New Zealands South Island Travel Guide

Travellers with an appetite for great food and drink are in for a treat. A seasonal parade of produce includes luscious Nelson berries and Central Otago stone fruit, Canterbury asparagus and Southland's earthy root vegetables. Roadside kiosks sell everything from farm eggs to grandma's tomato relish; local seafood, game and other meats are easy to find, as are artisan dairy foods from cheese to ice cream.

This can be washed down with some of the world's best cool-climate wines, such as Otago's superb pinot noir. Nelson's hop farms fuel exciting craft breweries from Nelson to Invercargill.

Meet the Locals

Prepare to meet the South Islands idiosyncratic wildlife: whales, fur seals, dolphins and penguins all frequent the coastal waters around Kaikoura, partnered by an armada of pelagic bird species including petrels and albatrosses. Endangered Hectors dolphins cavort in Akaroa Harbour and the Catlins, while the Otago Peninsula has penguins, royal albatrosses and sea lions. Further south, remote and wild Stewart Island boasts a healthy population of NZs iconic but shy kiwi. Two special parrots the kaka and the kea are totally unmistakable as they flap and squawk, with the latter inclined to chew car aerials and unattended hiking boots.

Mackay Falls, Milford Track - THPSTOCK / GETTY IMAGES

By Sarah Bennett, Writer

My childhood spent at the top of the South Island, with most holidays featuring a sandfly-infested awning and a gold pan for fun, the beauty of my home island was somewhat lost on me. Not so now. Obsessed with all things outdoors including hiking, mountain biking and wildlife-watching, I now realise that New Zealands South Island is a truly special place to be. Its coastline, mountain ranges, valleys and plains present endless adventure regardless of your interests or ability, enriched by unique natural history and colourful stories from both Mori and colonial times.