South Island Destinations
From soaring alpine peaks and electric-blue glacial lakes to wild coastlines and historic French settlements. Discover the regions of Te Waipounamu we connect with private touring comfort.
Canterbury
Christchurch, Timaru, Akaroa, Kaikōura, and Hanmer Springs.
Akaroa
Historic French settlement nestled in an ancient volcanic harbour on Banks Peninsula, home to rare Hector’s dolphins.
Christchurch
The Garden City and dynamic gateway to the South Island, renowned for botanical gardens, historic stone architecture, and modern innovation.
Hanmer Springs
Alpine thermal resort village surrounded by redwood forests and dramatic braided river valleys.
Kaikōura
Where the rugged Seaward Kaikōura Range plunges directly into deep marine canyons teeming with giant sperm whales and seals.
Timaru
Coastal South Canterbury gem famous for Caroline Bay, historic bluestone buildings, and South Island Scenic Tours company roots.
Mackenzie Country
Turquoise glacial lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, Twizel, and Aoraki / Mount Cook.
Aoraki / Mount Cook
New Zealand’s highest peak (3,724m), surrounded by towering alpine giants, hanging glaciers, and the Hooker Valley trail.
Lake Pukaki
Awe-inspiring electric-blue glacial lake providing New Zealand’s most iconic, unobstructed view of Aoraki / Mount Cook.
Lake Tekapo
Striking turquoise glacial waters framed by the iconic Church of the Good Shepherd and the Southern Alps.
Twizel
Gateway to Aoraki Mount Cook and Lord of the Rings film landscapes, famous for fresh alpine salmon.
The Wild West Coast
Ancient rainforests, pounamu jade carving in Hokitika, and Franz Josef & Fox glaciers.
Fox Glacier
Dramatic alpine glacier village and home to famous Lake Matheson, the ‘Mirror Lake’ reflecting Mount Cook.
Franz Josef
Lush temperate rainforest descending directly beside towering maritime glacier tongues.
Hokitika
Historic gold-rush port town celebrated for West Coast pounamu (greenstone), wild beaches, and the Hokitika Gorge.
Otago & Southern Lakes
Queenstown, alpine Wānaka, historic Dunedin, Oamaru Victorian precinct, and Moeraki Boulders.
Dunedin
The Edinburgh of the South, renowned for grand Victorian and Edwardian architecture and Otago Peninsula wildlife.
Moeraki Boulders
Mysterious spherical stone concretions strewn across Koekohe Beach, formed millions of years ago on the seabed.
Oamaru
Victorian precinct of white Oamaru stone, steampunk capital, and home to Little Blue and Yellow-Eyed penguins.
Queenstown
The adventure capital of the world, framed by Lake Wakatipu and the majestic Remarkables mountain range.
Wānaka
Serene lakeside haven famous for That Wānaka Tree, Mount Aspiring National Park, and relaxed alpine charm.
Fiordland National Park
The eighth wonder of the world: Milford Sound / Piopiotahi and dramatic glacier fiords.
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi
Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, where sheer 1,000-metre granite peaks plunge into deep ink-black glacial waters.