The South Island is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand in surface area,the other being the smaller but more populous North Island and sparsely populated Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait,to the west by the Tasman Sea,to the south by the Foveaux Strait and Southern Ocean,and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres (58,084 sq mi),making it the world's 12th-largest island,constituting 56% of New Zealand's land area. At low altitudes,it has an oceanic climate.
Milford Sound is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park,Piopiotahi Marine Reserve,and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top travel destination in an international survey and is acclaimed as New Zealand's most famous tourist destination. Rudyard Kipling called it the eighth Wonder of the World. The fiord is most commonly accessed via road by tour coach,with the road terminating at a small village also called Milford Sound.
Fiordland is a geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island,comprising the westernmost third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps,deep lakes,and its steep,glacier-carved and now ocean-flooded western valleys. The name "Fiordland" comes from a variant spelling of the Scandinavian word for this type of steep valley,"fjord". The area of Fiordland is dominated by,and very roughly coterminous with,Fiordland National Park,New Zealand's largest National Park.
Manapōuri Power Station is an underground hydroelectric power station on the western arm of Lake Manapouri in Fiordland National Park,in the South Island of New Zealand. At 854 MW installed capacity,it is the largest hydroelectric power station in New Zealand,and the second largest power station in New Zealand. The station is noted for the controversy and environmental protests by the Save Manapouri Campaign against raising the level of Lake Manapouri to increase the station's hydraulic head,which galvanised New Zealanders and was one of the foundations of the New Zealand environmental movement.
Te Anau is a town in the Southland region of the South Island of New Zealand. In Māori,Te-Anau means the Place of the Swirling Waters. It is on the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau in Fiordland. Te Anau is 155 kilometres north of Invercargill and 171 kilometres to the southwest of Queenstown. Manapouri lies 21 kilometres to the south. Te Anau lies at the southern end of the Milford Road,117 kilometres to the south of Milford Sound.
Southland District is a New Zealand territorial authority district that covers most of the southern end of the South Island as well as Stewart Island.
Lake Hauroko is the deepest lake in New Zealand. The lake,which is 462 metres deep,is located in a mountain valley in Fiordland National Park.
Mitre Peak is a mountain in the South Island of New Zealand,located on the shore of Milford Sound.
The Waiau River is the largest river in the Southland region of New Zealand. 'Waiau' translates to 'River of Swirling Currents'. It is the outflow of Lake Te Anau,flowing from it into Lake Manapouri 10 kilometres (6 mi) to the south,and from there flows south for 70 kilometres (43 mi) before reaching the Foveaux Strait 8 kilometres (5 mi) south of Tuatapere. It also takes water from Lake Monowai.
Transport in Milford Sound in New Zealand is characterised by the remoteness of the area in which it is located. As a popular tourism destination in the South Island,Milford Sound and the village of the same name receive very large numbers of visitors. These tend to arrive and depart within just a few hours each day,as there is little accommodation at the village,leading to strong demand peaks for tourism services during the noon and early afternoon period. The journey from Te Anau is rated as one of the most photographic drives of the world.
The Haast-Hollyford road or Haast-Hollyford Highway is a long-standing proposal to link Haast via the Hollyford Valley to Milford Sound and Te Anau in the South Island of New Zealand. Proposals for this road have been mooted since the 1880s.
Te Anau Airport,Manapouri serves the towns of Te Anau and Manapouri. It is not to be confused with the former and now closed Te Anau Aerodrome located just south of that town.
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region. It consists of the southwestern portion of the South Island and includes Stewart Island. Southland is bordered by the culturally similar Otago Region to the north and east,and the West Coast Region in the extreme northwest. The region covers over 3.1 million hectares and spans 3,613 km of coastline. As of June 2023,Southland has a population of 103,900,making it the eleventh-most-populous New Zealand region,and the second-most sparsely populated. Approximately half of the region's population lives in Invercargill,Southland's only city.
Sir Richard John Hayes is a New Zealand helicopter pilot. With over 30,000 flying hours,he is among New Zealand's most experienced pilots. He is the CEO of Southern Lakes Helicopters,a helicopter transport provider based in Fiordland.
The mayor of Southland is the head of the municipal government of Southland District,New Zealand. The mayor is directly elected using the first-past-the-post electoral system. The current mayor is Rob Scott,who was elected in 2022.
Marilynn Lois Webb was a New Zealand artist,noted for her contributions to Māori art and her work as an educator. She was best known for her work in printmaking and pastels,and her works are held in art collections in New Zealand,the United States,and Norway. She lectured at the Dunedin School of Art,and was made an emeritus principal lecturer in 2004.
The 2014 New Year Honours in New Zealand were appointments by Elizabeth II in her right as Queen of New Zealand,on the advice of the New Zealand government,to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders,and to celebrate the passing of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. They were announced on 31 December 2013. In March 2023,the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Duncan Roy as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit,not previously made public for security reasons,was published.
Leslie Hutchins was a New Zealand tourism operator and conservationist. Together with his wife,he bought a tourism company in 1954 that is today RealNZ;it still remains mostly in family ownership. Hutchins was one of the founding members of the Save Manapouri campaign and became one of the initial six Guardians of Lake Manapouri.
RealNZ is a New Zealand tourism company based in Queenstown. The company offers a range of travel,cruises and excursions in Queenstown,Milford Sound / Piopiotahi,Te Anau,Fiordland and Stewart Island / Rakiura. It also operates two skifields Cardrona Alpine Resort,and Treble Cone,and the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch. The company is the successor of a series of acquisitions in the South Island tourist sector over more than 60 years. The brand RealNZ was launched in October 2021 to bring together multiple brands and businesses including Real Journeys that were previously part of the Wayfare Group,although some of the businesses have retained individual branding.
Mary Elizabeth Ogg was a New Zealand local politician. She served as the mayor of Gore from 1995 until 2001,and was the first woman to hold that position.
