Great southern (is)Land

The South Island was ranked fourth on the BBC‘s “50 places to see before you die,” clocking in behind the Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, and Disney World. The list was compiled via a phone and internet poll of over 20,000 Britons in April this year. According to poll-analysts, the immense popularity of the South Island was “more than likely linked to its role as the backdrop to the first Lord of the Rings movie.”