Invercargill Overview

Perpetually picked on by its northern rivals Christchurch and Dunedin, Invercargill (pop. 53,000) kind of deserves it. Although students rush here to enroll at the tuition-free Southern Institute of Technology, nights on Dee St. are still characterized by aimless local youth (“bogans”) revving up their hot-rods and drinking themselves into a fever. Invercargill can provide an afternoon’s worth of entertainment, but most travelers prefer to prepare for their next southern adventure.

Flights: The airport is 2.5km west of the city. Air New Zealand (☎0800 737 767), 46 Esk St., flies frequently to Auckland (one-way from $150, round-trip from $300), Christchurch (one-way from $89, round-trip from $178) and Wellington (one-way from $134, round-trip from $268). Take Dee St. south as it becomes Clyde St. and follow the signs on the roundabout to the airport. Or, take the door-to-door Invercargill Airport Shuttle (☎214 3434 or 027 221 6259; $10). A taxi to the airport costs $10-12.
Buses: From the visitors center or the Tuatara Lodge, Atomic Shuttles (☎322 8883) go daily to Christchurch (9-10hr., 10:30am, $70) via Dunedin (3hr., $35). InterCity (☎214 6243) has student fares to Christchurch (8:45am, $54-67) via Dunedin ($33-41). Scenic Shuttle (☎0800 277 483) goes to Te Anau (3hr., 2pm, $40). Wanaka Connections (☎443 9122) goes daily to Queenstown (3hr., 1pm, $45). Call for booking and pickup. Stewart Island Experience (☎212 7660) runs to Bluff (5 per day, $16).
Public Transportation: Buses (☎218 7170) serve the suburbs M-F every hr. ($2). There’s also a free bus that services the downtown area (M-Sa 10am-2:30pm), and departs from Dee St. near the library; the visitors center has schedules.
Taxis: Blue Star (☎218 6079 or 217 7777) runs 24hr.
Car Rental: Pegasus, 76 Clyde St. (☎214 3210 or 0800 803 580). From $39 per day. Long-term rates. 10% off with YHA. Rent-A-Dent (☎214 4820) is also in budget range.
Automobile Clubs: Automobile Association, 47-51 Gala St. (☎218 9033). M and W-F 8:30am-5pm, Tu 9am-5pm.
Bike Rental: Wensley’s Cycle Centre, 53 Tay St. (☎218 6206). Mountain bikes $20 per day, $35 for off-road. Open M-Th 8am-5:30pm, F 8am-7pm, Sa 9:30am-12:30pm.
Hitchhiking: Hitchers heading toward Queenstown are said to take the Waikiwi bus from the library up North Rd. as far as possible to Westlans Rd. For rides to Dunedin, they take the Hawthornedale bus from Tay and Lithgow St. as far as it goes. The Clifden bus is commonly used by travelers heading towards Bluff and the Catlins. Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking.

Orientation And Practical Information

To get downtown from the visitors center, turn right onto Victoria Avenue and then left onto Dee Street, Invercargill’s main drag. Dee St. runs southeast toward Bluff and the Catlins, and north toward Queenstown as SH6. North of the city, it becomes North Road. South of Wachner Place, it becomes Clyde Street. Across from the clock tower, Esk Street is the main shopping area. SH1 from Dunedin cuts through the city as Tay Street, hosting larger shops before turning toward Bluff.

Visitors Center: The Invercargill i-Site (☎214 6243, fax 218 4415; www.visitinvercargillnz.com), on Gala St. off Victoria Ave., inside the massive white pyramid. Internet $4 per hr. Open daily Dec.-Mar. 8am-6pm; Apr.-Nov. 8am-5pm.
Department of Conservation (DOC): 33 Don St. (☎211 2400), on the 7th fl. of the TV Tower Bldg. Open M-F 8am-4:30pm.
Outdoor Gear: A few good places line Tay St., with the best for tramping being locally owned Southern Adventure, 31 Tay St. (☎218 3239). Open M-F 8:30am-5:30pm, Sa 10am-3pm. For fuel, head to E. Hayes and Sons, 168 Dee St. (☎218 2059; www.ehayes.co.nz. Open M-Th 7:30am-5:30pm, F 7:30am-7pm, Sa 9am-4pm, Su 10am-4pm.)
Currency Exchange: Worldwide Money (Travelex), 60 Tay St. (☎214 4119). Open M-F 8:30m-5pm, Sa 10am-noon. 24hr. ATMs are on Dee and Kelvin St.
Library: (☎211 1444), 50 Dee St., near Wachner Pl. Internet $4 per hr. Open M-F 9am-8pm, Sa 10am-1pm, Su 1-4pm.
Police: 117 Don St. (☎211 0400).
Medical Services: Mills Pharmacy (☎214 4249), at the corner of Don and Kelvin St. Open M-Th 8:30am-5:30pm, F 8:30am-6pm, Sa 9:30am-1pm. Urgent Doctor, 103 Don St. (☎218 8821, after hours 027 424 6423). Open M-F 5-10pm, Sa-Su 8am-10pm. The Southland Hospital (☎218 1949) is on Kew Rd. 3km south of the city along Clyde St.
Internet Access: Comzone.net, 45 Dee St. (☎214 0007). $5 per hr. Laptop stations available. Free coffee. Open daily 10am-midnight. Access also available at the Invercargill i-Site and library (see above).
Post Office: 51 Don St. (☎214 7700). Poste Restante. Open M-F 8:30am-5pm, Sa 10am-12:30pm.

Accommodations And Camping

Southern Comfort Backpackers (BBH), 30 Thomson St. (☎218 3838). From the visitors center, turn right on Victoria Ave., then right on Thomson St. Two rambling houses and fine china lend an air of gentility. Linen $2. Reception 8am-8pm. Book ahead. Dorms $23; singles $42; twins and doubles $52. $3 BBH discount. MC/V.
Kackling Kea Backpackers (BBH), 225 Tweed St. (☎214 7950). The lack of a TV greatly enhances the social dynamic in this cozy, modern hostel, and the friendly hosts gets you going every morning with freshly baked bread. Includes linens. 6-bed dorms $23, 4-bed dorms $24; doubles $54. $2 BBH discount. MC/V.
Tuatara Lodge (VIP/YHA), 30-32 Dee St. (☎214 0954 or 0800 488 282), next to Wachner Pl. A spotless backpackers in the heart of the city whose potential for personality is stifled by its large size (100 beds). Reception 7am-8pm. $10 key deposit. Dorms $25; twins and doubles $60, with bath $80. $1-3 VIP/YHA discount. MC/V.
Living Space, 15 Tay St. (☎211 3800; www.livingspace.net). If nothing compels you to leave your room, why bother? 2-person studio is a bargain with the kitchenette, ethernet, bathroom, and common facilities and DVD surround-sound. Studio $89; duplex studio for 4 $109; 2-bedroom apartment $119; 3-bedroom apartment $149. MC/V.
Invercargill Top 10 Holiday Park, 77 McIvor Rd. (☎215 9032; www.invercargilltop10.co.nz) Drive 5km north of the city on Dee St. and turn right onto McIvor Rd., or take the Purple Route bus north to the Woolworth’s carpark and continue about 1km further up North Rd. In contrast to campsites in town, this has modern facilities and birdsong. Proximity to Anderson Park is a plus. Powered sites $14 per person; standard cabins $85, self-contained $95. MC/V.

Food

Restaurants are scattered in the city near Dee Street, and many double as bars. The Pak ’N Save supermarket is at 95 Tay St. (☎214 4864. Open daily 8am-9pm.) The Countdown supermarket is also on Tay St. (☎218 6716. Open daily 8am-midnight.)

Fat Indian Curryhouse, 38 Piccadilly Ln. (☎218 9933), off Dee St. Follow your nose to this back-alley hideaway for delicious food in a welcoming outpost. Mains $15-16. Vegetarian delights $12.50-14. Open daily noon-2pm and 4:30pm-late. AmEx/MC/V.
The Zookeepers Cafe, 50 Tay St. (☎218 3373). Graze with the cool cats downstairs or flit up to a perch on the upper level of this colorful, chic cafe. Beers on tap $3.60. Snacks and light meals $9-25. Open daily 10am-late. Cash only.
Turkish Kebabs, 29 Esk St. (☎218 3399). Good, cheap meals and more atmosphere than its unassuming name suggests. Massive kebabs $9.50. Vegetarian falafel plate $13.50. Open daily 10am-10pm. Cash only.
Ziffs Cafe and Bar, 141-143 Dunns Rd. (☎213 0501; www.ziffs.co.nz), 5min. past the airport in Otatara. Too hip for Invercargill proper, Ziffs dishes up upscale, exquisitely prepared mains and pricey desserts ($10.50) worth every penny. Bo Didley’s squid $16.50. Open daily 10:30am-late. AmEx/MC/V.

Sights

The Southland Museum and Art Gallery, at the end of Queen’s Park, is in the same white pyramid as the visitors center. The tuatarium features a live exhibit on the ancient nocturnal reptiles that once roamed New Zealand, while the Roaring 40˚ gallery provides an explanation of New Zealand’s subantarctic satellite islands. On a clear, cool night, hunt for shooting stars at the observatory next to the visitors center. (☎219 9069. Museum open M-F 9am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-5pm. Observatory open Apr.-Oct. W 7-9pm. $2 donation.) For a different taste of Kiwi culture, the Invercargill Brewery, 8 Wood St., (☎214 5070; www.invercargillbrewery.co.nz), between Liddel and Clyde St., churns out four delicious microbrews and a cider. Brewmaster Steve fields questions from beer enthusiasts during free informal tours and tastings. The bottle shop offers “fill-your-own” specials ($9), providing 4L bottles for you to bring to the tap. (1hr. detailed tours available at $5 per person. Call ahead. Open M-Th, Sa 11am-6pm, F 11am-7pm.) Queen’s Park is worth a visit and displays New Dawn and Madame de Por roses, as well containing a running track and a small zoo. Just north of the city, down McIvor Rd. from the Top 10 park, Anderson Park and Gallery houses a collection of Kiwi art in a Georgian manor, but the main attraction is the surrounding lawn and gardens. (☎215 7432; andersonparkgallery@xtra.co.nz. Free coffee and tea. Gallery open 10:30am-5pm daily.)

Entertainment And Nightlife

Nightly entertainment in Invercargill is limited, though a few theatres host touring acts. Check with the visitors center or The Plot, a weekly music calendar, to see what’s on during your stay. Reading Cinemas, 29 Dee St., is the only place within 100km to catch a flick. (☎211 1555. Films $12.50, Tu $9.) The streets in Invercargill are bright after dark and serve as a forum for drag-racing. Nightlife in Invercargill hops Thursday through Saturday and flops during the rest of the week. Non-Kiwis should remember to bring their passports, as even quieter bars card at the door.

The Sugar Shack, 77 Don St. (☎218 6125; www.sugarshack.co.nz). This popular dance club provides shack ambience after 2am. The sugar is left up to the guests. Free membership card for half-off drinks (valid until 1am Th-Sa). Open Th-Sa 10pm-late.
Frog ’N Firkin (☎214 4001), next to the movie theater on Dee St. The place students go to begin their evening, the Frog ‘N Firkin packs them in with $5 pints and hopping dance music. Open M-Tu 4pm-10pm, W 4pm-midnight, Th-Sa noon-3am.
Speight’s Ale House, 38 Dee St. (☎214 5333). This new addition to the scene in Invercargill is generally the place where the older “kids” go to have a responsible night of fun. $5 pints. Open daily 11am-late.
One Blue Dog, 34 Esk St. (☎214 6970). A large seating area with pool table behind the bar provides a balance to the small dance floor in front. Bar snacks $3-5. Shakers $12, bottled beers $4. Open Th-Sa 10pm-4:30am.