New Zealand's two islands have quite different characters.  While the North Island has a strong Maori influence, dramatic volcanic landscapes & highly active thermal areas, long beautiful beaches & excellent sailing, the South Island has fewer people, with a slower pace of life dominated by the magnificent snow-covered Southern Alps & the spectacular fjordlands, with glaciers, deep lakes & verdant forests.  With sheep-filled pastures & remote farm settlements backed by snow-covered mountains, it is a photographer's paradise.

 GETTING THERE:  From Wellington catch the Interislander ferry through the Cook Strait & the Tory Channel into the beautiful Marlborough Sounds to Picton.  Depending on the type of  ferry, the trip can take from 2 1/4 - 3 hours.

Photo by David Wall

Go whale watching at Kaikoura!

Drifting over the Canterbury Plains in a hot air balloon is a spectacular way to appreciate the South Island's amazing scenery.  What about a balloon wedding?  Your Travel Source can arrange it for you, complete with champagne breakfast!

Milford Sound, the most spectacular and famous of  the fiords.

Enjoy a hair-raising (& wet) jet boat ride down the Dart River!  If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, then there are some tours we can set up for you that will show you the locations where the movies were filmed. 

Photos by Ian Trafford

Take a bus trip from Queenstown and then take a cruise into Milford Sound. It is a long day but well worth it to see one of the icons of New Zealand.

New Zealand vineyards have gained a well-deserved reputation internationally for producing exceptional wines.  Above left - In Marlborough's sunny, dry climate, sauvignon blanc rules, while in the top northwest corner of the island, Nelson's Neudorf Winery (above right) is known for its complex chardonnays, pinot noirs, sauvignon blanc & riesling.  The winery is named after the tiny hamlet of Neudorf, which was established by German settlers in 1842.

Photos courtesy of Tourism New Zealand

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