Luxury Accommodation New Zealand

... Southland

Luxury in Southland is lush, green pastoral lands (opens Southland's tourism site in a new window). Among the richest in the country, a strong contrast to dry Central Otago further north. There are luxury farmstay options available in this region for those looking for a real Kiwi experience.

The region's largest urban centre is Invercargill, a city of 49,000, with many elegant Victorian and Edwardian buildings, gardens and landscaped parks. Like Dunedin to the north, Scots also settled Invercargill.

The city has an excellent art gallery and museum with high-tech audio/visual displays based on the flora and fauna of New Zealand's sub-Antarctic islands. It also has a unique live display of the tuatara, a lizard-like reptile related to the dinosaur, that is native to New Zealand.

On the coast, the Catlins Forest Park is a place of hidden waterfalls and river valleys, where native forest meets the water's edge. Rocky bays, inlets and estuaries make up some of the region's most magnificent coastal scenery.

Unspoilt in its isolation, Stewart Island across Foveaux Strait is the third largest island making up New Zealand.

For anyone seeking peace and tranquillity, the epitome of luxury in Southland, Stewart Island is the ultimate spot. There are superb bush walks and great launch cruises around some of New Zealand's most beautiful coastline.

You can find Southland luxury accommodation at: