South Island
Larger New Zealand
South Island is the larger of New Zealand's two main islands, lying south of North Island across the Cook Strait.
Known for dramatic landscapes—the Southern Alps, fjords, glaciers—it holds most of New Zealand's land area but a minority of its population.
We spent two weeks touring the South Island.
South Island metropolis
- DunedinSouth Island coastal city
- QueenstownNew Zealand adventure resort town
- NelsonEnglish family name
- CanterburyHistoric English ecclesiastical seat
Walking heavily, laboriously
- backcountrySparsely populated wilderness areas
- fiordsGlacially carved coastal inlets
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- pristinePure and untouched
remote · conservation · national parks · biodiversity · sandflies
Fuzzy brown-skinned fruit
- keaIntelligent antipodean parrot
- albatrossLong-winged oceanic bird
- seal coloniesPinniped breeding aggregations
- sperm whalesLargest toothed cetaceans
Slow-moving ice masses
- peaksHighest points attained
- snowcappedCovered in summit ice
- ski fieldsGroomed mountain slopes
- treelineElevation limit for forests
mountain passes · tussock · scree · tarns
Metamorphosed rock, often jade
Christchurch
South Island metropolis
- DunedinSouth Island coastal city
- QueenstownNew Zealand adventure resort town
- NelsonEnglish family name
tramping
Walking heavily, laboriously
- backcountrySparsely populated wilderness areas
- fiordsGlacially carved coastal inlets
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
pristine · remote · conservation · national parks · biodiversity · sandflies
kiwi
Fuzzy brown-skinned fruit
- keaIntelligent antipodean parrot
- albatrossLong-winged oceanic bird
- seal coloniesPinniped breeding aggregations
glaciers
Slow-moving ice masses
- peaksHighest points attained
- snowcappedCovered in summit ice
- ski fieldsGroomed mountain slopes
treeline · mountain passes · tussock · scree · tarns
greenstone
Metamorphosed rock, often jade
- New Zealand Islands
- New Zealand placesAuckland, Napier, Canterbury, Hastings, Wellington
- Ngai Tahuwhakapapa, Canterbury
- New ZealandAuckland, Wellington, Air New Zealand, Kiwis, Christchurch
- Directional PlacesNorth Korea, North America, East Timor, West Virginia, North Carolina
- Fishing DestinationsAlaska, Bahamas, Belize, British Columbia, Costa Rica
South IslandNorth Island
New Zealand's upper island
Wellington · Auckland · north · Northland
South IslandNorth Island
New Zealand's upper island
North Korea · North America · North Pole · Northern Hemisphere · Northern Ireland