Lonely Planet New Zealand's South Island , livre ebook

New Zealand’s South Island (Te Waipounamu)

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to the South Island
The South Island’s Top 16
Need to Know
What’s New
If You Like
Month by Month
Itineraries
Getting Around
Hiking on the South Island
Skiing & Snowboarding
Surfing, Cycling & Extreme Sports
Eat & Drink Like a Local
Travel with Children
Regions at a Glance

ON THE ROAD

CHRISTCHURCH & CANTERBURY
DAY TRIPS FROM CHRISTCHURCH
TRAMPING IN CANTERBURY
Christchurch
Around Christchurch
Lyttelton
Banks Peninsula
Akaroa
North Canterbury
Lewis Pass
Hanmer Springs
Waipara Valley
Central Canterbury
Selwyn District
Arthur’s Pass
Methven
Mt Somers
South Canterbury
Peel Forest
Geraldine
Timaru
Fairlie
Lake Tekapo
Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
Twizel
DUNEDIN & OTAGO
DAY TRIPS FROM DUNEDIN
CYCLING IN OTAGO
Waitaki District
Omarama
Waitaki Valley
Oamaru
Moeraki
Dunedin
Around Dunedin
Port Chalmers
Otago Peninsula
Central Otago
Middlemarch
Ranfurly
Naseby
Lauder, Omakau & Ophir
Alexandra
Clyde
Cromwell
FIORDLAND & SOUTHLAND
DAY TRIPS FROM TE ANAU
Tramping in Southland
The Catlins
Kaka Point & Around
Owaka & Around
Papatowai & Around
Curio Bay & Around
Central Southland
Gore
Invercargill
Bluff
Stewart Island (Rakiura)
Riverton
Te Waewae & Colac Bays
Tuatapere
Fiordland
Manapouri
Doubtful Sound
Te Anau
Milford Highway
Milford Sound
QUEENSTOWN & WANAKA
DAY TRIPS FROM QUEENSTOWN
TRAMPING AROUND QUEENSTOWN & WANAKA
Queenstown
Around Queenstown
Glenorchy
Arrowtown
Wanaka
Around Wanaka
Cardrona
Makarora
THE WEST COAST
DAY TRIPS FROM WESTPORT
TRAMPING ON THE WEST COAST
Westland
Haast
Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Fox Glacier
Franz Josef Glacier
Okarito
Whataroa
Ross
Hokitika
Kumara
Grey District
Greymouth
Lake Brunner
Blackball
Barrytown & Around
Buller Region
Punakaiki & Paparoa National Park
Charleston & Around
Westport & Around
Karamea & Around
Reefton
Murchison & Buller Gorge
NELSON & MARLBOROUGH
DAY TRIPS FROM NELSON
TRAMPING IN NELSON & MARLBOROUGH
Nelson
Tasman District
Nelson Lakes National Park
Ruby Coast & Moutere Hills
Motueka
Kaiteriteri
Marahau
Abel Tasman National Park
Takaka Hill
Takaka
Pohara
Collingwood & Around
Kahurangi National Park
Marlborough District
Marlborough Sounds
Picton
Blenheim
Kaikoura

Understand

Understand the South Island
New Zealand Today
History
Environment
Māori Culture
The Arts

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A-Z
Accommodation
Climate
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Electricity
Food
Health
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
LGBT Travellers
Maps
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travellers with Disabilities
Visas
Volunteering
Women Travellers
Work
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to the South Island

From turquoise lakes and lush peninsulas to snowcapped mountains and sparkling glaciers, the South Island’s majestic landscapes offer awe and adventure in equal measure.

Wandering Wild
With just over a million people scattered across 151,215 sq km, you’ll have no trouble finding your own slice of wilderness on New Zealand’s ‘mainland’. The only problem will be choosing between the sublime forests, mountains, lakes, beaches and fiords that make this island one of the best outdoor destinations on the planet. Lace up your boots and tackle one of the South Island’s six Great Walks, or choose from countless other options ranging from short nature strolls to multiday, backcountry epics. The Department of Conservation’s track and hut network makes it easy to find a way in.

Adventure Ahoy
Hiking (known as ‘tramping’ here) may be the South Island’s quintessential activity, but there are racier ways to immerse yourself in its landscapes. Tumble down the Buller or Rangitata Rivers in a raft, or paddle the glassy coves of the Marlborough Sounds, Abel Tasman National Park or Fiordland. In winter, slice up the slopes around Wanaka, Queenstown or Mt Hutt, while in warmer weather the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail and Central Otago Rail Trail beckon to those on two wheels. For the hardcore thrill-seekers, Queenstown’s gravity-defying menu of bungy, paragliding or skydiving is sure to get your adrenalin pumping.

Meet the Locals
Prepare to meet the South Island’s idiosyncratic wildlife. Whales, fur seals, dolphins and penguins all frequent the coastal waters around Kaikoura; endangered Hector’s dolphins cavort alongside penguins in Akaroa Harbour and the Catlins; and the Otago Peninsula shelters penguins, sea lions and even a colony of royal albatrosses. Further south, remote Stewart Island is the perfect place to spot the iconic but shy kiwi, alongside a profusion of other feathered friends. The South Island is also home to two special parrots, the kaka and the kea – the latter is particularly partial to car aerials and unattended tramping boots.

Tantalise Your Tastebuds
Epicurious travellers will delight in the South Island’s smorgasbord of produce, from luscious berries, stone fruit, asparagus and root vegetables, to local seafood, lamb, beef and a plethora of artisanal dairy delights. Roadside kiosks sell everything from farm eggs to grandma’s tomato relish, while world-class restaurants skim the cream of local crops for innovative tasting menus. Add some of the world’s best cool-climate wines, from Central Otago’s pinot noir to Marlborough’s renowned sauvignon blanc, as well as some of the most exciting breweries in the country, and you have a recipe for a foodies’ paradise.

Aoraki/ Mt Cook and Hooker Lake | BLUE PLANET STUDIO / SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Why I Love the South Island
By Samantha Forge, Writer
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when I first fell in love with the South Island. It could have been while watching dolphins leap out of the water in Akaroa Harbour, or wandering the sunlit paths of Peel Forest, or perhaps when I rounded a bend and saw the glittering turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo. Maybe it was when the clouds parted right on sunset to give me my first glimpse of the peaks of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Whenever it was, these landscapes are seared into my soul now, and I know that they’ll continue to draw me back time after time.
For more, see our writers
The South Island’s Top 16

Abel Tasman National Park
This is New Zealand at its most glorious and seductive: lush green hills fringed with golden sandy coves, slipping gently into warm shallows before meeting a crystal-clear sea of cerulean blue. Abel Tasman National Park is the quintessential postcard paradise and you can put yourself in the picture in an endless number of poses: kayaking, swimming, sunbathing and of course tramping the Abel Tasman Coast Track. This sweet corner of the South Island raises the bar and effortlessly keeps it there.

JIRI FOLTYN / GETTY ©

Top Experiences
Milford Sound
Fingers crossed you’ll be lucky enough to see Milford Sound on a clear, sunny day, when the world-renowned collage of waterfalls, verdant cliffs and peaks, and dark cobalt waters is at its best. More likely, though, is the classic Fiordland scenario of rain, with the landscape an arguably more dramatic scene of gushing waterfalls and Mitre Peak revealed slowly through swirling mist. It’s awesome either way, particularly when special inhabitants such as seals, dolphins and birds show up alongside a boat cruise or kayak trip.

FRANS LEMMENS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


Top Experiences
Queenstown
Queenstown may be known as the birthplace of bungy jumping, but there’s more to do in New Zealand’s adventure capital than just leaping off a bridge tied to a giant rubber band. Amid the ridiculously beautiful scenery of Lake Wakatipu, the Shotover River and the Remarkables mountain range, travellers can spend their days tramping, mountain biking, paragliding, skydiving, rafting or heading cross-country on a 4WD tour. The lively hospitality hubs of Queenstown and nearby Arrowtown are stimulating places to relive the adventures over a drink or dinner.

©MATTEO COLOMBO/GETTY IMAGES

Top Experiences
Marlborough Sounds
Way more than just the place where the Interislander ferry docks, Picton is a vibrant hang-out and hub for adventure trips into the serpentine Marlborough Sounds , four different waterways linked by bush tracks and winding drives. Boat trips allow the deepest penetration into the area’s countless nooks and crannies. Tramp or bike the Queen Charlotte Track, or paddle a kayak between back-to-nature campsites. A host of boat trips offer everything from activity combos to lunch cruises and trips to Motuara Island to meet precious rare birds.

DMITRY NAUMOV / SHUTTERSTOCK©

Top Experiences
Akaroa & Banks Peninsula
Infused with a dash of Gallic ambience, Francophile Akaroa village sits within one of the prettiest harbours on the Banks Peninsula . Dainty dolphins and plump penguins inhabit clear waters that are perfect for sailing and exploring. Elsewhere on the peninsula, the spidery Summit Rd traces the rim of an ancient volcano, with winding offshoots that descend to hidden bays and coves. Spend your days tramping and kayaking amid the improbably beautiful land- and seascapes, unwinding at night in cosy town bistros or atmospheric rural B&Bs.

Akaroa | NAWIT / SHUTTERSTOCK© NAWIT / SHUTTERSTOCK©


Top Experiences
Christchurch
Many travellers merely pass through Christchurch on their way to the South Island’s outdoor playgrounds, but those who linger will discover a creative, cosmopolitan city full of culture and heart. Firmly back on its feet after the devastation of the 2011 earthquake, Christchurch’s city centre has been transformed into an open, pedestrian-