Top 10 South Island 'must sees'
Check out our list of top ten things to see in New Zealand's dramatic South Island.
| Enjoy New Zealand's 'Great Walks' | The South Island offers the opportunity to experience six of New Zealand’s eight ‘Great Walks’ including Milford Track, Routeburn Track, Abel Tasman Coastal Track, Heaphy Track, Kepler Track and Rakiura Track. |
| Kiwi spotting | Visit Stewart Island for one of the best opportunities to see the rare Kiwi Bird in its natural habitat. |
| Explore the Catlins Coast | Take the Southern Scenic Route to reach the remote, wild coastline of The Catlins, home to rare species of flora and fauna and a petrified forest. |
| Cruise Milford and Doubtful Sounds | Overnight cruises on the sounds are the best way to immerse yourself in the majestic scenery. Kayaking on the sounds is a great chance to see fur seals and bottlenose dolphins. |
| Abel Tasman National Park | Walk through native bush onto golden sand beaches; cruise or kayak the waters of this magnificent National Park. |
| Nature and wildlife experiences on the Otago Peninsula | Eco-tours abound on the Otago Peninsula including a rare chance to see a penguin nesting area up close and visit the only mainland colony of albatross in the world. |
| Get into adrenalin and adventure | Queenstown is home to bungy, jet boating, white water rafting, canyoning, paragliding, sky diving, fly-by-wire. |
| Glaciers | Hike, heli-hike or gaze in awe from a scenic flight over the magnificent Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers on the West Coast of the South Island. |
| Ride the TranzAlpine Train | Voted one of the top rail journeys in the world, from Christchurch this journey takes you through dramatically different scenery from the patchwork farmlands of the Canterbury Plains and into the dramatic Southern Alps then into the pristine rainforest of the West Coast. |
| Go whale watching in Kaikoura | The local Maori tribe run the whale watching boat tours, and the emphasis is on marine conservation. The town’s Maori name translates as 'meal of crayfish', so after you’ve seen your fair share of sperm whales, orca and dusky dolphins, you can enjoy a meal of crayfish fresh off the boat with a glass of delicious kiwi sauvignon blanc. |
