Braided rivers thread across vast plains toward a horizon of snowcapped peaks, crowned by Aoraki/Mount Cook – the island nation’s highest point – while above it all stretches the kind of sky that humbles. Down on the coast, the gnarly volcanic folds of Banks Peninsula shelters an abundance of marine biodiversity, and Christchurch anchors it all as the South Island’s beating cultural heart.
Christchurch
Born from lands Māori called Ōtautahi, Christchurch is New Zealand’s newest city. A young, creative generation is permanently reimagining it, resulting inn a vibrant cultural hub of world-class museums, galleries, and green spaces, crowned by the buzzing Riverside Market. Flat terrain makes it ideal for exploring on foot, by bike, or paddling the photogenic Avon River/Ōtākaro right through the city centre. Earlier this year, it was even named the most bicycle-friendly city in Asia and Oceania, while at the end of 2025, it was bestowed the title of our most vibrant one.
Banks Peninsula
Jutting from Christchurch’s southeast corner, Banks Peninsula’s focal village of Akaroa – “long harbour” in te reo – is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most charming surprises. French settlers arrived aboard the Comte de Paris in 1840, and their legacy lingers delightfully in bilingual street signs and colonial architecture. Today visitors come to cruise the flooded volcanic crater harbour, swim with rare Hector’s dolphins, and soak up the town’s sleepy Riviera atmosphere. The surrounding Akaroa Marine Reserve is best explored by kayak or boat tour.
TranzAlpine
Widely lauded as one of the world’s great short rail journeys, the TranzAlpine links Christchurch on the Pacific coast to Greymouth on the Tasman. The route sweeps over the Canterbury Plains before snaking through the breathtaking gorges and valleys of Arthur’s Pass National Park and the historic Otira Tunnel. Beautiful year-round, it’s best experienced in late winter or early spring, when snow still dusts the mountaintops without risking disruption to the tracks. Classic romance, modern comfort, unforgettable scenery.
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
Part of the Te Waipounamu Unesco World Heritage Area, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a glacial wonderland – 40% of its 70,000 hectares blanketed by more than 60 glaciers, including the Tasman, New Zealand’s longest. Five great valleys, 140 peaks above 2,000m, and over 750 flower species – among them the world’s largest buttercup – make this a naturalist’s dream, while the kea, rock wren, and ultra-rare black stilt call it home. Hike the celebrated Hooker Valley Track, kayak among icebergs, take a flightseeing tour, or pedal the Alps 2 Ocean Great Ride.
Hooker Valley Track
The Hooker Valley Track is as close to walking through a fairy tale as Aotearoa gets. Swing bridges, alpine flowers, tumbling waterfalls, and glacier-topped valley walls frame the path as Aoraki/Mount Cook looms ever larger ahead – culminating at iceberg-strewn Hooker Lake right at the mountain’s base.
Dark Sky Project
The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest in the southern hemisphere, and the region’s atmospheric stability makes it one of the world’s great stargazing destinations. The Dark Sky Project offers experiences ranging from mountaintop observatory tours to a lakeside planetarium blending traditional Māori astronomy with cutting-edge space science.
Church of the Good Shepherd
Built in 1935, the tiny stone Church of the Good Shepherd sits on the southern shore of the unimaginably blue Lake Takapō/Tekapo, its back window framing a cinematic panorama of lake and Southern Alps. Photography is forbidden inside, but the exterior – particularly beneath the night sky – is one of New Zealand’s most iconic and photographed spots. Arrive early to beat the crowds.
