In the South Island the mountains called the Southern Alps go almost from one end of the island to the other. Near the centre of the island is New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook, which is 3,754 meters high. There are many lakes and rivers on the east side of the mountains, and it is a very popular place for sport ~skiing in the winter, and water sports on the lakes in the summer. Between the mountains and the east coast are the Canterbury Plains wide flat land where there are a lot of farms.