Southland
Sourced from Wikivoyage. Text is available under the CC-by-SA 3.0 license.
The population within the Invercargill Council area is around 52,000, within the Southland Council area 30,000 and within the Gore Council area 13,000 making a total of 95,000.
It has about 1600 sunshine hours per year with an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius.
Cities
- – southernmost point and home to the country's best oysters
- – world's capital of brown trout fishing, and New Zealand's capital of country music
- – the country's southernmost city, and the commercial heart of Southland
- – brown trout fishing, and a local museum
- – the attractions of the Lake Te Anau area, and gateway to Fiordland
Other destinations
- – forest, beaches and wildlife
- and Milford Sound
- – the most southerly of New Zealand's three main islands with bush walks (including the Rakiura Track), birdwatching and kayaking
==Understand==
Talk
Many Southlanders, influenced by their Scots ancestry, speak with a Southland burr, in which they roll their rs. This is the most distinctive regional accent in New Zealand.
==Get in==
==Get around==
==See==
==Get in==
By plane
Air New Zealand flies to Invercargill Airport from Christchurch and Wellington.By boat
Cruise ships visit Fiordland and Stewart Island.==Get around==
By car
Rental cars are available at Invercargill Airport.==See==
- Enjoy the Victorian era architecture in Invercargill.
Do
- Southern Scenic Route, drive the coastal route from Invercargill to Dunedin.
- Drive to Tuatapere and walk the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track. Stroll through Riverton, known as a historic fishing town and popular holiday spot.
- Then on to the Catlins and enjoy views over native forest towards the Pacific Ocean. Make a detour to Curio Bay to see its 160 million year old fossilized forest.
- Celebrate finishing the route in Dunedin with a Speight's in the many pubs and cafés.
- There are many other walks on the route.
Sleep
Backpacker hostels are a cheap alternative to motels. Most offer double, single, twin or shared rooms.