The South Island is the largest land mass, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps. The dramatic and varied landscape of New Zealand has made it a popular location for the production of television programmes and films, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy. #south island #southernalps #landscape #newzealand

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Marlborough, the principal wine region of New Zealand, is the first area you pass through after crossing from North Island. There are plenty of wine tours and tastings on offer. #marlborough #wineregion #newzealand #southisland #tasting

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Queenstown is the place for extreme sports like bungy jumping and white-water rafting. #newzealand #queenstown #sport #nature #waterrafting

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Abel Tasman National Park in the north east offers a stunning coastline with opportunities for walking, kayaking and camping. #nationalpark #abeltasman #coastline #walking #kayaking

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The two glaciers on the west side are Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier. Further to the south west are two fiords which could be the highlight of any visit to South Island, Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound. #glaciers #newzealand #foxglacier #southisland #franzjosefglacier

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Most visitors land in Auckland and hire a car to drive to Wellington, but if you can do it the other way round you may get a cheaper rate as you are returning a car to where it is needed. Secondly, if you are driving round both islands, most rental companies require you to leave your car at the port in North Island, take the ferry with your luggage and pick up a new car in South Island. Only a few companies allow you to keep the same car throughout your trip on both islands, which is much better. #tip #tourist #newzealand #car #rent

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