Arthur’s Pass was the first nation­al park estab­lished in the South Island (in 1929). The Gold Rush meant that rail­ways and roads were built through the South­ern Alps and some of these his­toric routes still exist. If you get a chance trav­el on the Tran­zAlpine Express so that you don’t have to focus on the road and instead can take in the stun­ning land­scape. Arthur’s Pass Nation­al Park is a great place to try and spot Kea – a flight­less alpine par­rot known for being cheeky. Anoth­er great rea­son to trav­el by train rather than car is that Kea have tak­en a shine to wind­screen wipers.