i'm pretty set on doing south island before i leave oz in july. i was originally hoping to get a good 4 week tour in the march-april timeframe, but due to work issues it's looking more and more like i'll only have 2 weeks to blow in the same time of year. obviously, neither 2 nor 4 weeks would be enough to see everything, so i've got to prioritise. i've got pedaller's paradise, which is great for detailed planning, but it doesn't really spell out the must-sees. it just all sounds good. from people who have been there or live there, what would you consider your top 5 spots?

i'm not interested in bungee jumping, jet boats, or anything where people fancy themselves "extreme." i just want to see the natural sights, take some pictures, and spend some time in small-town NZ. i'm not opposed to using bus/train to skip the less interesting parts, but i'd rather not spend a lot of time waiting at a terminal. i'd be interested in doing a 3-4 day hike if time permitted.

the gear locker:
- LHT, which i would take if i was carrying camping gear
- bike friday pocket rocket, which i might take if things were looking like i could stay at hostels the whole way
- mtn bike, which i'm probably not going to take because i'll be by myself
- folding kayak, if i were to just get a rental car and drive around the island between paddling/camping spots

i know i don't have time to see a lot of things, but i'm just curious what people considered their highlights. my dream tour of hitching up a trailer to the LHT to carry the kayak will have to wait a few years, i'm afraid.