South Island Luxury Holidays

The spectacular Southern Alps run down the spine of the South Island; to their east the patchworked agricultural landscape of the Canterbury plains, the ‘english’ city of Christchurch and the renowned whale-watching base of Kaikoura; at their heart, the alpine glories of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. The rugged West Coast is hemmed between the Tasman Sea and the imposing mountain chain, making for spectacular contrasts in the surrounding scenery and creating fabulous opportunities for once in a lifetime experiences, such as a helicopter flight up onto the Franz Josef Glacier followed by a guided hike through the glacial ice formations.

Queenstown’s reputation as the adventure capital of New Zealand is well-founded but that’s less than half the story; for every bungy jump there’s a fabulous scenic lookout, for every jet boat a serene lake cruise. Being a ski resort as well, it’s a true year-round destination for all but if you prefer your hideaways a little further off the beaten track there’s also nearby Wanaka, another picture postcard lakeside setting and one with a burgeoning reputation for beauty and tranquillity.

Neighbouring Fiordland’s enchanting glacier-cut valleys, cascading waterfalls and ancient, undisturbed forest are on everyone’s ‘to do’ list, rightly so, and the pinnacle of many stunning scenic flights within New Zealand is surely the route back from Milford Sound to Queenstown, over lakes, mountains, waterfalls and forests.

No introduction to the South Island would be complete without mention of the internationally acclaimed Marlborough sauvignon blancs. The sunshine-rich town of Blenheim is the ideal base from which to explore the vineyards and sample some of their wares - purely in the interests of quality control of course!