Danny de Hek

The town is a little golden nugget - born of gold and still maintaining its original character. You can easily visualise the pioneer diggers swaggering down the street and elbowing their way into bustling saloons, dance halls and gambling dens.

Originally named as ‘Fit for Queen Victoria,’ this alpine town, 284km northwest of Dunedin, is the jewel in the crown of New Zealand’s outdoor adventure tourism.

A land of big skies, wide open spaces, deep silent lakes, wide braided rivers, rippling golden tussock and primeval beech forests - all set against a background of New Zealand’s highest mountains.

Lake Hawea began as a collection of isolated cribs and holiday homes, 15 km north-east of Wanaka, but has grown into a pleasant village of 1,150 people with a general store selling produce and fishing licences.

The town was originally known as Dunstan. It sprung up on the banks of the Clutha River, below the point where Hartley and Reilly made their monumental gold discovery in 1862.

Alexandra is New Zealand’s ‘Blossom Town’ - a glorious symphony of colour and light, in harmony with the changing seasons. Named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, the town has a population of 4,620 and serves as the hub of our stone fruit and merino fine wool industry.

After the physical and mental rigours of conquering space and white water at Queenstown, you could not possibly find a quieter and more relaxed place on the planet than Kingston.

Wanaka means ‘Renewal of the Soul’ in Maori, which says it all. This alpine resort has a stunning location that borders on pristine perfection, with reflections of snow-capped alps often mirrored in Lake Wanaka, framed by lakeside poplar trees.

As you enter the town, a giant fibreglass iconic sculpture will catch your eye. It is in the form of a cluster of ripe fruit, calculated to tempt the taste buds. Fruit stalls beside S.H.8 offer delectable confections - this is truly the ‘Fruit Bowl’ of the south.