Hotels

"This is surreal," might be your first thought upon reaching the South Island: the mellow, green beauty of the North Island has been replaced by jagged snowcapped mountains and rivers that sprawl across vast, rocky shingle beds. The South Island has been carved by ice and water, a process still rapidly occurring. The Marlborough province occupies the northeast corner, where the inlets of the Marlborough Sounds flow around verdant peninsulas and sandy coves. The northwest corner of the island, the Nelson region, is a sporting paradise with a relatively mild climate that allows a year-round array of outdoor activities. After the gentler climate of Marlborough and Nelson, the wild grandeur of the West Coast comes as a surprise. This is Mother Nature with her hair down, flaying the coastline with huge seas and drenching rains and littering its beaches with acres of bleached driftwood.