Invercargill & Bluff

New Zealand's southernmost city, with the Stirling Point signpost and oysters at Bluff and the legend of motorcyclist Burt Munro — gateway to the Southern Scenic Route and Stewart Island.

Invercargill is New Zealand's southernmost city and the seat of the Southland region. Known in Māori as Waihōpai, it has a population of about 57,000 and flights to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and is about 2.5 hours' drive from Queenstown and 3 hours from Dunedin. The city has wide streets and well-preserved Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Main sights include Queens Park, the Invercargill Water Tower and St Mary's Basilica, plus three venues for motoring enthusiasts linked to rider Burt Munro: E Hayes hardware store, Classic Motorcycle Mecca and Bill Richardson Transport World. About 30 km south, Bluff is one of New Zealand's oldest European settlements, where you can visit the Stirling Point signpost, Bluff Hill lookout and the maritime museum, eat wild Bluff oysters from Mar to Aug, or catch the ferry to Stewart Island. West of the city are Oreti Beach and Sandy Point Domain, and heading west along the Southern Scenic Route takes you to Riverton, Colac Bay, Gemstone Beach and Monkey Island; to the east lies the Awarua Wetlands, and beyond that the Catlins coast. The best time to visit is Nov–Mar, with long days and temperatures of around 15–20°C; the Bluff Oyster Festival is held in May; winters are cold and windy, with occasional sightings of the aurora australis. Plan to stay 2 days; driving is the most convenient way to get around.

Top sights

• Stirling Point – The southern terminus of State Highway 1, marked by a yellow multi-directional signpost pointing to cities around the world and a giant anc…
• E Hayes & Sons (World's Fastest Indian) – A long-established hardware store in the city center displays Burt Munro's original Indian motorcycle and a collection of more than 100 vin…
• Bill Richardson Transport World – One of the world's largest private transport collections, with hundreds of vintage trucks and cars, classic petrol pumps, and costumes and…
• Bluff Hill Lookout (Motupōhue) – A viewing platform on a summit about 265 metres high, with 360-degree views over Foveaux Strait, Stewart Island, Bluff Harbour and the sout…
• Bluff Maritime Museum – A small museum beside the harbour telling the story of Bluff's whaling, oyster fishing, shipping and lighthouses.
• Bluff Oysters – Wild flat oysters grown in the cold waters of Foveaux Strait, often ranked among the world's best. They are in season from March to August.
• Classic Motorcycle Mecca – One of the largest collections of vintage motorcycles in the Southern Hemisphere, with more than 300 classic bikes spanning a century.
• Queens Park – A city park of about 80 hectares near the centre, with a rose garden, Japanese garden, small zoo, glasshouse and a magpie sculpture trail.
• Invercargill Water Tower – A 42-metre red-brick water tower completed in 1889, with Romanesque arched windows and a copper dome. It is the city's most striking Victor…
• St Mary's Basilica – A neoclassical Catholic basilica completed in 1905, with a green copper dome that is a landmark on the city skyline. It was designed by Fra…
• First Church Invercargill – A red-brick Romanesque-Byzantine church completed in 1915, with a tall bell tower that is another city-centre landmark.
• Oreti Beach – A flat beach about 26 kilometres long, west of the city, where cars can drive onto the sand. It is where Bert Munro once tested his motorcy…
• Sandy Point Domain – A protected reserve of dunes and scrub at the Ōreti River mouth, with trails, mountain bike tracks and birdwatching spots.
• Thomsons Bush – A small reserve of native rimu forest on the northern edge of the city, with a short, flat loop trail where you can hear tūī and fantails.
• Riverton (Aparima) – One of the oldest European settlements in the South, a seaside town with a whaling history museum, a giant paua shell sculpture and seafood…
• Colac Bay – A famous surf bay in the South with a giant surfer statue on the beach, wide sands and few visitors.
• Gemstone Beach – A pebble beach near Orepuki where you can find colourful semi-precious stones such as garnet, chalcedony and jade on the intertidal zone.
• Monkey Island (Te Puka-o-Takitimu) – A small island off the beach in Te Waewae Bay that you can walk to at low tide. It offers sunset views over the bay, and there is a free ca…
• Awarua Wetlands – A large internationally important wetland (Ramsar site) east of Bluff, where peat bogs and lagoons provide habitat for migratory birds.

Where to eat

• Hayz at the Anchorage – A modern Māori restaurant in Bluff, where paua wontons and muttonbird showcase the traditional culinary heritage of the…
• The Batch Cafe – Invercargill's most recommended brunch spot, beloved by locals for its miso sweet potato and house-made scones.
• Buster Crabb – An Invercargill restaurant and bar opened in 2009, specializing in Foveaux blue cod, Bluff oysters, and chargrilled ste…
• Koji Japanese Restaurant – A Japanese restaurant in central Invercargill, ideal for group gatherings, known for its beef tataki and seafood udon.

Itineraries

• Southern Scenic Route: Dunedin to Queenstown – Drive from Dunedin along the Catlins coast to the southern tip, then head north to Fiordland on the South Island's quie…
• Southland & Stewart Island Birdwatching – Cross the sea from Invercargill to Rakiura to see kiwis and explore Ulva Island without needing to drive.