Which is more mountainous: New Zealand North or South Island?
Learn which of the New Zealand islands, the North Island or the South Island, is more mountainous and when is the best time to enjoy mountain scenery in New Zealand.
If you are looking to see mountains in New Zealand, the South Island should be your destination of choice, since it is more mountainous than the North Island.
The Southern Alps on the South Island of New Zealand run from the North-Eastern tip of the top of the South Island to the South-Western tip where the fiords are located, with the highest mountain peaks located in the Mount Cook and Queenstown areas.
The Eastern part of the South Island is pretty flat between Christchurch and Dunedin, but the landscape becomes a bit hillier as you enter the Catlins and drive further down South towards Invercargill.
Mountains on the North Island come in the form of (dormant) volcanoes in Taranaki and the area South of Taupo in the center of the North Island. While there are other mountains around the North Island, the volcanoes are the tallest mountain peaks.
This also means that if you are looking to see mountains with snow in New Zealand, you must visit during the winter months of June, July, or August, and head either to the South Island or visit the volcanoes on the North Island.
Depending on how warm it is, snow will hang around on the higher mountains of the South Island well into October. So you can also visit New Zealand in spring to see snow on the mountains.
To enjoy mountainous scenery by air, I highly recommend catching a domestic flight with Air New Zealand and flying from Auckland to Christchurch, Auckland to Queenstown, Wellington to Christchurch, or Wellington to Queenstown sometime during winter. These flying routes combined with good and clear winter weather are guaranteed to take your breath away.
Air New Zealand pilots are sometimes nice enough to narrate during such flights and explain what you are seeing and where. And if your flight is ahead of schedule, a few pilots may even deviate a bit from the route (with permission, of course) to provide you with a complimentary short scenic flight and show (off) the gorgeous mountain scenery with snow, especially on the South Island of New Zealand. You must be very lucky to be on such a flight, though.
So for mountains in New Zealand, go to the South Island!
Filed under How-To Travel Guide
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