Submitted by mhabich
on
The South Island of New Zealand is characterized by grand open landscapes and a sense of space and freedom.
Divided by a backbone of mountain aptly called the Southern Alps, the South Island has spectacular snow-topped mountains and deep, clean fiords, extensive southern beech forests, broad plains and golden sand beaches.
Generally cooler and drier in climate than the North Island but don't forget sun block and T-shirts - temperatures routinely top 30°C (86°F) in summer. The sea moderates winter temperatures so they rarely drop much below freezing except in mountainous regions.