The South Island of New Zealand is the largest island of the two main islands of the country, however has only about one-third of the population.
South Island Overview
The South Island is the largest of the two main islands of New Zealand, and as its name indicates, is the southern-most of the two islands. It has an area of 151,215 square kilometres (58,093 square miles), making it the 12th largest island in the world.
The west coast is lined by the Southern Alps mountain ranges with Aoraki/Mount Cook being the highest point at 3,754 metres (12,316 feet) above sea level.
The island was named ‘Te Waka a Maui’ by the Maori as according to legend, the South Island is ‘Maui’s Canoe’ that he used to fish the North Island out of the sea from. It is also known by the Maori as ‘Te Wai Pounamu’ meaning ‘The Waters of Greenstone’.
The largest city in the South Island is Christchurch, known as the ‘Garden City’ because of its many stunningly beautiful gardens, and its tree-lined streets. Queenstown is also found in the South Island of New Zealand, world famous as a premier four-season retreat.
As of the 2006 census, the South Island held a resident population of approximately 967,900.
The South Island of New Zealand is characterized by grand open landscapes. Divided by a backbone of mountain aptly called the Southern Alps, the South Island is known for spectacular mountains and fiords, large beech forests, golden sand beaches and broad plains. Generally cooler in climate than the North Island but don’t forget sunhats and t-shirts – temperatures are routinely in the 30°C’s in summer. In winter the sea buffers the temperatures which rarely drop much below 0°C except in mountainous regions.
South Island Highlights
Kaikoura, situated about halfway between Christchurch and Picton on the east coast of the South Island, offers a unique combination of ocean and mountains. The stunning coastal alpine scenery includes a host of eco-tourism activities including whale watching, dolphin swimming and seal snorkelling. Walk the Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway and discover seal and bird colonies along the coast.
With a population of only 31,000 people, the West Coast retains the feeling of a pioneer frontier. It’s a wild place known for mountain peaks, massive glaciers, bizarre limestone landscapes, mysterious lakes and raging rivers, lush rainforest, magnificent, wild coastline and geological treasures. Legends and stories from the past cling to every feature of the landscape.
Wanaka is located on the southern shores of Lake Wanaka, in west Otago. Embraced by the Southern Alps, Wanaka is Otago’s second resort town after Queenstown. The crystal-clear waters of Lake Wanaka, New Zealand’s fourth largest lake, reflect the snow-capped peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park. Here you can absorb the unstoppable beauty of pristine wilderness, and know that it will be easy to find a great restaurant for dinner.
Fiordland is one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of New Zealand, Fiordland has achieved World Heritage status and is often called the Sightseeing and Walking Capital of the world. The Fiordland National Park covers 1.2 million hectares and showcases dramatic wilderness on a grand scale. Waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into pristine, forested valleys, sheer-sided fiords slide gracefully into the sea, rare native birds and sea creatures go about their lives in a near-perfect world.
South Island Lakeview
Main Regions in the South Island
- Nelson - known for its year-round sunshine, golden beaches and national parks
- Marlborough - regularly records the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand
- West Coast - a wild place known for rivers and rainforests, glaciers and geological treasures
- Christchurch - largest city in the South Island, known as the ‘Garden City’
- Canterbury - a land of contrasts
- Aoraki/Mt Cook - highest point in New Zealand at 3754 metres
- Wanaka - Otago’s second resort town after Queenstown
- Queenstown - premier four season alpine retreat, known as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’
- Otago - appreciated for its powerful, moody landscape
- Dunedin - New Zealand’s oldest city
- Fiordland - one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of New Zealand
- Southland - New Zealand’s southernmost region
- Stewart Island - an island about 75 kilometres long and up to 45 kilometres wide
South Island
Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill and Nelson are the main settlements, although the main attractions are rarely in the cities. All four cities are very different. Christchurch is the largest and has a certain English feel to it though it is definitely a New World city. Dunedin was settled by Scottish Presbyterians and is very proud of those roots. It also feels older than other cities in NZ because it was built by gold rush money in the late 19th century but has since been surpassed by bigger and brasher cities to the north. Nelson is still very young by European standards (although it was the second founded city in New Zealand) but has a very South Pacific feel with palm trees and a huge and beautiful white sand beach.
Canterbury Provincial Council Building
Get in
By plane
Christchurch in the South Island’s biggest international airport with flights from all around the Pacific Rim. Dunedin and Queenstown both have flights from Australia.
There are many airports which have scheduled flights into the South Island, including Picton, Blenheim, Nelson, Takaka, Westport, Kaikoura, Greymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin and Queenstown.
Invercargill airport has flights to Stewart Island. Christchurch airport has flights to the Chatham Islands.
By boat
The Interislander and the Bluebridge ferry companies run from Wellington to Picton through the Marlborough Sounds and across Cook Strait. The ferries take cars, buses and trains. The scenery on a good day is spectacular. The ferries are substantial ships designed for the sometimes rough conditions and the journey takes between 3 and 3 1/2 hours.
Get around
By train
Two standout train routes are on the South Island. The Picton – Christchurch Tranzcoastal begins traveling through the Marlborough wine region before hugging the Kaikoura Coast and crossing the Canterbury Plains. The Christchurch – Greymouth Tranzalpine crosses the Southern Alps at Arthurs Pass. Rated as one of the most scenic train journeys in the world.
By bus
Buses are a cheap way to get around to the main centers of the South Island. There are a range of types of services, from a luxury coach service to minivan shuttles. Shuttles which service a local area can be found in the regions and towns which they service.
* InterCity Coachlines, ☎ 09 623 1503 (info@intercitygroup.co.nz). High quality coaches and extensive nationwide network.
* Newmans Coach Lines, ☎ 09 623 1504. High quality tourist coach linking Christchurch, Queenstown, Milford Sound and the West Coast Glaciers.
* nakedbus.com, (enquiries@nakedbus.com). Competitive prices, book early and get bargin bus travel.
* Atomic Shuttles, ☎ 03 349 0697 (info@atomictravel.co.nz, fax: 03 349 3868). Lower cost shuttles with extensive network.
* Knight Rider, ☎ 03 342 8055 or 021 781 852 (fax: 03 342 8055). Evening/night bus service from Christchurch to Invercargill via Dunedin.
* Bottom Bus, ☎ 03 434 7370 (fax: 03 434 7376). Dunedin, Catlins, Invercargill, Te Anau, Milford Sound.
* West Coast Shuttle, ☎ 03 768 0028 or 027 492 7000 (travel@westcoastshuttle.co.nz, fax: 03 768 0328). Daily service departs Greymouth 8 am via Arthur’s Pass and Christchurch airport and city. Depart Christchurch at 3pm and airport about 3.15 via Arthurs Pass to Greymouth. Comfortable travel at affordable price, all coaches have on board toilet.
By car
Roads in the South Island vary in quality and traffic, but as long as they are treated with respect they serve you well. Rental cars are available in most sizable towns. The best range (and hence lowest prices) are in Picton (off the interislander ferry) and Christchurch.
Photo taken near Tataranui, Abel Tasman National Park
Eat
* Crayfish – from the seas around Kaikoura
* Mussels – farmed in the Marlborough Sounds
* Scallops – from the seabed off Nelson
* Lamb – most notably from Canterbury
Drink
* Wine – from Marlborough or Cental Otago.
* Beer – watch out for the local brews.
* Fruit Juice – in Cental Otago.
Brief History
Early inhabitants of the South Island were the Waitaha. They were largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Kāti Mamoe in the 16th century.
Ngāti Mamoe were in turn largely absorbed via marriage and conquest by the Ngāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century. While today there is no distinct Ngati Mamoe organisation, many Ngai Tahu have Ngati Mamoe links in their whakapapa and, especially in the far south of the island.
Around the same time a group of Māori migrated to Rekohu (the Chatham Islands), where, by adapting to the local climate and the availability of resources, they developed a culture known as Moriori — related to but distinct from Māori culture in mainland New Zealand. A notable feature of the Moriori culture, an emphasis on pacifism, proved disadvantageous when Māori warriors arrived in the 1830s aboard a chartered European ship.
The first Europeans known to reach the South Island were the crew of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who arrived in his ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen. Tasman anchored in Golden Bay, at the northern end of the island, (he named it Murderers Bay) in December 1642 and sailed northward to Tonga following a clash with local Māori. Tasman sketched sections of the two main islands’ west coasts. Tasman called them Staten Landt, after the States-General of the Netherlands, and that name appeared on his first maps of the country. Dutch cartographers changed the name to Nova Zeelandia in Latin, from Nieuw Zeeland, after the Dutch province of Zeeland. It was subsequently Anglicised as New Zealand by British naval captain James Cook of HM Bark Endeavour who visited the islands more than 100 years after Tasman during (1769–1770).
Lake Hauroko, Fiordland National Park
Franz Josef Glacier photographed from the valley floor
