With its breathtaking scenery, tranquil lakes, rugged mountains, pure rivers and wild forest, The South Island of New Zealand is cut by a massive mountain chain, the Southern Alps and the country’s highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook at 3754 m and 10 National Parks. Fiordland is the jewel in the crown, blessed with eerie glacier-carved landscape. The South Island’s largest city is Christchurch, distinctly English in character, and Dunedin is a delight of well-preserved Victorian buildings.