South Island, New Zealand

The South Island  is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers 150,437 square kilometres  and is influenced by a temperate climate. As it has a 33% larger landmass than the North Island it is often known as the "mainland", however only 23% of New Zealand's 4.5 million inhabitants live in the South Island. In the early stages of European.  Source