The South Island of New Zealand

Sunny Nelson and Golden bay

The Tasman district includes a great variety of places and is not really just one singular area. Golden Bay for example is an isloated bay and large farming valley accessed by a single road over a steep mountain. There is also the coastal National park the Abel Tasman with its golden sand beaches. Further inland are the Nelson Lakes with white water canoeing nearby on the Buller River. And one must not forget the Heaphy Track.

The Nelson region is known for its arts and crafts and alternative artist communities as well as being a popular retirement area due to its huge sunshine hours. There is a history of German settlement in the area.

Nelson City

Motueka

Kaiteriteri

Abel Tasman

Golden Bay

Nelson Lakes

The South Island

New Zealand comprises two main islands, and a smaller island at the bottom called Stewart Island. The larger two have the inspired names, ‘North’, and ‘South’. The Maori (native) name for the island group is Aotearoa, the North being named Te Ika a Maui (The Fish of Maui) and the South, Te Wai Pounamu (The Greenstone Water). Far more imaginative. Further a field New Zealand manages some minor sanctuary Islans such as; it also includes the Anitpodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Isalnds, and the Kermadec Island. There is a small population on the Chatham Islands.

The Capital Wellington, the commercial heart Auckland, as well as 75% of the population live in the North Island leaving the larger South Island as a sparsely populated place of farming and national parks and unspoilt beauty.

Don’t underestimate the size of the South Island and what you will be able to do whilst there. It’s very worth researching well before travel. Its about the size of Italy or the main island of Japan.

If you require a different Map of New Zealand click here.  This site divides the Island into its main provinnces. Tasman District in the north and neighbouring Marlborough cover most of the northern parts of the island. On the East coast are Canterbury and Otago, which includes the cities of Christchurch and Dunedin as well as Queenstown and Te Anau and Banks Penninsula. In the south is Southland which includes Invercargill city and Fiordland National Park. In the west is the rugged West Coast. Most of these regions of the South Island New Zealand