The South Island of New Zealand promises breathtaking scenery, tranquil lakes, rugged mountains, wild rivers and verdant forest. A massive mountain chain, the Southern Alps, runs down its spine, with the country’s highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook at 3754 m. You will marvel at Fiordland with its glacier-carved landscape of drowned river valleys and towering peaks in 10 national parks. The South Island’s largest city is Christchurch, characterized by gracious, manicured parks and English charm, then there’s Dunedin, the country’s best-preserved Victorian city.