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Less than a small australian "boring" city like adelaide live in the whole south island. Outdoors is fundamental to NZ life whether it be going out and hunting, or having a boat, or being a farmer. Or just road tripping all around it. Someone else said the small size must be a disadvantage but it's not. Top of the north to bottom of the south is like driving down the US west coast, it's not so small. It's bigger than many European countries
It has a good scene of independent minded travelers. If you book a tour look forward to being on a bus with a whole lot of chinese japanese and maybe some germans. The real tourist scene of nz is in queenstown or the west coast of the south island where there are hostels with someone random cleaning and cooking soup to stay there for free, and someone pioneering in adventure tourism in the surrounds.
Pic related is less than a days drive