Southland &
Stewart Island

An abundance of wildlife can be found in the Catlins, amidst habitats of stretching beaches, towering cliffs, waterfalls, estuaries and native forest. Dolphins, sea lions, fur seals and penguins are the major attractions, but further bird life is also prolific in the area. From a scenic point of view, highlights include Nugget Point, where jagged islands jut out from a lighthouse and the fossil forest of Curio Bay.

Invercargill is less cosmopolitan than many other South Island cities, being built very much around a farming community and featuring far less prominently on the tourist trail. However, this is beginning to change are more and more visitors stop en route to Stewart Island and the Catlins. The city has many historic buildings and main attraction is the Southland & Stewart Island Museum and Art Gallery.

The country’s third largest island, Stewart Island contains some truly untouched wilderness, and operates at a far slower and simpler pace than the rest of New Zealand. In order to maintain this unspoiled status, most of the island now comprises the Rakiura National Park. Lush rainforest and sandy beaches form the landscape, and provide the natural habitat of the kiwi, rendering Stewart Island one of the best places to observe this bird in the wild. There are terrific walking trails and the Ulva Island Wildlife Sanctuary just offshore is a naturalists dream. Oban is the main centre and port for the ferries from Bluff.