The South Island is the largest of the two main islands of New Zealand, and as its name indicates, is the southern-most of the two islands. It has an area of 151,215 square kilometres (58,093 square miles), making it the 12th largest island in the world.

The west coast is lined by the Southern Alps mountain ranges with Aoraki/Mount Cook being the highest point at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet) above sea level.

The island was named ‘Te Waka a Maui’ by the Maori as according to legend, the South Island is ‘Maui’s Canoe’ that he used to fish the North Island out of the sea from. It is also known by the Maori as ‘Te Wai Pounamu’ meaning ‘The Waters of Greenstone’.

The largest city in the South Island is Christchurch, known as the ‘Garden City’ because of its many stunningly beautiful gardens, and its tree-lined streets. Queenstown is also found in the South Island of New Zealand, world famous as a premier four-season retreat.

As of the 2006 census, the South Island held a resident population of approximately 967,900.

Enjoy all the benefits of a private or a small group tour across the Pacific.  Your own private driver/guide is here to take care of all the hassle and worry for you – letting you relax and truly enjoy your  holiday! There’s no need to worry about 20 other people all piled onto a coach, our tour is all about your needs only.

NewTourZealand gives you the freedom to create the adventures of your dreams. Starting from scratch you can build your perfect itinerary based around where you want to go, what you want to do, and how long you want to do it. Our tailor-made holidays are ideal for those who prefer to travel at their own pace, or to explore places not found on other itineraries.

We include unique travel experiences and there’s lots of real local interaction too, giving you a true flavour of New Zealand. We organise everything to make your holiday seamless; your transportation, complimentary airport transfers, sightseeing, guiding. Your tour will be lead by our expert and passionate tour leaders. Typical group size is 4-10 travellers which really works well and makes for a fun experience for all. Our trips follow set itineraries and we’ve built in added flexibility to suit you; arrive a day early, stay an extra day, upgrade some services or add-on some extras from our range of bolt-ons.

Travelling by yourself can sometimes be a daunting prospect. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a tour leader on hand to provide advice and help, if needed, throughout your tour.

If you need advice or simply to chat about our tours, please email us: office@newtourzealand.com