scubish.com: Scuba diving Invercargill - New Zealand

Invercargill is the most southerly city in New Zealand (the world's most southerly city is Ushuaia in Argentina). It is the service city for the farms of the Southland plains at southern end of the South Island. Built in the late 19th and early 20th century, its wide streets and century old buildings give the visitor a unique feeling of stepping back in time to when business was conducted in a more sedate and considered manner and the streets were paved with Otago gold.

Understand

Invercargill is named after William Cargill, a prominent pioneer Otago settler.

Invercargill's wide streets bear the names of the rivers of Scotland and Northern England.

The city is the service town for the farmers of Southland's fertile plains.

Get in

By bus
There are bus services from Dunedin to Invercargill as well as to Queenstown and other places in the southern lakes district.

By car
Invercargill is about 2.5 hours by road from Dunedin, along State Highway 1.

By plane
Invercargill Airport is just to the west of town. A flight from Christchurch to Invercargill takes about an hour in a turboprop aircraft. On a clear day the flight is spectacular, with the Southern Alps to the west of the flight path. If flying south to Invercargill be sure to request a window seat on the right or starboard side of the aircraft (request port or left if flying out to Christchurch.) Mount Cook, which is visible about half way through the flight, is merely the biggest of the many massive peaks of the Southern Alps.

Talk

The inhabitants of Southland, with their Scots ancestry; the nearest New Zealand gets to having different dialects. Many talk with a Southland burr. The rs are rolled in a distinctive manner.

See

Bluff - at the bottom of the South Island, the closest place on the mainland to Antarctica.

Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter - This industrial plant is the reason the Manapouri Power Station was built. There are regular tours of the plant, though visitors should leave their watches, electronics and jewellery in a safe place as the strong magnetic fields in the plant can damage sensitive equipment.

Get out

Invercargill can be a base to explore southern New Zealand. Visit Stewart Island, Fiordland, Milford Sound, Queenstown as well as the Catlins.

Sleep

10 minutes from Invercargill on a private forest reserve is Bushy Point Homestay.This is an ideal stay for birders before or following a trip to Stewart Island. This is also the easiest site in New Zealand to see the endangered South Island Fernbird.
...