Southland Tourism Operators: Accommodation | Attractions | Tours | Transport
Southland, New Zealand
Rediscover yourself in Southland. Given the luxury of time, you can encounter wild places that few have ever seen.
Location
Southland is New Zealand's southern-most region, and includes New Zealand's third island, Stewart Island. General Southland's lush, green pastoral lands are among the richest in the country, a strong contrast to dry Central Otago further north. There are many farmstay options available in this region for those looking for a real Kiwi experience.
The region's largest urban centre is Invercargill, a city of 49,000, with many elegant Victorian and Edwardian buildings, gardens and landscaped parks. Like Dunedin to the north, Scots also settled Invercargill.
Unspoilt in its isolation, Stewart Island across Foveaux Strait is the third largest island making up New Zealand.
Main Attractions and Activities
On the coast, the Catlins Forest Park is a place of hidden waterfalls and river valleys, where native forest meets the water's edge. Rocky bays, inlets and estuaries make up some of the region's most magnificent coastal scenery.
Invercargill has an excellent art gallery and museum with high-tech audio/visual displays based on the flora and fauna of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic islands. It also has a unique live display of the tuatara, a lizard-like reptile related to the dinosaur, that is native to New Zealand.
Gore, on the Mataura River, has gained a good reputation for its trout.
For anyone seeking peace and tranquillity, Stewart Island is the ultimate spot. There are superb bush walks and great launch cruises around some of New Zealand's most beautiful coastline.
Don't Miss
- Catlins coastline, for great walks
- Port Craig hike, to see amazing wooden viaducts
- Invercargill Museum, for live tuatara reptiles
- Stewart Island walking tracks
- Sea kayaking, Stewart Island
- Kiwi spotting, Stewart Island
