Leaving the architecture, hills and street art of Dunedin behind, we headed southwest toward Invercargill, stopping in the small town of Gore for lunch, discovering that finding a healthy bite was trickier than we’d hoped.

True to the road trip motto of the day, we were definitely learning to expect the unexpected.

With a less-than-optimal lunch under our belts (hey, we had to eat), we continued on to Invercargill and our destination, Quest Serviced Apartments in the centre of town. This is how we like to travel – a small kitchen for easy self-catered breakfasts, a washing machine, close to the action, within walking distance of whatever a city has to offer.

After driving through town, checking in and enjoying a cup of tea, we headed off on foot to the supermarket, picking up breakfast items. We did glance at each other and quietly wonder whether our usual three-night minimum might be a little ambitious this time.

Still, first impressions aren’t always the full story. So we decided to look a little closer, to get out and about and find the good bits, the hidden gems, the surprises that Invercargill hopefully had hidden behind the scenes. Fingers’ crossed.

A few doors down from our accommodation was Speights Ale House, a popular pub and our dinner choice for two nights. Good pub food, local entertainment and plenty of patrons made us go back after our first night’s meal on day three. The mussels were very good, and you can’t go wrong with a salt & pepper squid. So far, things were looking up.

Jeff had scoped out what looked like an authentic Indian Restaurant for our second night. Indian at the Crescent served traditional food cooked fresh in their traditional charcoal fired tandoor oven and we have to admit, it was delicious. We’ve eaten at Indian restaurants all over the world and this was one of the best meals we have enjoyed. Five stars!

Classic Motorcycle Mecca Museum

The next morning, Jeff was eager to visit the Classic Motorcycle Mecca Museum. This museum had been greatly anticipated and was one of the reasons we were in Invercargill. The other drawcard for this town was because we wanted to get to the most southern tip of New Zealand (without having to fly to Stewart Island – we’ll leave that for another trip).

The Museum is a must-see for any motorbike enthusiast (like Jeff), and especially fans of the iconic movie The World’s Fastest Indian, staring Anthony Hopkins. The film tells the story of Burt Munro, who spent decades tuning his Indian motorcycle in his Invercargill shed before taking it to Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the 1960s to set world speed records.

The museum started with a private collection of Burt memorabilia and classic bikes and has grown into a public showcase celebrating his life, engineering genius and the broader history of motorcycling in New Zealand. The museum houses hundreds of motorbikes of all vintages and models. Give yourself plenty of time here to wander through as it covers three floors!

Oreti Beach, Southlands

Of course, we had to take a drive out to Oreti Beach after the Museum, around 10kms from town. This was Burt Munro’s race track – a 26 km stretch of perfectly smooth sand were where he tested and tuned his Indian motorcycle, experimenting with modifications and pushing the limits of speed in a more controlled, familiar setting. Once he had refined the bike, he shipped it to the Utah in the late 1950s and 1960s to attempt his world speed records.

This beach is famous for being one of the few New Zealand beaches where you can legally drive on the sand. It’s long, wide, and remarkably firm at low tide, which makes it popular for families parking up for beach picnics, dog walkers, fishermen, people simply sitting in their cars watching the sea and the occasional motorbike or car enthusiast tearing up the sand.

In this Southland district, the weather isn’t the deciding factor as the beach is part of everyday life. Cold and windy like the day we were there? That’s normal. Locals are used to it. They’ll still head out, park facing the ocean, pop the boot, pour a thermos and call it a good afternoon.

Sandy Point

Sandy Point sits just west of Invercargill, about a 10–15 minute drive from the town centre. At low tide its vast mudflats and estuary ie where we found tiny paddle crabs scattered across the sand. A peaceful reserve for walkers to observe the seaside ecosystem and birdlife, with well laid tracks and plenty to see.

The town of Invercargill was established in the 1850s as a carefully planned settlement, and its architecture still reflects the early prosperity from the farming and trade of the area. You can still see many solid Victorian and Edwardian brick and stone civic buildings in the wide, deliberately laid-out streets that are still serve the town today.

Queens Park

We love a walk through beautiful gardens and parks, and this day we stumbled on Queens Park. What an amazing centrepiece for this small city. It’s been there since the late 19th century, originally set aside as a public reserve. Developed into formal gardens over time, it’s a place of pride for Invercargill with wide lawns, specimen trees, ornamental features, walking paths and carefully curated seasonal plantings. The striking, very tall rhododendrons and shorter azaleas gave us a spectacular spring display that is often seen in the South Island this time of year.

Standing prominently near the centre of town is the Invercargill Water Tower. Completed in 1889, it was built to improve the town’s water supply and fire-fighting capabilities. Built from red brick in a Romanesque style, its tall, turreted silhouette and ornate detailing makes it a local landmark visible across the city. No longer in use for water storage, it’s now a heritage icon.

Bluff

We did take a drive out to the very southern tip of the South Island where the town of Bluff is. It’s one of New Zealand’s oldest European settlements, established in the early 1820s as a whaling and port town. Its history is tied to shipping, fishing, and the famed Bluff oysters. Today, the town is small and working-class, with weathered houses and an industrial vibe. The aluminium smelter across the harbour giving it a gritty feel. We saw many visitors who had also made the pilgrimage to the southernmost point of the South Island, marked by the iconic signpost. It was so cold, wet and dismal that getting out of the car was a challenge.

Despite our initial doubts, our stay in Invercargill turned out to be full of delightful surprises (despite Bluff). We discovered a city with wide streets, heritage architecture, colourful public gardens, an interesting museum, and stretches of coastline alive with wildlife and locals. Invercargill revealed itself as a place rich in hidden attractions, local character, and quiet charm – far better than we had anticipated.

Next stop – Queenstown.

Catherine & Jeff