the North and the South Island of New Zealand?

The most easily identifiable regional accent in NZ is that found in the province of Southland, located, surprisingly, at the very bottom of the South Island. The influence of Scottish settlers left a verrry distinctive marrrk on the mannerrr in which worrrds arre pronounced down therrre. Nowhere else in NZ is the r vocalised as prominently. Indeed a friend in Alabama remarked that our "cah" (wot u drive in) sounds rather like it does when said by some New Englanders.