Why is South Island New Zealand the best place to visit?
Why is South Island New Zealand the best place to visit? New Zealand's South Island hosts the purest natural landscapes you'll ever experience. From wildlife to wineries, glacial valleys to star-filled skies, the South Island offers adventure in all its forms. Choose to explore just one region, or road trip from Picton all the way down to Bluff.
Is 10 days enough for New Zealand?
For a 10-day trip, we recommend visiting up to four or five different destinations. Our 10-day itinerary locations are some of the most popular: Auckland the City of Sails, Wellington the cultural, art and food capital, and Queenstown the home of world-class adrenaline activities.
What is the best way to see New Zealand South Island?
Driving is one of the best ways to see New Zealand New Zealand's stunning scenery makes for remarkable road trips and traveling by car is convenient and flexible, especially for visiting attractions away from main arterial routes. Many of the best-known national parks are remote, so you'll need a car to explore them.
What are the 3 most visited places in the world?
Paris, Mexico City, and London are the top three most visited tourist places in the world in 2023, according to the World Tourism Organization. These cities offer a variety of attractions, from iconic landmarks and historical sites to world-class cuisine and vibrant nightlife.
What is the largest city in the South Island New Zealand?
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's third-most populous urban area.
Why is South Island so popular?
Divided by the backbone of mountain ranges aptly called the Southern Alps, the South Island is renowned for spectacular snow-topped peaks, fiords, large beech forests, golden sand beaches and fertile, broad plains. There are no active volcanoes – but hot pools abound.
Is it easy to drive in South Island New Zealand?
The roads are often narrow and hilly with twists and turns so may take longer to drive than you expect. Our time and distance calculator can help you plan your itinerary. Outside of the main cities, there are very few motorways. Most of our roads are two-way with one lane in each direction and no barriers in-between.
How cold is the South Island of New Zealand?
New Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far North has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as – 10°C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.
Is it cold in South Island New Zealand?
The South Island is a bit cooler, with maximum temperatures around 7–12 °C (45–54 °F), though sometimes lower. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -25.6 °C (-14.1 °F) at Ranfurly in Otago in 1903, with a more recent temperature of -21.6 °C (-6.9 °F) recorded in 1995 in nearby Ophir.
What is unique about South Island New Zealand?
The main feature of scenery in the South Island is mountains. The Southern Alps mountain range is the backbone of the island, stretching for roughly 500 kilometres from Wanaka to Arthur's Pass. The Alps have snowy tops all year round, feeding glaciers and crystal clear rivers.