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Glacial lakes in Southland and Central Otago
Photo: Original uploader was Yogi de at en.wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Southern Lakes are glacial lakes found in the Southern Alps of the lower South Island of New Zealand. Many of the major South Island tourist destinations are found in this region.
Canterbury is a region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The Canterbury Plains stretch from the Conway River in the north, just south of Kaikoura, to the great Waitaki River in the south, just north of Oamaru.
Fiordland National Park, covering 12,607 km2 (4,868 sq mi), is New Zealand's largest national park with its snow-capped mountains, fiords and contains one of New Zealand's wildest and most dramatic landscapes. The park, together with the adjoining Mount Aspiring National Park, occupies the south-west corner of the South Island and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Lake Tekapo is a lakeside resort village in the Mackenzie Country in the South Island of New Zealand. It gets its name from one of the Southern Lakes in the Southern Alps.
Twizel is Mackenzie Country's largest town in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. Although it's the largest town in Mackenzie Country, it's well-visited as it's the closest decently-sized town to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.
Wanaka is a town on the shores of Lake Wanaka in the South Island of New Zealand. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park.
Queenstown (Māori: Tāhuna) is a world renowned resort town in the South Island of New Zealand. The town sits on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and is surrounded by the Southern Alps.
Te Anau is a small town on the shore of Lake Te Anau, in the Southland region of the South Island. It is the gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Road.
Manapouri is a town of 222 (2018) in the Southland region of the South Island of New Zealand. It isn't an attraction of itself, but rather serves as a gateway for exploring the southern fiords and sounds of Fiordland National Park, most prominently Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound.
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park is a national park dominated by New Zealand's two highest mountains, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Several other high peaks of the South Island's Southern Alps are nearby.
Te Anau is a small town on the shore of Lake Te Anau, in the Southland region of the South Island. It is the gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Road.
Mount Aspiring National Park is a national park that lies in the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island, in the headwaters of Lake Wanaka. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of South West New Zealand, or Te Wahipounamu, which includes Fiordland National Park (to the south), Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and Westland Tai Poutini National Park (both to the north).
Fiordland National Park, covering 12,607 km2 (4,868 sq mi), is New Zealand's largest national park with its snow-capped mountains, fiords and contains one of New Zealand's wildest and most dramatic landscapes. The park, together with the adjoining Mount Aspiring National Park, occupies the south-west corner of the South Island and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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