Activities around Invercargill

Several hours need to be put aside to explore Queens Park, the 81ha jewel in the centre of Invercargill which is recognised as one of the most important parks in New Zealand. The park has plenty to offer sportspeople and those keen on keeping fit. The 4km fitness trail which winds its way around the park, will test the energetic and encourage others to have some fun. Twenty exercise stations are signposted with directions for appropriate use. Many of the fine statues and features of the park including the Feldwick Gates, the Thomson statue in the playground, and the Band Rotunda were made possible by generous bequests.

Invercargill City Council has about 150 parks and reserves on over 3000 hectares of land, offering venues and facilities for a wide range of sporting and recreational activities.

The gracious and elegant Anderson Park is found on the outskirts of Invercargill and is testament to the generous spirit of one of Invercargill's early prominent businessmen. A well-defined walking track leads the visitor through the native bush, which covers most of the park and is typical of what covered much of the Southland plains before the settlers arrived. Walkers on the track can spot kahikatea, rimu, thin-barked totara, matai and miro and the principal canopy tree, the pokaka.

Thomsons Bush is one of the few remnants of the kahikatea-dominated swamp forest that was characteristic of central southern Southland. It is also an important recreational resource (picnicking, walking, running) and as an educational classroom which provides valued habitats for native bush birds and insects.

Ōreti Beach is a coastal playground just minutes from Invercargill's city centre. The beach is a wonderland for families to adrenaline junkies and everybody in-between, with plenty of opportunities for motorbiking, 4-wheel driving, wind-powered vehicles, horse riding, dog walking, kayaking, surfing, swimming and paddling, sand castle building, shell collecting etc.

Sandy Point Domain offers important environmental and recreational resources, providing opportunities for picnicking, play, walking, biking, running and as an educational classroom.

This trail offers visitors an interesting tour of heritage sites and diverse open spaces. The half-day tour is best undertaken by vehicle, with stops for walking in gardens, bush and the Invercargill city centre. It can start at any of the 18 sites of interest.

A loop track through podocarp forest starts and finishes at the picnic shelter and car park off Dunns Road. The reserve contains a mosaic of forest communities, from manuka shrubland to mature mixed podocarp forest. Listen for the song of tui and piwakawaka (fantail) amongst the canopy of totara, matai, lemonwood, pokaka and occasional rimu. Access is also available from Awarua Road.

ILT Stadium Southland is an impressive, multi-purpose venue, capable of hosting a wide range of national and international events and activities. From sporting and recreational events, to conferences, corporate meetings and trade shows, and even exhibitions, craft markets, and large scale concerts. Incorporating the world-class SIT Zero Fees Velodrome, it is one of the largest and most versatile multi-purpose venues in New Zealand and the jewel in Southland's sporting crown.

Drive up, jump out, dive in! The Southland Aquatic Centre – Splash Palace – is one of the top public pool facilities in New Zealand. The indoor aquatic centre is within walking distance of the central business district and close to a large selection of motels and parks. The facility includes a 50m x 8 lane sports pool with a bulkhead, a leisure pool with waves and sprays, a tots' pool and a learners' pool. There is also a water slide, spa pool, sauna and Liquid Café – all indoors and with free off-street car parking.

Established in the early 1900s, Invercargill Golf Club is one of New Zealand's best golf courses. Undulating terrain, tree-lined fairways and well-bunkered greens are features of our championship course.

The Southern Farmers' Market aims to provide both the local community and visitors to Southland with access to the best local products and seasonal produce. Locally grown fresh produce, artisan products and an international food court. Located at Ascot Park Racecourse, Racecourse Road, Invercargill, every Sunday 9.30am to 1.30pm.

With more than 300 vintage vehicles, plenty of family fun, and ever-popular Invercargill café The Grille to discover, there is something for everyone at Bill Richardson Transport World. Boasting a collection including Henry Ford letter cars, 1930s V8s, Volkswagen Kombis, and vintage trucks of all makes and models including a showstopping 1940 Dodge Airflow Texaco tanker, Bill Richardson Transport World is a petrolhead's heaven. With engaging children's zones, a movie theatre, wearable arts and more, here you can expect the unexpected.