Scenic Highlights

Top Southland scenic highlights

In Southland, the scenery gets under your skin and into your soul. It will be hard to bid farewell to the vast skies, wild coastal forests and extraordinarily green rural landscapes.

Selected highlights at a glance

Highlights of the Catlins

The Catlins River Walk, a five hour stroll through beech forest between the camping areas at Tawanui and the Wisp, is known for its beauty and rare native birds. Other walks lead to waterfalls, including the famous Niagara Falls (the irony of the name will become evident when you see them).

At Curio Bay you'll find an ancient geological phenomenon of international significance - the Petrified Forest. Fossilised trees, over 180 million years old, lie embedded in coastal bedrock. Nearby is Slope Point, the southernmost point of the South Island, with its dramatic windswept trees.

Lighthouses are a memorable feature of the coast - there's one at Nugget Point and another at Waipapa Point, scene of New Zealand's worst shipping disaster.

The Catlins Coast has revealed some of the oldest Maori artefacts in history. Maori legend has it that large hairy monsters inhabited the forested valleys of the area - their name was Maeroero, meaning wild man of the forest.

The pride of Invercargill - Queens Park

Queens Park sprawls across 80 hectares. Highlights include a beautiful and varied rose garden, a rhododendron dell, an azalea garden, dramatic tree lined walkways, bush paths through a selection of native plants, a Japanese garden, rock and herb gardens. An indoor wintergarden features tropical and flowering plants; cacti are displayed in an adjoining house. Queens Park also has an impressive bird aviary, animal enclosures, children's play areas, extensive sporting facilities and cafes.

The Southland Museum and Art Gallery can be found within the grounds of the park.

New Zealand's newest national park - Stewart Island

Of New Zealand's three main islands, Stewart Island is the southernmost and smallest (about 75km long and up to 45km wide). The island contains New Zealand's newest national park - Rakiura National Park.

Only on Stewart Island can you see tracts of virgin Southland native forest. Protecting these habitats, particularly on pest-free Ulva Island Open Bird Sanctuary, is essential for the long-term survival of kiwi, yellow-eyed penguins, kakapo, dotterels, bats, weka, South Island saddlebacks and wetas (a large cricket-type flightless insect).

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. The island's amazingly clear and clean waters make it a snorkelling and diving paradise.

Maui's anchor stone

The creation of New Zealand is described by the legend of Maui. This demi-god was hugely talented and managed, among other things, to harness the sun in order to make the days longer. His biggest claim to fame was fishing up of the North Island, which in the Maori language is called Te Ika a Maui (the fish of Maui). If you look at an aerial map of New Zealand, you'll see how the North Island resembles a fish. Maori believe the far north to be the tail of the fish and Wellington Harbour the mouth. Maori describe the South Island as Maui's waka (canoe) and Stewart Island (Rakiura) as his punga (anchor).