Southland: Trails, Landscapes and History

Southland offers plenty of reasons to spend your holiday outdoors and take in your surroundings: mountains, lakes and tussock grassland, an island with diverse birdlife, multi-day walks and historic places. Regional specialities and a festival are also part of the region’s character. When choosing a holiday rental, it helps to first consider which experiences you want to shape your stay: long trails, wildlife watching, history or a mix of all three.

Landscapes, island nature and World Heritage

Southland includes part of Te Wāhipounamu, a UNESCO World Heritage area. Mavora Lakes Conservation Park is recognised as part of this area in the southwest of New Zealand. Mountains, lakes, forest and tussock grassland define its landscape and offer a variety of natural scenery. Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara reveals another side of the region: This publicly accessible island sanctuary lies off Stewart Island/Rakiura in Southland and is characterised by native bush and diverse birdlife. Ulva Island is pest-free; visitors can see rare birds and plants up close. If you like to make landscapes and wildlife the focus of your trip, these two places offer very different themes to consider when planning.

Walks for different timeframes

The Milford Track is one of the Great Walks featured in Southland’s visitor experiences. It passes through glacier-carved valleys, ancient rainforests and cascading waterfalls. It can only be walked in one direction, and takes three nights and four days. The Hump Ridge Track offers a different experience: This three-day circuit passes over subalpine heights and along a rugged coastline in southern Fiordland, Southland. The Mavora–Greenstone Walkway is a 50-kilometre, four-day walk connecting the Mavora Lakes camping area with the Greenstone Track.

A lookout offers a different focus. The steep Lake Hauroko Lookout Track leads from the lakeshore to a viewpoint with sweeping views over Lake Hauroko and the nearby mountain ranges; both ends of the track are at Lake Hauroko in Fiordland, Southland. The examples therefore differ in both duration and format: a circuit, a route connecting two named places, a one-way track or a steep path to a viewpoint. Jet boating is also among the activities available in Southland, adding another way to get active.

History, regional food and a festival

The Port Craig School Hut heritage site in southern Fiordland offers insight into Māori history and the region’s early timber industry. Southland also has eight heritage trails leading to historic sites, buildings and landmarks. Examples include gold-mining sites, former whaling stations and a petrified forest. In Motupōhue/Bluff, the publicly accessible Sir Joseph Ward Statue, erected in 1930, commemorates Ward’s early life and his significant influence on the development of Bluff and later New Zealand, as a member of parliament and prime minister. The statue at the intersection of Blackwater, Gore and Shannon Streets is classified as a Historic Place Category 2.

There’s a regional connection in the food, too: Southland Cheese Rolls are considered a speciality that visitors should try. The Bluff Oyster and Food Festival takes place every May in Bluff and attracts thousands of people. If you’re planning a visit, check the latest dates and programme, as both can change.

Choose the right focus for your holiday rental

When searching for a holiday rental, it can help to start by shaping the pace of your holiday around the experiences you want. Multi-day walks, a steep track to a lookout, birdwatching and historic discoveries each offer a different focus. Culture and regional food can also shape your plans, for example if a visit to the festival appeals to you. If you’re travelling with children, you can decide together which of these experiences you’d like to prioritise. That way, choosing where to stay begins with the kind of Southland getaway you want.

Explore more destinations: Invercargill City, Gore District, Southland District, Tasman, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, Napier City, Taranaki.

See the overview of destinations: New Zealand.