3 Days in Invercargill & Southland: The Ultimate 72-Hour Deep South Itinerary
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3 Days in Invercargill & Southland: The Ultimate 72-Hour Deep South Itinerary

3 Days in Invercargill & Southland: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Route

Invercargill (Waihōpai) is New Zealand’s southernmost city, positioned at the edge of the roaring Foveaux Strait and the vast Southland plains. Far from the tourist-heavy tour bus circuits of Queenstown, Invercargill embraces an authentic, nostalgic rhythm: wide Victorian streetscapes, world-class vintage automotive museums, the world’s most celebrated coastal oysters, and legendary southern hospitality (manaakitanga). Operating as the premier Hub-and-Spoke base for the Deep South, Invercargill provides easy, direct road access to the remote Catlins rainforest coast, the historic port of Bluff, and the wild kiwi sanctuaries of Stewart Island.

This 72-hour itinerary cuts through common misconceptions about small southern towns, showcasing how to maximize a hub-and-spoke adventure: Day 1 explores world-class vintage motoring history, Queens Park, and the legendary Southland cheese roll; Day 2 journeys to the edge of the world at Bluff and Stirling Point; and Day 3 takes a scenic road trip along the wild Catlins coastline to ancient petrified forests and roaring waterfalls.

Before heading south, read our complete Invercargill Travel Guide and check Where to Stay in Invercargill.

Itinerary Overview Map & Schedule

  • Day 1: Classic Motoring Heritage, Queens Park, Oreti Beach & Legendary Cheese Rolls
  • Day 2: The Southern Edge: Wild Bluff Oysters, Stirling Point & Foveaux Strait
  • Day 3: Road Trip The Catlins: Curio Bay Petrified Forest, Purakaunui Falls & Nugget Point

Day 1: Classic Motoring Heritage, Queens Park, Oreti Beach & Legendary Cheese Rolls

08:30 AM – Taste the Legendary "Southern Sushi" at The Batch Cafe

  • Where: 173 Spey Street, Central Invercargill
  • What to order: The gold standard of Southland Cheese Rolls (served toasted with butter), eggs on grilled five-grain sourdough, and an oat flat white. Start your morning at The Batch Cafe, an award-winning local institution. Southland cheese rolls—affectionately known as "Southern Sushi"—are an essential cultural delicacy: white bread rolled around a savoury filling of grated mature cheese, onion soup mix, and evaporated milk, then toasted until golden brown and dripping with butter.

09:30 AM – The Largest Private Vintage Vehicle Collection: Bill Richardson Transport World

  • Where: 491 Tay Street, Hawthorndale
  • Time Allocation: 2.5 hours | Cost: ~$35 NZD adult entry Visit Bill Richardson Transport World, the largest private vintage vehicle museum in the Southern Hemisphere. Spanning several massive interconnected halls, this world-class collection showcases over 300 rare vintage trucks, Ford Model Ts, retro petrol pumps, wearable art, and whimsical themed restrooms that have won international design awards.

12:30 PM – Hardware Store Legend: Burt Munro's "World's Fastest Indian" at E. Hayes & Sons

  • Where: 168 Dee Street, Central City
  • Cost: Free entry Step inside E. Hayes and Sons, a functioning historic hardware store that doubles as a world-famous museum. View the authentic 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle modified by local speed legend Burt Munro, whose story was immortalised by Anthony Hopkins in the Hollywood movie The World's Fastest Indian.

01:30 PM – Sunny Garden Lunch at The Cheeky Llama Cafe

  • Where: Queens Park (near Feldwick Gates, Gala Street)
  • What to order: Southern blue cod fish tacos, homemade chicken pot pie, and cold iced coffee. Dine inside Queens Park surrounded by mature botanical gardens and bird song.

02:30 PM – Walk the 80-Hectare Queens Park & Japanese Garden

  • Where: Gala Street / Queens Drive
  • Cost: Free Stroll through 80 hectares of pristine municipal parkland in the heart of Invercargill. Walk through the fragrant rose gardens, the indoor tropical winter garden conservatory, the peaceful Japanese garden with traditional stone lanterns, and the native bird aviary. For more local walking trails, check our guide on the best walks and hikes in Invercargill.

04:30 PM – Drive on the Sand at Historic Oreti Beach

  • Where: Dunns Road, Otatara (10 mins drive west of CBD)
  • Cost: Free Drive out to the wide, 26-kilometre expanse of Oreti Beach. As one of the few beaches in New Zealand where road vehicles are legally permitted on the hard-packed sand, this is where Burt Munro tested his speed machines in the 1950s and 1960s. Watch Southern Ocean rollers break against the sand dunes while walking along the water's edge.

06:30 PM – Fine Southern Dining at Level One Restaurant & Bar

  • Where: 77 Kelvin Street (The Kelvin Hotel)
  • What to order: Pan-seared Stewart Island King Salmon, Southland salt-marsh lamb cutlets with mint jus, and Central Otago Pinot Noir. Conclude Day 1 with refined regional dining celebrating the seafood and pasture-fed meats of Southland. For more dining inspiration, check our curated guide to where to eat in Invercargill.

Day 2: The Southern Edge: Wild Bluff Oysters, Stirling Point & Foveaux Strait

08:30 AM – Coffee & Southern Scones at Industry Cafe

  • Where: 33 Arena Avenue, Glengarry
  • What to order: Freshly baked cheese and bacon scones, breakfast burritos, and rich flat white. Fuel up before driving south to the historic port town of Bluff.

09:30 AM – Drive South on State Highway 1 to Bluff

  • Where: State Highway 1 south (25 mins / 27 km drive)
  • Highlights: Estuary mudflats, Tiwai Point aluminium smelter views, historic harbour wharves. Drive to the very end of State Highway 1 to arrive in Bluff, the oldest European-settled town in New Zealand (established in 1824).

10:00 AM – Photograph the Southernmost Terminal Signpost at Stirling Point

  • Where: Stirling Point, Ward Parade, Bluff
  • Cost: Free Walk out to the famous yellow international distance signpost at Stirling Point, officially marking the southern terminus of New Zealand's State Highway 1 and the 3,000-kilometre Te Araroa walking trail. Look south across the turbulent waters of Foveaux Strait toward the misty granite ridges of Stewart Island (Rakiura).

10:30 AM – Hike the Coastal Bluff Hill (Motupōhue) Loop Track

  • Where: Stirling Point / Top of Bluff Hill Road
  • Time Allocation: 2 hours return | Grade: Moderate coastal bush track | Cost: Free Climb through wind-sculpted native podocarp forest to the summit lookout of Bluff Hill (Motupōhue, 265m). From the WWII gun bunker lookout, enjoy an unobstructed 360-degree panorama of Stewart Island, Foveaux Strait, and the Southland plains.

01:00 PM – Taste Wild Bluff Oysters at Oyster Cove Restaurant

  • Where: 8 Ward Parade, Stirling Point, Bluff
  • What to order: Freshly shucked raw Bluff oysters with lemon, crispy tempura battered oysters, and creamy seafood chowder overlooking the waves. Bluff oysters (Tiaki) are celebrated by chefs as the finest in the world—slow-grown in the icy, nutrient-dense Antarctic currents of Foveaux Strait to produce a plump, deeply savoury, briny flavour. (Note: The official Bluff oyster harvest season runs from March to August, but premium frozen and local seafood are served year-round).

03:30 PM – Visit the Historic Bluff Maritime Museum

  • Where: 241 Foreshore Road, Bluff
  • Cost: ~$5 NZD adult entry Explore the rich maritime history of southern whaling, oyster dredging fleets, and shipwrecks. Climb aboard the preserved historic wooden oyster boat Norwester.

06:30 PM – Craft Beer & Southern Grub at Tuatara Cafe & Bar

  • Where: 30 Dee Street, Central Invercargill
  • What to order: Local craft beers on tap, slow-cooked pulled pork burgers, and sweet potato wedges. Return to central Invercargill to relax in an artsy backpacker-style cafe bar featuring local art and live music.

Day 3: Road Trip The Catlins: Curio Bay Petrified Forest, Purakaunui Falls & Nugget Point

08:00 AM – Early Road Trip Departure into The Catlins

  • Where: Southern Scenic Route east along the southern coast (approx. 1 hr drive to Curio Bay)
  • Highlights: Remote rugged coastline, Jurassic petrified forests, Hector's dolphins, towering multi-tiered waterfalls. Set off on the Southern Scenic Route east into The Catlins, one of the most untouched wilderness coastlines in the country.

09:15 AM – Walk on the 170-Million-Year-Old Petrified Forest at Curio Bay

  • Where: Curio Bay / Porpoise Bay (Low tide recommended)
  • Time Allocation: 1 hour | Cost: Free Walk onto the exposed rocky marine shelf at Curio Bay to view an ancient Jurassic fossilised forest dating back 170 million years. Clearly visible in the solid rock are petrified tree stumps and fossilised fallen logs that grew when New Zealand was still part of the Gondwana supercontinent. In neighbouring Porpoise Bay, look for rare endemic Hector’s dolphins surfing the coastal beach rollers.

11:30 AM – Hike to the Multi-Tiered Purakaunui Falls

  • Where: Purakaunui Falls Road (40 mins northeast of Curio Bay)
  • Time Allocation: 30 mins return walk | Grade: Easy, well-graded bush path | Cost: Free Follow a tranquil walking trail through dense native beech and podocarp rainforest to Purakaunui Falls. Cascading 20 metres down three stepped, tiered rock ledges, this is one of New Zealand's most photographed waterfalls and was featured on a national postage stamp.

01:00 PM – Country Lunch at The Niagara Falls Cafe

  • Where: 256 Niagara-Waikawa Highway, Niagara
  • What to order: Homemade roasted kumara soup, venison pie, and fresh berry scones with clotted cream. Stop at this charming converted rural schoolhouse cafe set in the Catlins countryside.

03:00 PM – Clifftop Views & Fur Seals at Nugget Point Lighthouse (Tokatā)

  • Where: The Nuggets Road, Ahuriri Flat (near Kaka Point)
  • Time Allocation: 45 mins return walk | Cost: Free Walk along the narrow, dramatic knife-edge clifftop track to the historic 1869 Nugget Point Lighthouse. Gaze down onto the "Nuggets"—jagged rocky wave-swept islets jutting out into the roaring Southern Ocean. Watch fur seals (Kekeno), sea lions, and nesting sea birds basking on the wave-dashed rocks 100 metres below.

06:30 PM – Fish & Chips by the Sea at Kaka Point (or Return to Invercargill)

  • Where: The Point Cafe & Bar, 58 Esplanade, Kaka Point
  • What to order: Freshly battered blue cod with hot salted chips and cold local cider. Celebrate the finale of your 3-day Southern road trip watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean before making the relaxed 1-hour 15-minute drive back to Invercargill.

Essential Travel Logistics

  • Do You Need a Car?: Absolutely. Invercargill and the surrounding Southland/Catlins region have no public transport. A dependable rental vehicle is mandatory for this hub-and-spoke itinerary.
  • Deep South Weather: Invercargill sits at 46° South latitude. Southern Antarctic winds can bring brisk temperatures, rain, or hail at any time of year. Always pack high-quality merino wool thermals, a windproof shell jacket, and sturdy footwear.
  • Budgeting: Southland is one of the most budget-friendly regions in New Zealand. Queens Park, Oreti Beach, Stirling Point, Curio Bay, Purakaunui Falls, and Nugget Point are 100% free. Explore our Invercargill on a budget guide for money-saving tips.

Planning This Trip: Real Questions, Real Answers

Is 3 days in Invercargill enough?

Yes. Three days is the ideal amount of time when using Invercargill as a hub: Day 1 for classic motoring museums, Queens Park, and cheese rolls; Day 2 for Bluff oysters and Stirling Point; and Day 3 for the dramatic wilderness of The Catlins.

How much does a 3-day trip to Invercargill cost?

Expect a daily mid-range budget of $120–$185 NZD per person including rental car share, Transport World entry, and dining. Budget travellers taking self-guided coastal road trips and enjoying bakery cheese rolls can easily manage on $55–$80 NZD per day.

Is Invercargill boring?

Not at all if you approach it with the right mindset. While it doesn't have high-octane commercial theme parks or trendy rooftop cocktail bars, it offers some of the finest vintage automotive museums in the Southern Hemisphere, authentic world-class seafood (Bluff oysters), and unbeatable access to wild, untamed coastal landscapes like The Catlins.

When is Bluff oyster season?

The commercial Bluff oyster dredging season runs annually from March 1st until roughly August (or until quota is reached). During this time, fresh oysters are delivered daily to local restaurants.