Air Travel

Most Air New Zealand flights to Dunedin and Invercargill go via Christchurch or come direct from Wellington, while Kiwi Regional Airlines connects Dunedin to Queenstown and Nelson (with onward flights to Hamilton). Fog occasionally causes delays, but Christchurch Airport has a slick, passenger-friendly terminal with shops and cafés as well as a family entertainment center where the little folks can wear themselves out. Stewart Island flights operate from Invercargill, or you can take a ferry to the island: one local described the choices as "either 60 minutes of fear or 20 minutes of terror," but that's true only on a bad day—both journeys afford breathtaking views.