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South Island

One of the two main New Zealand islands From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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This article is about the island in New Zealand. For other uses, see South Island (disambiguation).

The South Island (official alternative name Te Waipounamu,[a] from the Māori) is the larger of the two main islands of New Zealand by surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North 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),[1] making it the world's 12th-largest island, constituting 56% of New Zealand's land area. At low altitudes, it has an oceanic climate. The most populous cities are Christchurch, Dunedin, Nelson and Invercargill.

Quick facts Te Waipounamu (Māori), Geography ...

Prior to European settlement, Te Waipounamu was sparsely populated by three major iwi – Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, and the historical Waitaha – with major settlements including in Kaiapoi Pā near modern-day Christchurch. During the Musket Wars expanding iwi colonised Te Tau Ihu, a region comprising parts of modern-day Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough, including Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne, Ngāti Tama, and later Ngāti Toarangatira after Te Rauparaha's wars of conquest. British settlement began with expansive and cheap land purchases early on, and settlers quickly outnumbered Māori. As a result the Wairau Affray was the only conflict of the New Zealand Wars to occur in the South Island. The island became rich and prosperous and Dunedin boomed during the 1860s Otago gold rush, which was shaped by extensive Chinese immigration. After the gold rush the "drift to the north" meant the North Island displaced the South as the most populous.

The South Island is shaped by the Southern Alps, which run along the island from north to south. They include New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook, at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet). The high Kaikōura Ranges lie to the northeast. The east side of the island is home to the Canterbury Plains, while the West Coast is renowned for its rough coastlines, such as Fiordland, a very high proportion of native bush and national parks, and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

With a population of 1,256,700 as of June 2025,[2] the South Island is home to 24% of New Zealand's 5.3 million inhabitants. After the 1860s gold rushes in the early stages of European settlement of the country, the South Island had the majority of the European population and wealth. The North Island's population overtook the South Island's in the early 20th century, with 56% of the New Zealand population living in the North Island in 1911. The drift north of people and businesses continued throughout the twentieth century.[3]

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Naming and usage

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The island has been known in English as the 'South Island' for many years. The Māori language name for it, 'Te Waipounamu', is an official alternative name.[4][5] 'Te Waipounamu' is most often translated as 'the water(s) of pounamu',[6] but possibly evolved from 'Te Wāhi Pounamu' ('the place of pounamu').[citation needed] It was first recorded in English by Captain James Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1769. North Island iwi alternatively used the name 'Te Waka-a-Māui' ('the canoe of Māui') for the South Island.[7]

In the 19th century, some maps identified the South Island as 'Middle Island' or 'New Munster' (named after Munster province in Southern Ireland), with the name 'South Island' or 'New Leinster' used for today's Stewart Island.[8] In 1907, the Minister for Lands instructed the Land and Survey Department that the name 'Middle Island' was no longer to be used. "South Island will be adhered to in all cases".[9]

Although the island had been known as the 'South Island' for many years, in 2009 the New Zealand Geographic Board found that the South Island, along with the North Island, had no official name.[10] After a public consultation, the board officially named the island 'South Island or Te Waipounamu' in October 2013.[4][5]

In prose, the two main islands of New Zealand are called 'the North Island' and 'the South Island', with the definite article.[11] It is also normal to use the preposition 'in' rather than 'on', for example "Christchurch is in the South Island" and "my mother lives in the South Island".[12] Maps, headings, tables, and adjectival expressions use 'South Island' without 'the'.[13][14]

As it is 32% larger than the North Island but contains less than a quarter of the country's population, the South Island is sometimes humorously nicknamed the "mainland" of New Zealand by its residents.[15][16]

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Māori mythology

The island is also known as Te Waka a Māui which means "Māui's Canoe". In some modern iterations of Māori legends, the South Island existed first, as the boat of Māui, while the North Island was the fish that he caught.

Various Māori iwi sometimes use different names, with some preferring to call the South Island Te Waka o Aoraki.[17] This refers to another Māori legend called the story of Aoraki: after the world was created, Aoraki and his three brothers came down in a waka (canoe) to visit their mother, Papatūānuku the earth mother, only to crash after failing to perform a karakia on their way back home to their father, Ranginui (also known as Raki) the sky father.The waka transformed into an island and the four brothers became the mountain ranges on top of it.[18]

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History

Further information: History of New Zealand and Timeline of New Zealand history
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Charcoal rock drawing at Carters rockpool on the Ōpihi River
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First European impression of Māori, at Murderers' Bay, 1642
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Ships in what is likely to be Akaroa Harbour some time in the early 19th century
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Gabriel's Gully during the Otago gold rush, 1862
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Benmore Dam is the largest of eight dams within the Waitaki power scheme and was commissioned in 1965

Māori period (c. 1280 – c. 1800)

  • c. 1280 – c. 1500 Waitaha was the first Māori iwi to inhabit the South Island.[19] They made charcoal drawings in over 550 rock shelters across the island. They portrayed animals, people and fantastic creatures, possibly stylised reptiles. Some of the birds pictured are now extinct, including moa and Haast's eagles. They were drawn by early Māori but by the time Europeans arrived, local Māori did not know the origins of the drawings.[20][21]
  • c. 1500 – c. 1600 The Waitaha were largely absorbed through marriage and conquest by the Kāti Māmoe in the 16th century.[22]
  • c. 1600 – c. 1700 Kāti Māmoe were in turn largely absorbed by the Kāi Tahu who migrated south in the 17th century.[23]
  • 1642 The Dutch explorer, Abel Tasman, sailed along the West Coast and anchored in Golden Bay. Before leaving, and without landing, he named the bay Murderers Bay following a clash with local Māori. He named the islands he had seen and partially mapped, Staten Landt. This was renamed Nova Zeelandia in 1646 by a Dutch cartographer, a name that was subsequently Anglicised to New Zealand.[24]
  • c. 1800 – c. 1840 Kāi Tahu, a Māori tribe who originated on the east coast of the North Island, began migrating to the northern part of the South Island. There they and Kāti Māmoe fought Ngāi Tara and Rangitāne in the Wairau Valley. Ngāti Māmoe then ceded the east coast regions north of the Waiau Toa / Clarence River to Kāi Tahu. Kāi Tahu continued to push south, conquering Kaikōura. By the 1730s, Kāi Tahu had settled in Canterbury, including Banks Peninsula. From there they spread further south and into the West Coast.[25]

European contact, inter-Maori wars and organised settlement (1770 – c. 1860)

  • 1770 Between January and March, James Cook, on his first voyage, anchored in Queen Charlotte Sound in the Marlborough Sounds before circumnavigating and mapping the South Island, showing it to be an island.[citation needed]
  • 1773 On his second voyage, Cook used Queen Charlotte Sound as a rendezvous after separating from Tobias Furneaux in fog. Furneaux arrived four days after Cook left and ten of Furneaux's crew were then killed by Maori.[citation needed]
  • 1777 On his third voyage, in February, Cook again anchored in Queen Charlotte Sound before leaving for Tahiti.[citation needed]
  • 1823 First European settlement in the South Island founded at Bluff by James Spencer.[26][27][28]
  • 1827 Jules Dumont d'Urville arrived in Tasman Bay on the corvette Astrolabe. He named several nearby landmarks.[29]
  • 1827–1831 Te Rauparaha of Ngāti Toa from the North Island, invaded and extended control over the South Island.[30]
  • 1827–1828 Ngāti Toa attacked Kāi Tahu at Kaikōura and then visited Kaiapoi Pā to trade. While there they were attacked by surprise and all the leading Ngāti Toa chiefs were killed except Te Rauparaha, who returned to Kapiti Island.[31]
  • 1830 Te Rauparaha and Ngāti Toa, helped by Captain John Stewart of the brig Elizabeth, returned to Akaroa. By surprise they captured the leading Kāi Tahu chief, Tama-i-hara-nui, and his family. They then destroyed the village, took captives back to Kapiti and killed them. John Stewart, sent to trial in Sydney, escaped conviction because Ngāi Tahu, as ‘incompetent’ as 'heathens', could not act as witnesses.[25][32]
  • 1831–1832 Te Rauparaha attacked the Kaiapoi pā (fortified village) in a three-month successful siege. He then attacked Kāi Tahu on Banks Peninsula and took the Onawe pā. In 1832–33, Kāi Tahu retaliated, attacking Ngāti Toa at Lake Grassmere. Kāi Tahu prevailed after about a year but Te Rauparaha again escaped. Ngāti Toa never again made a major incursion into Kāi Tahu territory.[25]
  • 1836 A 100-person Ngāti Tama war party, armed with muskets, travelled down the West Coast and over the Haast Pass. They fell on a regional Ngāi Tahu encampment, capturing ten people, killing and eating two children.[33] Ngati Tama then took captives to Southland where they were destroyed by the southern Ngāi Tahu.[34]
  • 1840 On 21 May, William Hobson declared British sovereignty over the Middle (South) Island on the basis of discovery (by James Cook). On 28 May, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by Maori chiefs at Akaroa.[35][36][37][38][39]
  • 1842 The Nelson settlement began, with the first four immigrant ships arriving in February 1842, but the lack of definition would prove the source of much future conflict. The three colony ships sailed into Nelson Haven during the first week of November 1841. When the first four immigrant ships arrived in February 1842, the town was laid out on a grid plan by the New Zealand Company.[40]
  • 1843 The Wairau Affray in Marlborough was the only Māori armed clash with settlers on the South Island; four Maori and 22 settlers killed.[41]
  • 1848 Otago settlement began in March with the arrival of the first two immigrant ships, sponsored by the Free Church of Scotland. It was led by William Cargill, who later became Superintendent of the Province of Otago.[citation needed]
  • 1850 The Canterbury Settlement began with the arrival of the First Four Ships in Lyttelton harbour in December 1850.[citation needed]
  • 1851–1858 The Rhodes Brothers began a loading business by an abandoned whaling station. After buying land behind Caroline Bay, they laid out a town plan there in 1853. A Crown Agent was appointed in 1857 to control issues from use of the beach by other land owners.[42]
  • 1859 The ship Strathallen brought the first 100 organised settlers from Britain to Timaru.[42]
  • 1860s Several thousand Chinese men, mostly from Guangdong, migrated to New Zealand to work on the South Island goldfields.[43]

Notable events specific to the South Island (c. 1860 – present)

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Geography

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Main article: Geography of the South Island
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A true-colour image of the South Island, after a powerful winter storm swept across New Zealand on 12 June 2006
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Aoraki / Mount Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand

The South Island, with an area of 150,437 km2 (58,084 sq mi), is the largest landmass of New Zealand; it contains about one-quarter of the New Zealand population and is the world's 12th-largest island. It is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, the highest peak of which is Aoraki / Mount Cook at 3,724 metres (12,218 ft), making it 9th-highest island, with the high Kaikōura Ranges to the northeast. There are eighteen peaks of more than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in the South Island. The east side of the island is home to the Canterbury Plains while the West Coast is renowned for its rough coastlines such as Fiordland, a very high proportion of native bush, and Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. The dramatic landscape of the South Island has made it a popular location for the production of several films, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It lies at similar latitudes to Tasmania (an island south of the Australian mainland), and parts of Patagonia in South America.

Geology

During the Last Glacial Period when sea levels were over 100 metres lower than present day levels, the North and South Islands were connected by a vast coastal plain which formed at the South Taranaki Bight. Similarly, the South Island and Stewart Island were connected by coastal plains which covered modern-day Foveaux Strait.[46] During this period, most of the South Island was covered in grassland and glaciers, compared to the woodlands and rainforest which grew in the more temperate North Island.[47] Sea levels began to rise 7,000 years ago, eventually separating the islands and linking the Cook Strait to the Tasman Sea.[46]

Seismology

The Alpine Fault is a geological fault about 600 km (370 mi) long that runs almost the entire length of the South Island and forms the boundary between the Pacific plate and the Australian plate.[48] The Southern Alps have been uplifted on the fault over the last 12 million years in a series of earthquakes. However, most of the motion on the fault is strike-slip (side to side), with the Tasman district and West Coast moving north and Canterbury and Otago moving south. The average slip rates in the fault's central region are about 38 mm (1.5 in) a year, very fast by global standards.[49] The last major earthquake on the Alpine Fault was in about 1717 AD with a great earthquake magnitude of Mw8.1± 0.1.[50] The probability of another one occurring before 2068 was estimated at 75 percent in 2021.[51][52]

Some of New Zealand's major earthquakes have occurred in the South Island. The 1929 Murchison earthquake caused landslides and widespread damage to roads, bridges and buildings and resulted in 17 deaths. The Inangahua earthquake occurred on the Alpine Fault in 1968. It killed three people and caused widespread damage to roads, railway tracks and other infrastructure. On 4 September 2010, the South Island was struck by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that caused extensive damage, several power outages, and many aftershocks. Five and a half months later, the 6.3 magnitude 22 February Christchurch earthquake caused far more damage in Christchurch, resulting in 181 deaths.[53] This quake was centred closer at Lyttelton, and shallower than the prior quake, consequently causing extensive damage.[54] There were no fatalities in the Seddon earthquake of 2013, but it caused damage to buildings in Wellington. In 2016 the Kaikōura earthquake caused the closure of State Highway 1 between Picton and Waipara and the Main North Line of the railways. Two people died.

Natural geographic features

Southern Alps

Main article: Southern Alps
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Panoramic view of some of the Southern Alps in winter from the summit of Hamilton Peak in the Craigieburn Range

The Southern Alps (officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana)[55] are a range of mountains that extend along much of the length of the South Island. They were created by the meeting of the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, The range includes the South Island's Main Divide, which separates the water catchments of the more heavily populated eastern side of the island from those on the West Coast.[56]

The Southern Alps extend for approximately 500 km (310 mi) northeast to southwest. The tallest peak is Aoraki / Mount Cook, the highest point in New Zealand at 3,724 m (12,218 ft). The Southern Alps include sixteen other points that exceed 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in height. The mountain ranges are bisected by glacial valleys, many of which are infilled with glacial lakes on the eastern side including Lake Coleridge in the north and Lake Wakatipu in Otago in the south. According to an inventory conducted in the late 1970s, the Southern Alps contained over 3,000 glaciers larger than one hectare,[57] the longest of which – the Tasman Glacier – is 23.5 km (14.6 mi) in length which has retreated from a recent maximum of 29 km (18 mi) in the 1960s.[58][59] Settlements within the Southern Alps include Maruia Springs, a spa near Lewis Pass, the town of Arthur's Pass, and Mount Cook Village.

Major crossings of the Southern Alps in the New Zealand road network include Lewis Pass (SH 7), Arthur's Pass (SH 73), Haast Pass (SH 6), and the road to Milford Sound (SH 94).

Fiords

Main article: Fiords of New Zealand
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Typical view of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi featuring Mount Pembroke

The South Island has 15 named maritime fiords which are all located in the southwest of the island in a mountainous area known as Fiordland. The spelling 'fiord' is used in New Zealand rather than 'fjord', although all the maritime fiords use the word Sound in their name instead.

A number of lakes in the Fiordland and Otago regions also fill glacial valleys. Lake Te Anau has three western arms, which are fiords (and are named so). Lake McKerrow / Whakatipu Waitai to the north of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is a fiord with a silted-up mouth. Lake Wakatipu fills a large glacial valley, as do lakes Hakapoua, Poteriteri, Monowai and Hauroko in the far south of Fiordland. Lake Manapouri has fiords as its west, north and south arms.

The Marlborough Sounds, a series of deep indentations in the coastline at the northern tip of the South Island, are in fact rias, drowned river valleys.

Glaciers

Main article: Glaciers of New Zealand
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Franz Josef Glacier

Most of New Zealand's glaciers are in the South Island. They are generally found in the Southern Alps near the Main Divide.

An inventory of South Island glaciers during the 1980s indicated there were about 3,155 glaciers with an area of at least one hectare (2.5 acres).[60] About a sixth of these glaciers covered more than 10 hectares. These include the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers on the West Coast, and the Haupapa / Tasman, Hooker, Mueller and Murchison glaciers in the east.

Lakes

Main article: Lakes of New Zealand
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Lake Ōhau

There are some 3,820 lakes in New Zealand with a surface area larger than one hectare. Much of the higher country in the South Island was covered by ice during the glacial periods of the last two million years. Advancing glaciers eroded large steep-sided valleys, and often carried piles of moraine (rocks and soil) that acted as natural dams. When the glaciers retreated, they left basins that are now filled by lakes. The level of most glacial lakes in the upper parts of the Waitaki and Clutha / Mata-Au rivers are controlled for electricity generation. Hydroelectric reservoirs are common in South Canterbury and Central Otago, the largest of which is Lake Benmore, on the Waitaki River.

The South Island has 8 of New Zealand's 10 biggest lakes. They were formed by glaciers and include Lake Wakatipu, Lake Tekapo and Lake Manapouri. The deepest (462 m) is Lake Hauroko, in western Southland. It is the 16th deepest lake in the world. Millions of years ago, Central Otago had a huge lake – Lake Manuherikia. It was slowly filled in with mud, and fossils of fish and crocodiles have been found there.

Volcanoes

Main article: Volcanoes in New Zealand
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Banks Peninsula is roughly circular, with many bays and two deep harbours

There are extinct volcanoes in the South Island, all located on the east coast.

Banks Peninsula forms the most prominent of these volcanic features. The peninsula comprises the eroded remnants of two large shield volcanoes (Lyttelton formed first, then Akaroa). These formed due to intraplate volcanism between about eleven and eight million years ago (Miocene) on a continental crust. The peninsula formed as offshore islands, with the volcanoes reaching to about 1,500 m above sea level. Two dominant craters formed Lyttelton / Whakaraupō and Akaroa Harbours. The Canterbury Plains that were formed from the erosion of the Southern Alps reach their widest point where they meet the remnants of the volcanic hills of Banks Peninsula. The portion of the crater rim lying between Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō and Christchurch city forms the Port Hills.

The Otago Harbour was formed from the drowned remnants of a giant shield volcano, centred close to what is now the town of Port Chalmers. The remains of this violent origin can be seen in the basalt of the surrounding hills. The last eruptive phase ended some ten million years ago, leaving the prominent peak of Mount Cargill.

Timaru was constructed on rolling hills created from the lava flows of the extinct Mount Horrible, which last erupted many thousands of years ago.

Climate

The climate in the South Island is mostly temperate. The mean temperature for the South Island is 8 °C (46 °F).[61] January and February are the warmest months, while July is the coldest. Historical maxima and minima are 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) in Rangiora, Canterbury and −25.6 °C (−14.1 °F) in Ranfurly, Otago.[62][63]

Conditions vary sharply across the regions, from extremely wet on the West Coast to semi-arid in the Mackenzie Basin of inland Canterbury. Most areas have between 600 and 1,600 mm (24–63 in) of rainfall with the most rain along the West Coast and the least rain on the East Coast, predominantly on the Canterbury Plains. Christchurch is the driest city, receiving about 640 millimetres (25 in) of rain per year, while Invercargill is the wettest, receiving about 1,150 millimetres (45 in). The southern and south-western parts of South Island have a cooler and cloudier climate, with around 1,400–1,600 hours of sunshine annually; the northern and north-eastern parts of the South Island are the sunniest areas and receive about 2,400–2,500 hours.[64]

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Protected areas

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National parks

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Abel Tasman National Park
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The famous "Pancake Rocks" at Paparoa National Park

The South Island has ten national parks established under the National Parks Act 1980 and which are administered by the Department of Conservation.

From north to south, the National Parks are:

Kahurangi National Park
(4,520 km2, established 1996) Situated in the north-west of the South Island, Kahurangi comprises spectacular and remote country and includes the Heaphy Track. It has ancient landforms and unique flora and fauna. It is New Zealand's second-largest national park.
Abel Tasman National Park
(225 km2, established 1942) Has numerous tidal inlets and beaches of golden sand along the shores of Tasman Bay. It is New Zealand's smallest national park.
Nelson Lakes National Park
(1,018 km2, established 1956) A rugged, mountainous area in Nelson Region. It extends southwards from the forested shores of Lake Rotoiti and Rotoroa to the Lewis Pass National Reserve.
Paparoa National Park
(306 km2, established 1987) On the West Coast of the South Island between Westport and Greymouth. It includes the celebrated Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki.
Arthur's Pass National Park
(1,144 km2, established 1929) A rugged and mountainous area straddling the main divide of the Southern Alps.
Westland Tai Poutini National Park
(1,175 km2, established 1960) Extends from the highest peaks of the Southern Alps to a wild, remote coastline. Included in the park are glaciers, scenic lakes and dense rainforest, plus remains of old gold mining towns along the coast.
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
(707 km2, established 1953) An alpine park, containing New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki / Mount Cook (3,754 m) and its longest glacier, Haupapa / Tasman Glacier (29 km). A focus for mountaineering, ski touring and scenic flights, the park is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Together, the Aoraki / Mount Cook and Westland Tai Poutini National Parks have been declared a World Heritage Site.
Mount Aspiring National Park
(3,555 km2, established 1964) A complex of impressively glaciated mountain scenery centred on Mount Aspiring / Tititea (3,036 m), New Zealand's highest peak outside of the main divide.
Fiordland National Park
(12,519 km2, established 1952) The largest national park in New Zealand and one of the largest in the world. The grandeur of its scenery, with its deep fiords, its lakes of glacial origin, its mountains and waterfalls, has earned it international recognition as a world heritage area.
Rakiura National Park
(1,500 km2, established 2002) On Stewart Island / Rakiura.
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Hooker Valley at Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, with Aoraki / Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand at 3,724 metres (12,218 feet), and Hooker Lake in the background

Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Site

Te Wāhipounamu (Māori for "the place of greenstone") is a World Heritage Site in the south-west corner of the South Island.[65]

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1990, it covers 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 sq mi) and incorporates the Aoraki / Mount Cook, the Fiordland, the Mount Aspiring and the Westland Tai Poutini National Parks.

It is thought to contain some of the best modern representations of the original flora and fauna present in Gondwanaland, one of the reasons for listing as a World Heritage Site.

Forest parks

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Broken River Ski Area in the Craigieburn Forest Park

There are six forest parks in the South Island that are on public land administered by the Department of Conservation.

Catlins Forest Park
Situated in the Southland region.
Craigieburn Forest Park
Situated in the Canterbury Region, its boundaries lie in part alongside State Highway 73 and is adjacent to the eastern flanks of the Southern Alps. The Broken River Ski Area and the Craigieburn Valley Ski Area lie within its borders. The New Zealand Forest Service had used the area as an experimental forestry area and there is now an environmental issue with the spread of wilding conifers.
Hanmer Forest Park
Situated in the Canterbury Region.
Lake Sumner Forest Park
Situated in the Canterbury Region.
Mount Richmond Forest Park
Situated in the Marlborough region.
Victoria Forest Park
Situated in the West Coast region.

Conservation parks

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Natural history

Main article: Birds of New Zealand
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The South Island kea, a species of mountain parrot

There are several bird species which are endemic to the South Island. They include the kea, great spotted kiwi, Okarito brown kiwi, South Island kōkako, South Island pied oystercatcher, Malherbe's parakeet, king shag, takahē, black-fronted tern, South Island robin, rock wren, wrybill, and yellowhead.

Many South Island bird species are now extinct, mainly due to hunting by humans and predation by cats and rats introduced by humans. Extinct species include the South Island goose, South Island giant moa, Haast's eagle and South Island piopio.

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Demographics

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Further information: List of cities and towns in the South Island and Cities and towns of the South Island by population

Population

More information Year, Pop. ...

Compared to the more populated and multi-ethnic North Island, the South Island has a smaller, more homogeneous resident population of 1,256,700 (June 2025).[2]

The South Island had a population of 1,185,282 at the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 80,745 people (7.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 180,882 people (18.0%) since the 2013 census. Of the total population, 202,311 people (17.1%) were aged under 15 years, 225,048 (19.0%) were 15 to 29, 538,965 (45.5%) were 30 to 64, and 218,958 (18.5%) were 65 or older.[69]

At the 2018 New Zealand census, there were 571,656 males and 577,914 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female.[68]

In the early years of European settlement in New Zealand, the South Island's overall percentage of the New Zealand population was far higher, equalling or even exceeding the population of the North Island. This was exacerbated by the New Zealand Wars and the Otago gold rush of the 1860s. Since that time, the South Island's population as a percentage of the country's total population has steadily decreased, with the population of the South island now being less than that of the North Island's largest city, Auckland. This growing disparity has stabilised in recent years, with both the 2013 and 2018 censuses showing the South Island to have a very similar percentage of the national population (around 23%–24%).

In June 2025, Statistics New Zealand released new figures from the 2023 Census showing that 86,000 people moved from the North Island to the South Island between 2018 and 2023. During that same period, 30,000 people migrated from the South Island to the North Island.[70]

Culture and identity

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Christchurch, the most populous city in the South Island
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Dunedin
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Nelson

At the 2023 census, 82.8% of South Islanders identified as European (Pākehā), 11.3% as Māori, 3.4% as Pacific peoples, 10.5% as Asian, 1.6% as Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, 1.4% as other ethnicities. Percentages add to more than 100% as people can identify with more than one ethnicity.[69]

Europeans form the majority in all districts of the South Island, ranging from 75.9% in Christchurch City to 92.1% in the Waimakariri district.[69]

The proportion of South Islanders born overseas at the 2018 census was 21.4%. The most common foreign countries of birth are England (22.0% of overseas-born residents), Australia (8.8%), the Philippines (7.9%), Mainland China (6.5%) and India (5.4%).[71]

Around 48.6 percent of South Islanders affiliate with Christianity and 3.1 percent affiliate with non-Christian religions, while 45.8 percent are irreligious. Anglicanism is the largest Christian denomination in the South Island with 12.7 percent affiliating, closely followed by Catholicism at 12.1 percent and Presbyterianism at 11.7 percent.[72] These figures are somewhat skewed between the regions of the south, due largely to the original settlement of southern cities (Dunedin, for example, was founded by Scottish Presbyterians, whereas Christchurch was founded by English Anglicans).

Urbanisation

The South Island is sparsely populated and still predominantly rural areas or nature reserves. However, there are 15 urban areas in the South Island with a population of 10,000 or more:

More information Name, Population (June 2025) ...
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Culture

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Art

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The Centre of Contemporary Art gallery in Christchurch
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Old Chemistry Building, Christchurch Arts Centre

The South Island has contributed to the Arts in New Zealand and internationally through highly regarded artists such as Nigel Brown, Frances Hodgkins, Colin McCahon, Shona McFarlane, Peter McIntyre Grahame Sydney and Geoff Williams.

The University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts was founded in 1950.

South Island art galleries include:

Language

Parts of the South Island, principally Southland and the very southernmost areas of Otago near the border with Southland, are renowned for its people speaking what is often referred to as the "Southland burr", a semi-rhotic, Scottish-influenced dialect of the English language.

Media

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Allied Press building in Dunedin, home of Allied Media's flagship newspaper, the Otago Daily Times

The South Island has ten daily newspapers and many weekly community newspapers. Major daily newspapers include the Ashburton Guardian, the Greymouth Star, The Marlborough Express, The Nelson Mail, the Oamaru Mail, the Otago Daily Times, The Press, the Southland Times, The Timaru Herald, and the West Coast Times. The Press and the Otago Daily Times, serving mainly Christchurch and Dunedin respectively, are the South Island's major newspapers.

The South Island has a few regional television stations (either non-commercial public service or privately owned) that broadcast only in one region or city: 45 South TV, Mainland Television, Shine TV, and Visitor TV. These stations mainly broadcast free to air on UHF frequencies; however, some are carried on subscription TV. Content ranges from local news, access broadcasts, satellite sourced news, tourist information and Christian programming to music videos.

A large number of radio stations serve communities throughout the South Island; these include independent stations, but many are owned by organisations such as Radio New Zealand, New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and MediaWorks New Zealand.

Museums

Religion

Main article: Religion in New Zealand

Anglicanism is strongest in Canterbury (the city of Christchurch having been founded as an Anglican settlement).

Catholicism still has a noticeably strong presence on the West Coast, and in Kaikōura. The territorial authorities with the highest proportion of Catholics are Kaikōura (where they are 18.4% of the total population), Westland (18.3%), and Grey (17.8%).

Presbyterianism is strong in the lower South Island – the city of Dunedin was founded as a Presbyterian settlement, and many of the early settlers in the region were Scottish Presbyterians. The territorial authorities with the highest proportion of Presbyterians are Gore (where they are 30.9% of the total population), Clutha District (30.7%), and Southland (29.8%).

The first Muslims in New Zealand were Chinese gold diggers working in the Dunstan gold fields of Otago in the 1860s. Dunedin's Al-Huda mosque is the world's southernmost,[74] and the farthest from Mecca.[75]

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The Christchurch-based Crusaders rugby team playing the Bulls from South Africa in the Super Rugby competition

Sport

Main article: Sport in New Zealand

Of the professional sports teams based in the South Island, the major spectator sports of rugby union and cricket are particularly well represented. The Crusaders and Highlanders represent the upper and lower South Island respectively in rugby union's Super Rugby competition; and Canterbury, Otago, Southland Stags, Tasman Makos all participate in provincial rugby's ITM Cup. At cricket, the South Island is represented by the Canterbury Wizards, Central Stags, and Otago Volts in the Plunket Shield, one day domestic series, and the Super Smash.

The North vs South match, sometimes known as the Interisland match, is a longstanding rugby union fixture in New Zealand. The first game was played in 1897, the most recent one in 2020.[76]

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Governance

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Central government

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Regions and territorial authority districts

The South Island is guaranteed 16 of the electorates in the New Zealand House of Representatives.[77]

Local government

Local government functions as it does in the rest of the country. The South Island has four large regions governed by regional councils – Canterbury, Otago, Southland and the West Coast – and three smaller regions in the north of the island – Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman – that are governed by unitary authorities, a type of territorial authority. There are another twenty territories that are contained within one or more of the four large regions and are governed by city or district councils that are not unitary authorities.

Historical

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The Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings in Christchurch, designed by Benjamin Mountfort
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Edward John Eyre, the Lieutenant-Governor of New Munster

When New Zealand was separated from the colony of New South Wales in 1841 and established as a Crown colony in its own right, the Royal Charter effecting this provided that "the principal Islands, heretofore known as, or commonly called, the 'Northern Island', the Middle Island', and 'Stewart's Island', shall henceforward be designated and known respectively as 'New Ulster', 'New Munster', and 'New Leinster'".[8]

These divisions were of geographical significance only, not used as a basis for the government of the colony, which was centralised in Auckland. New Munster consisted of the South Island. The name New Munster was given by the Governor of New Zealand, Captain William Hobson, in honour of Munster, the Irish province in which he was born.

The situation was altered in 1846 when the New Zealand Constitution Act 1846[78] divided the colony into two provinces: New Ulster Province (the North Island north of the mouth of the Patea River), and New Munster Province (and the southern portion of the North Island, up to the mouth of the Patea River, the South Island, and Stewart Island). Each province had a Governor and Legislative and Executive Council, in addition to the Governor-in-Chief and Legislative and Executive Council for the whole colony. The 1846 Constitution Act was later suspended, and only the provincial government provisions were implemented. Early in 1848 Edward John Eyre was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New Munster.

The Provincial Council of New Munster had only one legislative session, in 1849, before it succumbed to the virulent attacks of settlers from Wellington. Governor Sir George Grey, sensible to the pressures, inspired an ordinance of the General Legislative Council under which new Legislative Councils would be established in each province with two-thirds of their members elected on a generous franchise. Grey implemented the ordinance with such deliberation that neither Council met before advice was received that the United Kingdom Parliament had passed the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852.

This act dissolved these provinces in 1853, after only seven years' existence, and New Munster was divided into the provinces of Wellington Province, Canterbury, Nelson, and Otago. Each province had its own legislature known as a Provincial Council that elected its own Speaker and Superintendent.

Independence movement

Secession movements have surfaced several times in the South Island. A Premier of New Zealand, Sir Julius Vogel, was amongst the first people to make this call, which was voted on by the New Zealand Parliament as early as 1865. The desire for the South Island to form a separate colony was one of the main factors in moving the capital of New Zealand from Auckland to Wellington that year.

Several South Island nationalist groups emerged at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st. The South Island Party fielded candidates in the 1999 general election but cancelled its registration in 2002.[79] Several internet-based groups advocate their support for greater self-determination.[80]

Law enforcement

Main article: New Zealand Police
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NZ Police Mitsubishi Diamante in Dunedin

The New Zealand Police are the primary law enforcement agency of New Zealand, including in the South Island. Three decentralised police districts cover the South Island, with each being commanded by a superintendent and having a central station from which subsidiary and suburban stations are managed.[81] The Christchurch Police Communications Centre handles all emergency and general calls within the South Island.[citation needed]

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Economy

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The Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter near Bluff
Further information: List of South Island companies

The South Island economy is strongly focused on tourism and primary industries like agriculture. The other main industry groups are manufacturing, mining, construction, energy supply, education, health and community services.

The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of the South Island was estimated at NZ$78.94 billion in the year to March 2022, 21.9% of New Zealand's national GDP. The subnational GDP per capita was estimated at $65,875 in the same period.[82]

Energy

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The Aviemore Dam, the penultimate hydro station on the Waitaki River hydro scheme

The South Island is a major centre for electricity generation, especially in the southern half of the island, and especially from hydroelectricity. In 2010, the island generated 18.01 TWh of electricity, 41.5% of New Zealand's total electricity generation. Nearly all (98.7%) of the island's electricity is generated by hydroelectricity, primarily from the Waitaki, Clutha, and Manapouri schemes, with most of the remainder coming from wind generation.[83] While the majority of electricity is consumed within the island, a significant percentage is exported to the North Island via the HVDC Inter-Island link.

Tourism

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Whale watching in Kaikōura

Tourism is a huge earner for the South Island. Popular tourist activities include sightseeing, adventure tourism, such as glacier climbing and Bungee jumping, tramping (hiking), kayaking, and camping. Numerous walking and hiking paths, including six of the New Zealand Great Walks, are located in the South Island and are renowned internationally.[84]

An increase in direct international flights to Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown has boosted the number of overseas tourists.[citation needed]

Fiordland National Park, Abel Tasman National Park, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, Queenstown, Kaikōura, and the Marlborough Sounds are regarded as the main tourism destinations in the South Island and amongst the Top 10 destinations in New Zealand.[85][better source needed]

Most of New Zealand's ski areas and resorts are located in the South Island.

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Transport

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Main article: Transport in New Zealand
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Map showing the route of State Highway 6

Road transport

Further information: List of New Zealand state highways § South Island, and State Highway 1 (New Zealand) § South Island (SH 1S)

The South Island has a State Highway network of 4,921 kilometres (3,058 mi).

Rail transport

See also: List of New Zealand railway lines and Rail transport in New Zealand
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South Island Rail Network map

The South Island's railway network has two main lines, two secondary lines, and a few branch lines. The Main North Line from Picton to Christchurch and the Main South Line from Lyttelton to Invercargill via Dunedin together constitute the South Island Main Trunk Railway. The secondary Midland Line branches from the Main South Line in Rolleston and passes through the Southern Alps via the Otira Tunnel to the West Coast and its terminus in Greymouth. In Stillwater, it meets the other secondary route, the Stillwater - Westport Line, which now includes the Ngakawau Branch.

A number of other secondary routes are now closed, including the Otago Central Railway, the isolated Nelson Section, and the interdependent Waimea Plains Railway and Kingston Branch. An expansive network of branch lines once existed, especially in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland, but these are now almost completely closed. The branch lines that remain in operation serve ports (Bluff Branch and Port Chalmers Branch), coal mines (Ohai Branch and Rapahoe Branch), and a dairy factory (Hokitika Branch). The first 64 km of the Otago Central Railway remain in operation for tourist trains run by Dunedin Railways (formerly Taieri Gorge Railway). The most significant freight is coal from West Coast mines to the port of Lyttelton for export.

Passenger services were once extensive. Commuter trains operated multiple routes around Christchurch and Dunedin, plus a service between Invercargill and Bluff. Due to substantial losses, these were cancelled between the late 1960s and early 1980s. The final services to operate ran between Dunedin's City Centre and the suburb of Mosgiel, and they ceased in 1982.[86] Regional passenger trains were once extensive, but are now limited to the Coastal Pacific from Christchurch to Picton and the TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth.

The Southerner between Christchurch and Invercargill, once the flagship of the network, was cancelled on 10 February 2002. Subsequently, the architecturally significant Dunedin Railway Station has been used solely by the TGR's tourist trains, the Taieri Gorge Limited along the Otago Central Railway and the Seasider to Palmerston. Rural passenger services on branch lines were provided by mixed trains and Vulcan/88 seater railcars but the mixeds had largely ceased to exist by the 1950s and the railcars were withdrawn in the mid-1970s.

The South Island saw the final use of steam locomotives in New Zealand. Locomotives belonging to classes long withdrawn elsewhere continued to operate on West Coast branches until the very late 1960s, when they were displaced by DJ class diesels. In comparison to most countries, where steam locomotives were last used on insubstantial rural and industrial operations, the last services run by steam locomotives were the premier expresses between Christchurch and Invercargill: the South Island Limited until 1970 and the Friday and Sunday night services until 1971. This was due to the carriages being steam-heated. The final steam-hauled service in New Zealand, headed by a member of the JA class, ran on 26 October 1971.[87]

Water transport

Main article: Transport in New Zealand § Ferry services
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The Interislander DEV Arahura in the Marlborough Sounds

The South Island is separated from the North Island by Cook Strait, which is 24 kilometres (15 miles) wide at its narrowest point, and requires a 70 kilometres (43 miles) ferry trip to cross.

Dunedin was the headquarters of the Union Steam Ship Company, once the largest shipping company in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ports and harbours

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Dunedin International Airport control tower and terminal building with an Air New Zealand Boeing 737-300 on the tarmac, 2009

Air transport

Further information: List of airports in New Zealand

The main airport in the South Island is Christchurch Airport. Some international services operate from Dunedin Airport and Queenstown Airport.

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Tertiary education

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Southern Institute of Technology main campus in Invercargill

The South Island has three universities, and five polytechnic schools.

Since 2020, the polytechnics are branches of the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.[88]

Healthcare

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Princess Margaret Hospital in Christchurch

There are six major hospitals in the South Island: Christchurch Hospital, Dunedin Hospital, Grey Base Hospital (Greymouth), Nelson Hospital, Southland Hospital (Invercargill), and Timaru Hospital. Christchurch Hospital, Dunedin Hospital and Wellington Hospital (in the North Island) are the tertiary major trauma hospitals serving the South Island.[89]

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    [tɛ wɐ.i.pɔ.ʉ.nɐ.mʉ], lit. 'the waters of greenstone'

References

Further reading

External links

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