Introduction
Southland holds Milford Sound and Fiordland, plus four of New Zealand's 11 Great Walks — more than any other region — and Stewart Island, a genuinely remote outpost off the South Island's southern tip.
Overview
Fiordland National Park, in western Southland, holds Milford Sound and a wilderness of fiords, rainforest and alpine terrain reachable mainly by boat, plane or on foot. Four of New Zealand's 11 Great Walks run through Southland — the Milford Track, Kepler Track and Hump Ridge Track on the mainland, plus the Rakiura Track on Stewart Island — a concentration unmatched by any other region and the reason serious multi-day trampers spend more time here than almost anywhere else in the country. Stewart Island (Rakiura), a short flight or ferry from Bluff at the South Island's southern tip, is New Zealand's third-largest island and one of its least visited — a genuinely remote outpost of native bush and coastline where kiwi are more reliably spotted in the wild than almost anywhere else in the country, thanks to minimal predator pressure and low visitor numbers. Invercargill, Southland's main city, serves mainly as a practical gateway rather than a destination in its own right.
Discover Southland
Southland's concentration of Great Walks reflects Fiordland's sheer scale as protected wilderness — the Milford Track, often called one of the finest walks in the world, runs four days through rainforest and alpine pass terrain to reach Milford Sound itself, while the Kepler Track offers a similarly spectacular alpine circuit that's slightly more accessible for a wider range of fitness levels. The Hump Ridge Track, the newest of New Zealand's 11 Great Walks, opened in the Fiordland region's southern reaches and adds a fourth option combining coastal, forest and alpine terrain across three days. All three mainland walks require the same advance-booking discipline as every Great Walk — huts sell out within the fixed booking window each year, and Fiordland's notoriously heavy rainfall (among the wettest inhabited places on Earth) makes proper wet-weather gear essential regardless of season.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The Milford, Kepler and Hump Ridge Tracks — three of Southland's four Great Walks, running through rainforest, alpine and coastal terrain.
New Zealand's remote third island, mostly protected national park and one of the country's most reliable spots to see wild kiwi.
Southland Travel Information
- Great Walk huts across Southland's four tracks book out fast within the fixed annual booking window — the getting-around guide explains exactly how that window works.
- Fiordland is among the wettest inhabited places on Earth — proper waterproof gear is essential on any of the region's walks, regardless of season or forecast.
- Stewart Island's kiwi-spotting night walks require a guide and advance booking — this isn't a self-guided activity given the terrain and the island's protected status.
Frequently asked questions
Treat this Visaja page as your starting point: verify the current rules directly with the official source before you submit an application.