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Essential Further Reading

Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
Lonely Planet Guide
Price: £14.99
This tropical trio will bamboozle you with all manner of delights - Mauritius has aquamarine lagoons, a vibrant cultural mix and delicious cuisine; Réunion's got a live volcano, tropical climate and Parisian-style cafes; and the Seychelles boasts isolated, idyllic islands. Grab yourself the only guide to wrap up everything you need to know about these three tropical-paradise destinations.
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Lord Of The Rings fans will know South Island's landscape well as it played much of Middle Earth in the film versions of the books. A trip to Mount Sunday, a couple of hours from the capital Christchurch, will put you slap bang in the middle of Edoras country (although the film set is no longer there).

Christchurch itself is a very English city (complete with fish and chip shops). Because it is so flat, it's gothic revival architecture and its other charnms are best appreciated from the saddle of a bike.

Another town worth visiting is Blenheim, the largest town in the Marlborough wine growing region in the northeast of South Island. And on the coast between Blenheim and Christchurch is Kaikoura, home to beautiful scenery and whale watching trips.

Wanaka, on the shores of Lake Wanaka, is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park and all the outdoor sports one could wish for from horseriding to skydiving. Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu, with the stunning saw-toothed range of mountains called The Remarkables as its backdrop, is equally scenic, but can be lively in high season.

South Island can neatly be divided into six regions each with their own flavour. Marlborough has its wine, whales and the magical Marlborough Sounds. Nelson Tasman (or Top of the South as it is called) has beaches of golden sands. The West Coast is a wild wet wilderness, in contrast to the majesty of the Southern Alps sweeping down to the plains of Canterbury. Otago has picturesque mountain lakes while Southland offers snowcapped mountains plunging into deep fjords.

Generally, the west coast is wetter and cooler than the east, and the north of the island is warmer than the south. January and February are the warmest months while July is the coldest.

South Island is separated from North Island by Cook Strait. You can reach it from the North by ferry or you can fly into Christchurch or one of its other smaller airports. Getting around is best done by hire car, although trains and buses will get you to most places.