Off the Beaten Track to... Invercargill and the Southland Region
Heading down to the southern ‘wop-wops’ gives you the opportunity to explore Invercargill and the Southland region on New Zealand’s South Island. Southland is a truly exceptional region of New Zealand for travellers with particular interests in bird-watching, nature tours, fishing, hunting and walking.
Invercargill is the most southerly city in New Zealand and has an urban population of just 50,000. Surrounded by farmland and fiordland, visitors to Invercargill (‘The City of Water and Light’) can experience a unique brand of southern warmth, hospitality and friendliness. Famously home to land speed record holder and inventor of the world’s fastest Indian, Herbert James ‘Burt’ Munro, Invercargill is also the gateway city for Bluff and Stewart Island.
Our Pick of Southland Highlights
- Wandering the gardens and aviary of Invercargill’s beautiful Queens Park.
- Taking the plunge at the city’s aquatic swimcentre, Splash Palace.
- Visiting the mussel farms on remote Stewart Island.
- Bird watching on Ulva Island.
- Deep sea fishing in the waters of Fiordland.
- Viewing an ‘abalone shell’ house on Bluff.
- Visiting the 180 million year old fossilised forest at Curio Bay.
- Fishing for brown trout on the world-class Mataura River near Gore.
View more suggestions for things to do in Invercargill and Southland.
Useful Southland Links
To help plan your Southland holiday choose from the main categories below:
