South Island’s untouched West Coast region stretches for 600km between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, encompassing everything from lush rainforests, windswept bays, snow-capped mountains and imposing glaciers along the way. It is extremely rugged and one of the least densely populated parts of the country, home to Maori locals who prize the Greenstone found in abundance here. The West Coast also includes the Fiordland wilderness area – the location of ever-popular Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, and Browne Falls and Sutherland Falls, ranked as some of the highest waterfalls in the world. Along with ample hiking, climbing, and other outdoor sports opportunities, the TranzAlpine Railway, helicopter, and light aircraft rides provide incredible encounters with the landscapes.