ROAD TRIP - Dunedin to Invercargill

Start the day at Dunedin

Dunedin to Milton via SH 1 40min, 54.3km

Milton to Balclutha via SH 1 20min, 25.2km

Balclutha to Owaka via Kaka Pt Rd & Esplanade 1hr, 61.5km

Owaka to Invercargill via Papatōwai Hwy & Chaslands Hwy 2hr 18min, 156km

Invercargill to Bluff via SH 1 23min, 28.2km

SIDE TRIP - Gore, Lumsden & Winton Inland via SH 1 & SH 6 2hr 28min, 207km

SIDE TRIP - Bluff to Stewart Island via the Foveaux Strait on ferry to explore Stewart Island 1hr, 58.7km

Head south down SH 1 and the spectacular Southern Scenic Route.

The drive out of Dunedin follows the southern coast before heading inland for your first essential stops on this route – Miltonand then Balclutha. Prepare for your Catlins trip in Balclutha and take a stroll on the Blair Athol Walkway to see the mighty Clutha River.

Head to Owaka, past Nugget Point; you’ll drive only half an hour before you feel like you’ve travelled to another world. Through The Catlins and CurioBay, you’ll arrive in the region’s largest centre, Invercargill. On to Bluff before crossing Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island, a memorable highlight.

HIGHLIGHTS

BILL RICHARDSON TRANSPORT WORLD Reputedly the largest private collection of its type in the world and haven for petrol heads. Explore over 300 vehicles, a wearable arts’ collection, children’s play zones and themed bathrooms fast becoming as famous as the vehicles.

TUMU TOKA CURIOSCAPE Enjoy a worldclass interpretive centre that details the fascinating stories of Curio Bay, including its wildlife, people and history. Curioscape’s Gateway Experience is highly interactiveand the immersive theatre is always a big hit with visitors.

KAKA POINT On the northern edge of The Catlins and a good base for easy access to Nugget Point, it’s also a special town in its own right, with a line of cribs along its coastline, a few shops, a good swimming beach if you’re visiting in summer, and plenty of great walking tracks. Kaka Point attracts wildlife photographers too, such is its environmental credibility.

MCLEAN FALLS Flowing from 22m heights on the Tautuku River in the Catlins Conservation Park and often described as the most spectacular in the region.

CHEESE ROLLS It would be criminal to visit Southland and not try a local cheese roll. Early recipes date back as far as 1930 with the delicacy found at most cafés and bakeries in the region.

BURT MUNRO CHALLENGE Seven events over five days culminates in the largest motorcycle rally in the southern hemisphere. Held every year in Invercargill in February.

BLUFF OYSTER & FOOD FESTIVAL Succulent southern seafood is headlined by the Bluff oyster as hungry locals and visitors descend on this famous party in their droves. Held in Bluff in May.

TUSSOCK COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL For country musicians (and fans) of every ilk. Held from Queen’s Birthday weekend for nine solid days in Gore, New Zealand’s official Country Music Capital.

NUGGET POINT Named by Captain Cook in honour of its wave-eroded rocks looking like nuggets of gold, this is a genuinely fascinating place. Located near Kaka Point, a popular seaside village, the iconic panoramic platform is home to one of the country’s oldest lighthouses, Tokata. You may also see fur seals, elephant seals and sea lions.

CATHEDRAL CAVES Only accessible very close to low tide, feel dwarfed by the sheer size of these caves found at the northern end of Waipati Beach.

Bluff Oyster Festival

© Southland Tourism

INVERCARGILL - SOUTHLAND’S CITY

Founded in the 1850s, ‘the City of Water and Light’ has a sunny disposition thanks to long summer daylight hours and its views of Aurora Australis – the Southern Lights. Wide streets connect excellent cultural attractions, outstanding nature reserves, parks, and lively cafés, restaurants and bars.

> Heritage Trail

> Dig This

> Ōreti Beach

> Seriously Good Chocolate Company

> Splash Palace

> E Hayes Motorworks Collection

Dig This Invercargill

© Miles Holden

Invercargill’s streets are lined with Victorian, Edwardian and art deco buildings. Enjoy the city’s green spaces such as Queens Park. Located in the heart of the city and a Garden of National Significance, this whopping 80-hectare park features animal enclosures, a bird aviary, castle, sculptures and band rotunda.

Invercargill is also a boutique food and beverage producer. Enjoy freshly caught blue cod, crayfish, and the famous Bluff oyster, along with legendaryKiwi fare like cheese rolls and lolly cake.

Queens Gardens, Invercargill

© Great South

OWAKA: PLACE OF THE CANOE

Owaka, close to the Owaka River is the main centre of the North Catlins area and is the perfect base for a Catlins adventure. An impressive 10m stainless steel waka that lights up at night tells you you’ve arrived. Only 30km from Balclutha, it’s inherited the region’s relaxed, friendly attitude to life. You’ll be made welcome here, and you’ll find plenty of outdoor activities that put a smile on your dial.

Owaka Museum

© www.cluthanz.com

BALCLUTHA

Sitting roughly halfway between Dunedin and Gore. Take the picturesque 90-minute Blair Athol Walkway, starting from Naish Park, a highlight in itself.

Bridge in Balclutha

© Adobe Stock

THE CATLINS

A trip to The Catlins, on the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions, is an escape from civilisation.

Check out Curio Bay, where there is a petrified forest on the western headland of Porpoise Bay. At low tide, you’ll see ancient tree fossils more than 18 million years old. Yellow-eyed penguin, or hoiho, may come out to greet you here.Visit waterfalls such as the Purakaunui Falls, 20m high with three distinct tiers; Matai Falls, and McLean Falls, which can be found on a gentle 40-minute walk through lush trees. Alongside the Waipapa Lighthouse on the Point, you’ll find sweeping golden beaches with snoozing sea lions. The 55m-deep Jack’s Blowhole is worth seeing in Tunnel Rocks Scenic Reserve and Tautuku Boardwalk, a sacred Māori spot, is too.

BLUFF

BLUFF: This is a town famous for its fresh seafood. Begin with Oyster Cove for stellar views and Fowler Oysters for easy takeaways.

BLUFF is a book that can be judged by its beautiful cover; a great story awaits you. From adventure cruises and fishing charters to local shipwrecks on display, it’s a town rich insurprises.

Bluff is the most historic and southern port town in New Zealand. Motupōhue, as it is known in Māori, was settled from 1824 and is now home to a significant geographical landmark – Bluff Hill. The towering hill has a commanding presence with views of it possible from as far away as Fiordland on a fine day.It covers approximately 630 hectares of land connected to the mainland by a 300m-wide isthmus at Ocean Beach.

Stirling Point, one of the southernmost mainland points, is where you’ll find that iconic signpost pointing to elsewhere in the world. Obligatory selfies here, please.

Bluff sign

© Videocopter

SIDE TRIP - GORE, LUMSDEN, WINTON & WAIKAIA

GORE It may be small, but it goes large where its recreation is concerned, with ample public gardens, a BMX track and Dolamore Park, replete with multiple walks and a tranquil campground that come nightfall, twinkles with stars and glowworms. Gore is also regarded as the world’s Brown Trout Fishing Capital with almost 150km of accessible water. Proud of its rich history, Gore has a plethora of public educational spaces like the Gore Heritage Trail and the Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre for scenic flights aboard a vintage bi-plane. The Maruawai Project is a hub for arts, heritage and culture and home to the Visitor’s Centre, the Historical Museum, the Library, Hokonui Moonshine Museum and the Eastern Southland Art Gallery.

Fishing in Gore

© Gore District Council

LUMSDEN Once a major rail junction with departing lines from each point on the compass. The local station building remains a major landmark to explore, along with heritage buildings populating the main streets and the classic Kiwiana filled cafés.

WINTON Providing a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere, the town’s beautiful gardens and historic buildings are a highlight and provide a welcome reprieve on your road trip. Partake in a 5km heritage trail, enjoy farmstays or fish for trout here.

WAIKAIA in northern Southland, snug between the Black Umbrella and Garvie mountain ranges, has a major surprise: its celebrated Switzers Waikaia Museum which features historic exhibitions about gold, Chinese miners and farming and shares stories of the town’s military history along with locals’ memories.

Croydon Aviation Heritage Centre planes, Mandeville

© Gore District Council

SIDE TRIP - STEWART ISLAND

FROM BLUFF TO STEWART ISLAND 29KM, 1 HOUR BY FERRY OR A 20-MINUTE FLIGHT

The southernmost and smallest of New Zealand’s three main islands, Rakiura/ Stewart Island is perfectly untouched. Turquoise water and golden sand make it worthy of ‘paradise’ status.

Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island

© Tourism New Zealand

Perfectly remote, Stewart Island/Rakiura is virtually free of light pollution, making the views exceptional, especially at night. Combined with the island’s scenery and landscape, when darkness falls you really will experience an unprecedented night sky. In 2019 this was recognised at a global level and the island was declared an International Dark Sky Sanctuary. Seeing is believing. Stewart Island is where life falls into a more relaxed rhythm. From its impressive seascapes to its generous recreation – ebiking, boating, fishing, diving, kayaking and hunting – it’s an unforgettable experience. The island’s Rakiura Track, a 32km circular tramping track, is one of New Zealand Great Walks.

The scenery of the island has barely changed over thousands of years. Explore the pure podocarp forest, wild open coast, forested ridges and wilderness beaches. Take a break to carve your own greenstone souvenir and – highly recommended – go bird watching on Ulva Island.

Tomtit / miromiro, Ulva Island

© Great South