roxburgh, or for another form of transport entirely, go biking along the Central Otago Rail Trail. The 150 km trail follows the route of the old railway and you cycle from station to station staying in places little touched by modern hustle and bustle.

Accommodation in Central Otago ranges from the luxury lodges set in inspiring locations through to character B&B’s, historic backpackers, country pubs, motels and camping grounds. Wherever you stay you will be welcomed.

Queenstown

Queenstown is one of New Zealand’s top visitor destinations and if you come to the region you’ll understand why.

The town sits on the shore of crystal clear Lake Wakatipu among dramatic ranges.

The lake and mountain landscape make it suited to all kinds of adventure. There’s skiing in the winter and activities such as bungy jumping, sky diving, canyon swinging, jet boating, horse trekking and river rafting all year round. If hardcore adventure isn't your thing, there are plenty of mellow options available. Experience one of the many walking & hiking trails, sightseeing tours or indulge yourself  with spa treatments, boutique shopping and excellent food and wine.

Head out of Queenstown and the drama of the Central Otago landscape unfolds around you. If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan you’ll recognize many of the locations of Middle-earth here. Twenty minutes from Queenstown, Arrowtown’s gold-mining history is alive and vibrant. Visit the Lakes District Museum or go gold panning. Forty minutes from Queenstown at the northern tip of Lake Wakatipu is rural Glenorchy and Paradise Valley. From here it’s a short drive into the Mt Aspiring National Park and the start of some of New Zealand’s great walks.

Lake Wanaka

45 kilometres long and covering 193 square kilometres, the crystal clear waters of Lake Wanaka are perfect for jetboaters, sailors and kayakers to explore.

45 kilometres long and covering 193 square kilometres, the crystal clear waters of Lake Wanaka are perfect for jetboaters, sailors and kayakers to explore.Nestled below towering mountains, Wanaka is the most tranquilly set of the South Island lakes.

In winter, skiers flock here from all over the world for superb skiing and snowboarding at Cardrona and Treble Cone, cross-country skiing at Snow Farm and heli-skiing high in the Harris Mountains. But Wanaka is much more than a winter destination. Year round activities include fishing, hiking, canyoning, climbing and skydiving. Visit the nearby towns of Queenstown, Cromwell and Alexandra, go shopping, or simply sit in a café and watch the world pass by.

One of the attractions of a stay in Lake Wanaka is that it combines the warmth of small town living with the quality and attention to detail you’d expect of an international holiday destination. Accommodation ranges from luxury lodges and boutique B&Bs to backpacker lodges and family holiday parks. It’s an easy walk to shops and restaurants from most accommodation and taxis cars and bikes are readily available. And if you want to head out of town, transport providers offer daily services to most popular destinations.

Dunedin - Coastal Otago

Dunedin and Coastal Otago is a region of natural beauty overlaid with a fascinating cultural history, often referred to as the eco-capital of New Zealand.

The Otago coast stretches from the Waitaki north of Oamaru to the mighty Clutha River south of Dunedin. A must see are the mysterious Moeraki boulders.

Start at the north. New Zealand's Waitaki district is a place of haunting natural beauty with green pastures and small picture-book fishing villages. Stop in at Oamaru and look at the historic whitestone architecture, an amazing townscape that towers over a modest community.

Dunedin is New Zealand's city of the south. Known as the Edinburgh of New Zealand, it wears its Scottish heritage with pride. Surrounded by dramatic hills and at the foot of a long harbour, Dunedin is one of the best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the Southern Hemisphere. The accommodation is good and plentiful; equally so, the natural attractions. On Dunedin’s doorstep you will find incredible wildlife including the world’s rarest penguins and, at Taiaroa Head, the world’s only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross.

Head further south, and you join the Southern Scenic Route, a must-do of the South Island that follows the wild coast down to Invercargill and then north-west to Manapouri and Te Anau.

Waitaki

The Waitaki is a place of scenic contrast. Journey along the Waitaki Valley and the landscape changes from green pasture to the dryness of Central Otago.

Snow-capped peaks and beautiful lakes contrast with the bare brown hills that rise up from the valley floor.

Driving towards the mountains, stop and see the Earthquakes, an impressive formation of limestone cliffs. Nearby you’ll find Maori rock drawings made from red ochre, charcoal and animal fat.

Further along the highway, you come to Kurow, a farming town with many historically important limestone buildings. If you like fishing or hunting, this is a good place to stop. Kurow's also a great place for a spin in a jet boat.

The Waitaki River surges through the landscape, punctuated by three hydro-electric dams - Waitaki, Aviemore and Benmore. The Waitaki Dam was built with picks and shovels in the 1930s and Benmore is one of the largest earth dams in the southern hemisphere, and the only dam open for viewing.

There are many pleasant walks in the Otematata area - most will take around an hour. Longer hikes include the Benmore Peninsula and Deep Stream Tracks.

Omarama marks the western end of the Waitaki Valley. If you're into gliding, this is the place for it. The nor'wester blows steady and warm off the Southern Alps to form the famous Northwest Arch, a thermal that can take an intrepid glider pilot to 10,000 metres.