| Travel Destination Guide - Southland |
Travel Eye on Southland
(South Island, New Zealand)
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Located at the southern tip of the South Island, Southland combines the windswept coastline and rural hinterland of the Catlins, the deep cut fiords and pristine wilderness of Fiordland National Park and the rugged beauty of Stewart Island. The region's two big tourist draw cards are Milford Sound and the Milford Track.
This sparsely populated rural region is a popular route for backpackers driving between Dunedin and Invercargill. It is home to some of the country's best small hostels and the rugged coast is home to penguins and sea lions. If you're driving south, you'll pass through Balclutha before heading into the Catlins. This is the last town of considerable size before Invercargill so you will want to stop here to use the ATM and stock up on groceries. There are no banks and very few shops in the Catlins.
KAKA POINT - This small village has a couple of shops and a charming seaside setting. The area around here is home to wildlife including seals and sea lions.
OWAKA - After driving south from Balclutha, Owaka is the only town of any size before Invercargill.
PAPATOWAI & PURAKAUNUI FALLS - This isolated rural locality is a tiny place with just one small shop, but there are a few lovely small hostels nearby. The cascading Purakaunui Falls are located between Owaka and Papatowai. There is a short 10-minute walk through rainforest to get to the falls from the car park.
- New Zealand's most southern city is a nice place but it doesn't hold much interest for the average traveller. Most people come here for a slice of civilisation while travelling between remote areas such as Stewart Island or the Catlins. Invercargill's city centre has plenty of restaurants and cafés including the world's most southern McDonald's and Starbucks. Invercargill is also well known for the Southland Museum & Art Gallery which has excellent exhibits on New Zealand's remote islands near the Antarctic as well as exhibits on the tuatara-breeding programme.
- The New Zealand mainland's most southern town is renowned for its oysters, but most backpackers come here to take the ferry to Stewart Island.
- New Zealand's third-largest island is home to 390 people, who mostly live in the small township of Oban, on Halfmoon Bay. With its diminutive population and large swathes of wilderness, Stewart Island's main attractions are the wildlife sanctuary on Ulva Island and Rakiura National Park, New Zealand's newest national park, which covers 85% of the island.With an estimated population of over 20,000 kiwis, Stewart Island is one of the few places in New Zealand where kiwis outnumber Kiwis (by a ratio of 51:1). There are no banks or ATMs on Stewart Island.
- This small town on State Highway 95 calls itself "the Sausage Capital of New Zealand". However the town's proximity to the spectacular Hump Ridge Track is the main reason most travellers come here.
- Some walkers use this small village on the shores of Lake Manapouri as a base for hiking the Dusky and Kepler Tracks, however most people stay in nearby Te Anau.
- This small town is about mid-way between Queenstown and Milford Sound. Te Anau is a popular stop over for tourists making the day-trip to Milford Sound. Te Anau likes to think of itself as the walking capital of the world and many people use the town as a base for walking the tracks that start or finish near town including the Milford, Kepler and Routeburn tracks.
- This spectacular national park at the southwestern corner of the South Island is largely inaccessible unless you take a scenic flight or tramp one of its famous hiking trails. Milford Sound is one of the most visited areas within the park and one of the few places accessible by road. This small village lies under the shadow of the remarkable Mitre Peak and is the launching place for cruises on Milford Sound. Great walks in the national park include what many people describe as the greatest walk in the world - the Milford Track. Other walks include the Dusky, Kepler and Hollyford Tracks. These hiking trails can get very busy and you often have to book in advance through the Department of Conservation for accommodation in the huts along the track. Many independent travellers now prefer the lesser visited trails to the crowded Milford Track which many claim is expensive and too organised. This is one of the wettest areas in the world so take good wet weather gear and insect repellent for those pesky sand flies.
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