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Southland
Southland
Est. Population: 110,000 | Invercargill Est. Population: 55,000
The main centre is Invercargill, considered by many to be the capital of Southland, with a population of 52,000. The attractive lakeside town of Te Anau, located on the shores of the South Island’s largest lake, is the gateway to the world-famous Fiordland National Park and is home to nearly 2,000 people. All up, the population of 110,000 share the 3.1 million hectares (12% of New Zealand's total land area) of regional, lush farmland, and coastal areas, making Southland the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life.
With an abundance of natural resources, Southland's economy is booming, bringing real benefits to the entire region and offers one of the highest employment rates in New Zealand. This, along with the safe streets, high standard of educational opportunities, and low living costs, plays a big part in making Southland a great place to live, work, study, and play.
Employment drivers include tourism, manufacturing, education, healthcare, forestry, fishing, mining, agriculture, dairy cattle, meat, and meat processing to provide strong foundations to the local economy.
The region includes areas considered the jewels in New Zealand crown such as The Milford Sounds, “the number one most beautiful place in NZ”, and Fiordland National Park which also is considered among the most beautiful places to visit in New Zealand.