South Island

The South Island of New Zealand is much larger than the North Island and is the twelfth largest island in the world with the population of just over a million people (a quarter of the country's population). The South Island is a mix of vast open plains, golden hills, dense forests, magnificent coastlines, snow-capped peaks, and huge glaciers. It seems that you can see here all kinds of landscapes with such a small distance between them, which allows you as a taster to travel slowly from one natural splendor to another one. From the hilly East Coast, a place for whale and dolphin watching, you can go inland: to the Mackenzie area dotted with some of the bluest, clearest and brightest glacial lakes in the world such as Tekapo and Pukaki. Then visit the Otago region that is a home of world-famous vineyards and a recognized center of New Zealand ecotourism. To the west of this region you will find Milford Sound,the most famous fjord in New Zealand and an example of unspoilt wildlife with a completely unique flora and fauna.