Discover Southland

Southland brings together multi-day hikes, conservation areas and historic sites. When planning your trip, you can take the region’s different highlights into account: the durations and landscapes of its hiking trails, natural areas with their wildlife and plant life, and sites that offer insights into Southland’s history. If you’re looking for a hotel in Southland, these themes can help you tailor your stay to your interests.

Hiking trails with different durations

The Milford Track is one of the Great Walks featured in Southland’s tourism offering. It can only be walked in one direction and takes three nights and four days. Glacially carved valleys, ancient rainforests and cascading waterfalls shape the landscape along the way. The Hump Ridge Track has a different focus: this three-day circuit crosses subalpine heights and follows a rugged coastline in South-Fiordland, Southland. The two hikes differ clearly in duration and route.

The Mavora–Greenstone Walkway is a 50-kilometre, four-day hike. It connects the Mavora Lakes camping area with the Greenstone Track. Another trail with a clearly defined destination is the steep Lake Hauroko Lookout Track in Fiordland, Southland. It starts and ends at Lake Hauroko, leading from the shore to a lookout with sweeping views over the lake and nearby mountain ranges. The details provided offer different points of comparison for these trails: duration and distance, a circuit or a lookout destination.

Lakeside scenery and island nature

Mavora Lakes Conservation Park is a landscape of mountains, lakes, forest and tussock grassland. It is recognised as part of the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area in the southwest of New Zealand. The park therefore combines a variety of landscape features with a clearly defined conservation status.

Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara is a publicly accessible island sanctuary off Stewart Island/Rakiura in the Southland region. Bushland and diverse birdlife define the island. As a pest-free sanctuary, it offers visitors the chance to see rare birds and plants up close. The island’s nature and Mavora’s lake and mountain landscapes thus represent different natural highlights within Southland.

Historic and cultural heritage sites

In Motupōhoe/Bluff, the Sir Joseph Ward Statue stands at the intersection of Blackwater, Gore and Shannon Streets. Erected in 1930, the statue is open to the public and listed as a Historic Place Category 2. It commemorates Ward’s early life and his significant influence on the development of Bluff, and later on New Zealand as a Member of Parliament and Prime Minister.

The Port Craig School Hut heritage site in South-Fiordland also offers a historical connection: it provides insights into Māori history and early timber processing in the region. Southland also has eight Heritage Trails that take in historic sites, buildings and attractions. Examples mentioned include gold-mining sites, former whaling stations and a petrified forest. The historical themes therefore range from individual sites to trails that bring together different traces of the past.

Bluff and regional specialities

The Bluff Oyster and Food Festival takes place every May in Bluff and attracts thousands of people. As event dates and programmes may change, it’s worth checking the details before planning your trip. Southland Cheese Rolls are a regional speciality recommended for visitors to try. Jet boating is also among the activities on offer in Southland.

Discover more destinations: Invercargill City, Gore District, Southland District, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne.

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