The South Island, with an area of , 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 , making it 9th-highest island, with the high Kaikōura Ranges to the northeast. There are eighteen peaks of more than 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.
The South Island, with an area of , 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 , making it 9th-highest island, with the high Kaikōura Ranges to the northeast. There are eighteen peaks of more than 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 trilo.gy 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.