Places to visit are the museums in most towns for relics of pioneer life. The pancake rock formations at Punakaiki . Shanti-town near the town of Greymouth, where you can pan for gold and see how the early settlers lived. There are opportunities to walk and climb in the valleys, mountains and glaciers. Ski swim, fish, hunt, jet boat on the rivers.
Cafe culture exists here also, adapted to the local lifestyle.
The inhabitants in this part of NZ are seeking independence from New Zealand. But in fairness, there are those proponents of culture who put on performances to quake your tummy muscles. Then there is the fishing, a favorite being the whitebait, which is caught in fine mesh nets when only two inches long and translucent. It is considered a delicacy. They are of course eaten in vast numbers.