About Invercargill and the Southland Province.

Southland is very much a rural province. The main or provincial capital city is Invercargill which is situated approximately 26 kilometres north of Bluff, Southlands international sea port. The province of Southland has a population of approximately 91,000 and the city of Invercargill has a population of approximately 51,000.

Invercargill is a vibrant city under a progressive local council headed by one of New Zealand’s more flamboyant mayors Tim Shadbolt. www.icc.govt.nz. Invercargill is also very fortunate to have the Invercargill Licensing Trust (ILT) www.ilt.co.nz. The ILT are a trust owned by the city and its residents and are massive supporters for local ventures and charities. The residents of Invercargill have a strong community sense and are very proud of their city and its amenities which are the envy of other centres around New Zealand.

Invercargill (Waihopai in Maori) is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost settlements in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 26 km north of Bluff, which is the southernmost town in the South Island. It sits amid rich farmland that is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, including Fiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island and is within easy driving distance to world famous holiday destinations Queenstown and Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri.

Invercargill is home to the Southern Institute of Technology, (SIT) which has introduced a free-fees scheme. The scheme was partly responsible for rejuvenating the city when it was in a steady state of population decline.

Invercargill is also the home to New Zealand's only indoor cycling velodrome. The indoor 250m wooden velodrome is home to Track Cycling in Southland and is currently the fastest track in the country and possibly Australasia. The Invercargill Licensing Trust supports the Velodrome which is situated at Stadium Southland. It promises to become the focal point of track cycling in New Zealand. It is also home of the SBS Invitational Amateur golf tournament which is held every year at the beginning of March. Another facility is Queen's Park, which is just north of the city centre, with Botanical Gardens, an aviary, sports grounds, and the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Anderson Park, on the northern boundary of Invercargill, is a large Georgian-style residence set in 24 hectares of landscaped gardens. The house displays Invercargill's extensive collection of New Zealand art.

Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in the United Kingdom, mainly Scotland. These include Dee, Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey, Tay, and Eye rivers.

Part of the above information has been sourced via Wikipedia www.wikipedia.com