For beauty like this, head to South Island

Story highlights New Zealand's South Island has fewer people and more scenic views than North Island NZ travel photographer Mike Hollman lists his favorite places to photograph List includes best road trip, glaciers, icebergs and alien boulders

Why should so few people get to hog such spectacular landscape? (Compared to, say, similarly sized England's population of 52 million.)

The larger of the country's two main islands is more visually stunning than the North Island.

With its smaller population, it's also more lonely and wild.

To get a handle of the island's most sublime landscapes, we asked Auckland-based award-winning photographer Mike Hollman to share his favorite spots to photograph.

Named New Zealand Travel Photographer of the Year in 2013 by the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography, Hollman grew up on the South Island and says the landscape has had a tremendous impact on his work.

"The light is always changing and offering different views," says Hollman.

"My favorite time to shoot is in autumn, especially April (New Zealand's fall is from March to May) when the trees turn golden and the light on the landscape is magical."

1. Milford Sound

With an annual rainfall of 6.8 meters, Milford Sound is one of the wettest places in New Zealand.

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For beauty like this, head to South Island