Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula
On the South Island, just east of Christchurch, Akaroa is a small town situated on the Banks Peninsula. You can immerse yourself in local Kiwi culture, including learning about the island’s history and tasting its famous coffee and pie.
Among the native wildlife in the harbour town are rare Hector’s dolphins and a wide variety of birds. Discover New Zealand’s conservation efforts across the country on the rest of the peninsula.
TranzAlpine Train
You can easily arrange a day trip between Christchurch and Greymouth using the TranzAlpine Train. A century of seismic activity has shaped the Southern Alps, the area of New Zealand with the most breathtaking scenery.
See some of the locations where the Lord of the Rings movie franchise was shot and take in breathtaking views over the mountains and lakes. On the island, Arthur’s Pass offers the best views of the island, making it one of the most famous sites.
Kaikoura
Visitors to the South Island often stop at Kaikoura, but it also makes a unique day trip. Recently, a road into the town, which was cut off from Christchurch by earthquakes in 2016, has been restored, making it easier to visit the town. Take in some of New Zealand’s finest seafood and experience rural Kiwi culture at its finest here.
A short drive along the coast will reveal a large seal colony, and you can take boat trips from the town to see dolphins and whales. You can also see baby seals at the colony if you visit just after mating season.
Aoraki Mount Cook National Park
The surrounding national park offers some excellent hiking options and a stunning view over Lake Pukaki, which is New Zealand’s tallest mountain. Mount Cook (known in Maori as Aoraki) is New Zealand’s tallest mountain.
The region offers excellent skiing opportunities in the winter and kayaking in the lake’s clear, glacial waters in the summer. It is possible to learn about New Zealand’s natural history at a number of conservation centres within the area.
Queenstown
If you are planning a day trip to Queenstown, we recommend taking an organized tour in order to make sure your timing is right. Queenstown is the most popular destination on the South Island, but it is not as close as other options, so we recommend taking a tour.
With Shotover Canyon’s bungee jump, this is New Zealand’s adrenaline capital. You can ride the luge or just experience the best view of Queenstown by hiking and biking the Tiki Trail, located halfway up to Ben Lomond. An easier ride can also be taken by cable car.
Hanmer Springs
A number of excellent hot springs have been created across the country due to New Zealand’s seismic activity. There are several other natural springs on the South Island, but Hanmer Springs is one of the best options away from the crowds, and arguably the best spa town.
The town offers numerous mountain biking and hiking trails, which offer spectacular views over the surrounding forest and mountains. Ice skating, skiing, and snowboarding are some of the best activities to do in winter.
Tekapo
The area, located on the shores of Lake Tekapo, is often overlooked by tourists due to the nearby Mount Cook National Park, but the town also has some fantastic hiking trails and a relaxed atmosphere. You can enjoy a typical Kiwi flat white in a glass-walled café at the top of Mount John, a popular hiking trail.
Additionally, the Mount John observatory has the unfortunate reputation of downgrading Pluto from the status of a planet. Throughout the past few decades, New Zealand has played a key role in space exploration.
Greymouth
Rather than taking the train, you can drive through the Southern Alps to Greymouth. The town’s industrial history discourages many tourists from exploring it, but there are still some interesting sights to see. An authentic gold rush village is reconstructed at Shantytown Heritage Park.
Gold mining concentrated primarily on the West Coast of the South, and its impact can still be seen to this day in the region. It is possible to learn more about this portion of New Zealand history at Shantytown.
Hokitika
Hokitika is also on the West Coast and is full of the typical culture of New Zealand. Known locally as greenstone, it is the city’s hub for jade products, which is the most common material used to carve Maori pounamu.
The town’s many stores and centres offer a variety of information on the precious stone, as well as the opportunity to carve your own pounamu. In addition, the National Kiwi Centre offers a chance to spot native Kiwi birds as well as learn about other exotic animals.
Timaru
In addition to the dramatic scenery on the South Island, Timaru (known as Timaz by locals) is a great place to see rural Kiwi culture besides dramatic scenery.
Many Kiwiana shops are available for you to buy some souvenirs to take home, as well as typical Kiwi cafes. Locally owned galleries and cool sculptures permeate the town centre, making it an artistic hub.
Marlborough
Those who choose to sail instead of fly can easily reach Marlborough through ferries from Wellington. You can experience some of the world’s most famous wines in the region – particularly near Wairau and Awatere.
Tours and tastings are available at most wineries. In addition to being packed with natural beauty, the Marlborough Sounds are also fairly quiet compared to the more famous fjords of Southland. The region offers excellent birdwatching spots and some of the unique species in the world for birdwatchers.
Oamaru
Little Blue Penguins can be found in Oamaru, another little town south of Christchurch. It is the closest you can get to these penguins, which are native to the southern half of the South Island.
You can find some of New Zealand’s earliest colonial architecture in Oamaru, which is influenced by Edwardian architecture.
A helicopter tour company offers sightseeing tours over Otago and Canterbury from the town, which also serves as a hub for helicopter tours.
Punakaiki
There are plenty of wildlife and plant species in Paparoa National Park, which is accessed from Punakaiki. Pancake rocks are most famous for their appearance – stacks of flat rocks resembling giant pancake stacks.
A blowhole can also be found in this area, which shows the power of the Tasman Sea in interaction with New Zealand’s coastline. It is possible to hire horses in the town if you wish to go horseback riding. There are a number of popular treks that start from the town.
Dunedin
Many tourists don’t know about this cool little town, but it is one you should not miss. Leaving early or considering an organized tour is a good idea since the journey is a bit longer. Although there are a lot of sites to see, the trip is worth it and you should be able to visit most of them in one day.
Many of the street names in the town are inspired by Edinburgh in Scotland. In the city, the steepest street in the world is located, resulting in incredible street layouts. As well as traditional graffiti and murals, there are painted benches and sculptures that are part of the street art scene.
Geraldine
There are many surprises to be found in Geraldine, which is also located off the beaten tourist track. There are incredible views of the Southern Alps from this town located in the Canterbury plains. Learn all about local history and culture by visiting some of the country’s largest sheep farms.
You should explore some of the independent art galleries and street art pieces that genuinely add to the vibrancy of the town. The usual Kiwiana from tourist shops makes for a much more generic gift than local handicrafts.
