Welcome to our World

The Landscape

Southland is real 'Heartland' New Zealand.

Those lucky enough to live here appreciate its spectacular beauty, its fabulous wildlife, its huge range of recreational activities available and its relaxed way of life.

Our pristine pastoral land is amongst New Zealand's most attractive and productive.

Our high-quality roads are almost deserted, as our region is large and motorists are few.

We have large areas of primeval forests which support a variety of unique birds. Our beaches and coastline are expansive and unspoilt.

In summer we have lovely, long, twilight evenings and it is not completely
dark until around 10.00pm. We have beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The clear unpolluted atmosphere provides wonderful views of the southern skies and the stars at night are truly amazing.

Local Cuisine

Talk about food! Nobody has it better. Period!

Our clean southern waters offer up delicacies such as crayfish (lobsters), paua (abalone), trout, mussels and our prized blue cod. Bluff oysters are justifiably world famous.

Our quality restaurants do wonders with these dishes. They also offer superb venison dishes. If you like lamb, you have come to the world's best lamb-producing region. Absolutely no-one does lamb better than our farmers and our chefs.

Activities and Attractions

Whether you are into adventurous, energetic activities or if you want to take in the sights and the scenery at your leisure - there is something here for you.

Our environment is safe and family-friendly.

Visitors are welcome. The locals are happy to stop and chat. Within minutes, you're treated as a local! Throughout the province there are many information centres offering facilities, maps and other useful tourist information.

Fiordland National Park.

Fiordland National Park is a World Heritage Area.  It is one of the of the largest such parks in the world, covering 1,210,000 hectares. It is renowned for rugged mountains and fiords, vast forests and alpine areas, and an abundance of native wildlife. The park offers an large range of recreational activities.

Southland hosts some world-famous walking tracks -the Milford Track the Routeburn Track, the Kepler Track and the Humpridge Track.

Stewart Island

Stewart Island is one of our newest National Parks. It is a mixture of unspoilt inlets, bush clad hills, rugged coastline, swampy valleys and dramatic granite outcrops. Podocarp and Kamahi forest dominate the island.

Unique Kiwi, Kaka and Parakeet birds are found in abundance. A variety of succulent fish can be caught off the coast - no freezing, no preserving - just straight into the pan!

Short walks:
There is a range of short walks around the island. These walks provide breathtaking views of bays, harbours and hills. Stop and watch the most beautiful sunsets on the planet. Check your pulse!

Riverton

This picturesque seaside town is located mid-way along the Southern Scenic Route.

Riverton has many faces - a fishing port, a farming centre, a seaside holiday resort, an artists' colony and a place of history.

If you love the sea, the native forests, beaches, fishing and traditional New Zealand hospitality, you will love it as much as the locals do. There is a surprising number of things for visitors to enjoy.

Whether you like the native bush, the beaches, aqua sports, walking tracks, history, museums, picturesque bays, craft shops, restaurants or if you merely want to soak up the tranquility, then Riverton district is the place for you.

Said to be New Zealand's second-oldest permanent settlement, the town today has a population of about 1900. This number swells in the holiday season as southerners, who know of its many attractions, flock here for an enjoyable holiday.

There is still a fishing fleet operating from the port. An on-site factory processes fresh seafood. Fertile, productive farms surround the town. Within the town there are many small businesses, a number of which cater for the comfort and entertainment of visitors. There is a host of holiday houses spread along the rugged, attractive foreshore. Knowledgeable holiday makers come for the excellent beaches and scenic attractions.

Tuatapere

Tuatapere is a rural service town, 90 km northwest of Invercargill on the Southern Scenic Route. From here, the Hump Ridge Track can be accessed. The local information centre has a Bushman's Museum display, saw-milling being very important to the area. A New Year's Day sports event is held each year in a picturesque bush domain in the town. Further north, on the Southern Scenic Route is Clifden where you can see the historic suspension bridge over the Waiau River. This is reputed to be one of the longest bridges of its type in the South Island.

The Hump Ridge Track

This track opened in 2001.

The track, which wends its way around the southernmost coast of  New Zealand, covers 53 kilometres of contrasting landscapes, lowland coastal Podocarp forests and sub-alpine tussock. This is a three-day / two night walk. All walks are guided and groups are housed in comfortable, purpose-built huts throughout the trip.

Angling

Absolutely nobody has it better than Southlanders! We have access to unsurpassed fishing, both in the rivers and in the sea. The Mataura River is arguably the best brown-trout fishing river on this planet. Even if you do not fish, you may take a walk along the banks of one of our many picturesque rivers. You may organise a charter trip into the southern seas. Saltwater anglers can find a number of places around the coast for adventurous fishing. Our sea fish are renowned for their flavour. Hire a boat and fish the waters of Foveaux Strait. Contact our booking agent for details.

The Catlins  - Where Nature flourishes!

The Catlins is a State Forest Park situated in Eastern Southland. It has spectacular coastal scenery, with rocky headlands, sandy bays and estuaries. There are a number of short, easy nature walks in the area. The distinctive ridges of the Catlins are covered in Rimu, Kamahi and Silver Beech (native timbers) forest.

Yellow-eyed penguins nest in pockets of coastal forest. Seals, sea lions and the extremely rare Hector’s Dolphins are commonly encountered along the pristine beaches and coastline.

Visit Curio Bay and inspect the 60 million year old petrified forest remnants.