High adventure, luxury living, snow sports and scenery.

For more than 200 years, people have followed their dreams to the Southern Lakes region. The first to arrive were seeking their fortune - gold from the rivers and merino wool from the mountain pastures. Today, people come to be invigorated, excited and renewed - take to the water for cruising, rafting or jet boating, to the air for parapenting, bungy jumping or flightseeing, or keep feet on terra firma for walking, wine tasting or golfing. The grandeur of the scenery is complemented by an excellent selection of boutique hotels, country lodges, five-star resorts, and imaginative restaurants.

Around Queenstown and Wanaka, the awesome environment is used to great effect. Lakes Wakatipu and Te Anau are picturesque venues for kayaking, jet boating and sailing. The rivers deliver high excitement in the form of white water rafting, river surfing, canyoning and bungy jumping, while the historical goldmining townships of Central Otago lure you into horse riding, exploring the golden hills by mountain bike or taking a 4WD (four-wheel drive) safari.

The Southern Lakes region has acquired all the assets required to feed your hedonistic urges. Dine out at lakeside restaurants that compete with each other to come up with the most appetizing menu. Soak up the ambience of rustic hotels and out-of-the-way lodges. Local delicacies such as Cervena (New Zealand venison), Southland crayfish and Bannockburn Pinot Noir are new pleasures to discover.

The silent grandeur of Milford Sound leaves many people speechless. Superlatives like 'amazing, stunning, majestic…' rattle from their tongues, and then they go quiet…realizing that words fall short of the scenery. Needless to say, an exploration of this World Heritage Area (by boat, foot or kayak) is a must. Famous walking tracks in the area include the Routeburn, the Milford, the Greenstone, the Hollyford and the Rees-Dart.