Invercargill is the southernmost city in New Zealand (and one of the southernmost in the world). At its core, Invercargill is a service station for the farms of the southern plains. True, there are wide open streets and century-old houses that give the tourist a unique sense of traveling back in time, in those distant days when business was much more relaxed than it is now. According to populationmonster, Invercargill is one of the largest cities in New Zealand.
Invercargill is surrounded on all sides by protected areas and marine reserves. Among them is the Fiordland National Park, which occupies the southwestern corner of the South Island. The glacier has formed many fjords here, the most famous and most visited of which is Milford Sound.
How to get to Invercargill
You can get to the city by bus, which runs here daily from Dunedin, Christchurch and Queenstown. In addition, many Southland highways meet here, including the main highway number 1, which will take you to the city from Dunedin in two and a half hours. The road from Queenstown on SH6 will take the same amount. Invercargill Airport is located about 3 km from the city’s business center and has flights from Christchurch and Wellington. The flight from Christchurch will take about an hour by turboprop. The direct flight from Wellington lasts 2.5 hours.
History
The first Europeans appeared in these places in the middle of the 19th century. Almost immediately, the despicable metal was discovered in Otago, and a gold rush began. The region’s population skyrocketed, the port at Bluff opened, and Invercargill began to grow. Meanwhile, gold was gold, and the poor and unfortunate miners either moved north or tried to establish a life here by starting farms. In the 1880s, cheese and butter were already being produced here.
In 1905, the sale of alcohol was banned by popular vote in the city. The ban lasted until the end of World War II, but alcohol is still not sold in supermarkets.
Attractions and attractions in Invercargill
The city theater, built in 1906 in the style of the English Renaissance, was intended to be the “face” of the city. The theater still arouses surprise and admiration today: it would seem that such a festive construction can only be seen in old Europe. The building located on the street. Tay, includes a hall with more than 1000 seats and a smaller concert hall. On the same street is the city’s first Presbyterian church, built in 1915 in the Italo-Romanesque style. It is distinguished by rich colors, an unusual square tower, arched openings and friezes made of multi-colored bricks. The Historic Places Foundation awarded the church building the first category.
Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Mary on St. Tyne, built in 1905, is described by some sources as “the prettiest church in Australasia”. Due to its size, this attraction dominates the entire urban landscape. From many points of the city you can see its dome, covered with copper, and in the interior you can see many stained glass windows, including a rose window with an unusual image of an angel.
4 things to do in Invercargill:
- In the evening, admire the imposing red water tower against the sunset sky.
- Take a picture of a city sculpture – a huge open umbrella.
- Find Porter’s Lodge – a pretty cottage, which is considered the oldest surviving building in the city. It was built in 1866.
- Go to Slope Point to stand at the alternative sign “Equator left, South Pole right”.
The Southland Museum and Art Gallery on Gala Street is quite interesting: here you can see the tuatara, a kind of three-eyed lizard that hasn’t changed since the time of the dinosaurs. And Anderson Park Art Gallery, founded in 1951 by a group of enthusiasts, was the city’s first public art gallery; she occupies the graceful Georgian mansion of the late Sir Anderson. More than 800 art objects are collected here, ranging from the early colonial era to the present. The mansion stands on 24 hectares of landscaped garden, which is used as a public park. Every year, the Spring Exhibition takes place here, hosting the most famous artists of New Zealand as guests.
The city received its name in honor of the pioneer settler and intendant of Otago, William Cargill. And city streets are named after rivers in Scotland and Northern England.
The Scottish Fire Brigade Museum is located on Jed and Spey Streets, and here you can see various old fire-fighting devices. And the Bill Richardson Truck Museum has the largest private collection of its kind in the world. To date, the museum has collected 210 trucks and 120 tankers, and the collection is still growing. Visiting the museum is possible only by prior arrangement.
The water tower is a kind of visiting card of Invercargill and an excellent example of Victorian architecture. The tower demonstrates how a purely utilitarian structure can be given a highly aesthetic appearance. Today, its function is more of a safety net. You can’t see the tower from the inside, but it looks very attractive from the outside, especially in the evening illumination.
Queen’s Park is at the north end of the central business district. This is a large city park in the Edwardian style, where the infrastructure is well developed, there is an observatory, a golf club, a rose garden, a duck pond, a poultry house, a small zoo and a playground. It costs nothing to spend at least half a day here, walking around the territory of 81 hectares. Other attractive and green corners of the city are Otepuni Gardens, which were once the city’s main park, and today are quite popular as a wedding venue; Donovan Park and Thompsons Bush.
Invercargill is the most convenient port for sailing from here to Antarctica.
The city’s CBD is located around the intersection of Esk and Kelvin streets, bounded by Leuven, Tay, Davron and Gala streets. Esk is the main shopping street in Invercargill. At its western end is Watchner Place, where the main pedestrian area ends. Watchner Place is an open space where there is plenty of sunlight and where residents like to sit down, take a break and lazily stare at passers-by. Conveniently, public showers are also located here.
Bank Corner at the junction of Thay/Crescent and Dee/Clyde is just south of Warchner Place and is home to three early 20th century architectural marvels. These three banking buildings no longer serve their original purpose, but they still look amazing. In the middle of the ring square there is a monument to the soldiers who died in the Boer War in South Africa. The columns of the memorial complex are made of Aberdeen granite, the clock and the statue of a warrior at the top are made of Italian marble.
Neighborhood of Invercargill
Little Bluff is located about 30 km south of the city. It is famous for its oysters and an annual festival dedicated to them in particular and food in general. You won’t spend much time here, but you can come to Bluff for a couple of hours. Excellent views open up from the hill, which can be climbed from the main street of the city: in clear weather, you can see the neighboring islands. There is also a lookout at the south end of Bluff. There are also ferries from Bluff to Stewart Island.
Stewart Island, the third largest island in New Zealand, is 24 km from the coast of the South Island and is even visible from Invercargill. Much of Stewart Island is covered in old forest, and the local population is predominantly concentrated in Oban (also known as Crescent Cove) on the east coast.
The main occupation of the few local residents is fishing and selling the catch. The main activities for tourists are hiking, bird watching and deer hunting.
To get to the island, it is enough to take a ferry (50 minutes on the way, and it can be great to get sick on the way), or you can even fly by plane. And it’s worth it if you appreciate the opportunity to see penguins entering the village in the evening, and on occasion, kiwis.
Invercargill is surrounded on all sides by protected areas and marine reserves. Among them is the Fiordland National Park, which occupies the southwestern corner of the South Island. It is the largest of the country’s 14 national parks and spans over 12,500 square meters. km, being part of the world heritage site, Te Waipunamu. The glacier has formed many fjords here, the most famous and most visited of which is Milford Sound.
The coastal region of Catlins is located between Invercargill and Balcluta. It is a rugged and ragged coast, wild and rebellious. Interested travelers will find exceptional opportunities for bird watching and sea lions, not to mention amazing geological formations like the Cathedral Caves. It is also located, among other things, the southernmost point of the South Island – Slope Point.
