Nature buzz
Southland is lush and green with the pristine southern rainforest providing endless opportunities for day walks and hikes. Its tranquil waterways attract fly-fishing enthusiasts from around the world in search of fat brown trout.
The remote Catlins Coast promises exhilarating wildlife encounters and the chance to see Curio Bay – a petrified forest of subtropical kauri and other trees dating back to the Jurassic age.
In Fiordland, at the south-western corner of the South Island, waterfalls tumble hundreds of metres into massive fiords, ancient rainforest clings impossibly to mountainsides and shimmering lakes and granite peaks look the same as they did 1,000 years ago.
The softly rolled r’s of Southlanders’ distinctive accent are an enduring legacy of their predominantly Scottish heritage. The region’s population of 95,000 is centred around the city of Invercargill. Visitors come to admire the elegant buildings, gardens and landscaped parks. And just a short drive south is the fishing port of Bluff, home of the famous Bluff oyster and a lively annual seafood festival.
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Did you know?
Local Rugby stories
Southland has typified the rugged rural image that New Zealand rugby prides itself on, since 1887.
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NZ History
Valleys and peaks
Southland is home to the famed Mitre Peak and the prehistoric valleys and fiords of Fiordland.
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Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand
