South Island

American  

noun

1. the largest island of New Zealand. 58,093 sq. mi. (150,460 sq. km).

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South Island British  

noun

1. the largest island of New Zealand, separated from the North Island by the Cook Strait. Pop: 973 000 (2004 est). Area: 153 947 sq km (59 439 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

The family sold their house and moved in November 2024 to the coastal town of Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island, which has become a hub for American doctors relocating to the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Hikes to the top of Mount Cook, which towers over the Southern Alps running the length of the South Island, are difficult even for experienced climbers because of large crevasses and unpredictable weather.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

I live in Dunedin, a city on the South Island, and have seen firsthand how effective the war against predators has been.

From Slate • Aug. 8, 2025

Eli Sweeting, 25, who is originally from Bristol, was reported missing on 4 May after failing to return from a solo hike up Mitre Peak, a steep mountain on the country's South Island.

From BBC • May 12, 2025

While those birds were important food sources for the initial colonists, especially on New Zealand’s South Island, most of them were soon exterminated on all islands, because they were easy to hunt down.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond