Exploring Dunedin, Invercargill and Bluff in New Zealand’s Deep South

Ostriches in parks, castles on hills, and cheese rolls are facts of life at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island.

Much of the Deep South borders the Pacific Ocean. Sandfly Bay on the Otago Peninsula is one such area. Picture: Ben Mack

New Zealand’s Deep South is closer to the South Pole than the Equator – but instead of penguins, I’m face-to-face with an enormous ostrich named Petra. Stranger still, we’re meeting in Queens Park in Invercargill, the Commonwealth’s southernmost city.

Petra has lived in the park since 2016, often walking with long, loping strides to greet visitors to her sprawling enclosure surrounded by towering trees. Among Petra’s friends is “Green Wizard” Noel Peterson. The staff-wielding eco warrior scoured the world to find a the ideal spot for his wizard’s lair. Could one say the Deep South’s pull was magical?

“Living here is all about the big sky and amazing landscapes, along with southern culture,” says the 68-year-old local, who divides his time between wizardry and his quest to become Invercargill’s next mayor. The presence of ostriches and wizards, at the bottom of the South Island beyond Queenstown and Milford Sound, defies stereotypes of windswept cliffs and penguins.

Rolling hills sloping down to the blue Pacific are common sights in New Zealand’s Deep South, such as on the Otago Peninsula. Picture: Ben Mack

“The Deep South is one of the greenest, wildest, grittiest and prettiest places in New Zealand,” says Jude Brown, “born and bred” in the region and today living in Mosgiel near Dunedin, its largest city. Among her tips? Turning off the main highways and navigating the narrow, winding roads hugging the hills – something unexpected could be just around the next bend.

Following her advice may lead to Larnach Castle. Perched atop a hill above Dunedin, it’s New Zealand’s first castle, dating to 1871 and requiring importing 20 tonnes of glass. Visitors today can tour the castle and its extensive gardens, or stay the night (or longer) next door at luxury lodge Camp Estate, soaking in a jacuzzi under the stars. General manager Deborah Price says celebrities like Daniel Craig are fans. She adds it’s only in the wild Deep South you’d find a Scottish-style castle built by an ambitious Australian like William Larnach.

Located on the Otago Peninsula near Dunedin, Larnach Castle is among the Deep South’s most iconic attractions. Picture: Ben Mack

There’s a café in the castle’s stone stables – and cheese rolls are on the menu. Donna Hamilton knows how important the warmed, rolled bread with cheese-based filling is to Deep South identity. She runs The Batch café in Invercargill with husband Gareth – and “southern sushi” (as cheese rolls are affectionately known) is what customers like best.

She says the best cheese rolls, originating in the Deep South, are basic – there’s no worrying about presentation or using fancy ingredients. A school fundraiser favourite, they’re easily found everywhere in the region (which has more cows than people) – though why not elsewhere remains a mystery.

A more substantial taste of local fare can be found at Fable Dunedin restaurant The Press Club. The restaurant’s moss-green velvet booths are a comfortable spot to sample its offering of seasonal Otago produce or spend an afternoon exploring the tiers of its high tea selection.

It’s impossible to mention New Zealand fine dining without reference to the Bluff oyster, a staple on many a South Island menu. Brown’s husband claims they’re the region’s best cuisine – New Zealand’s best oysters, even.

Bluff is about a 20-minute drive south of Invercargill, itself about 2.5 hours southwest of Dunedin. Among the South Island’s oldest – and southernmost – settlements, the port town’s maritime culture is influenced by the moody Foveaux Strait. It’s also where Noel the Green Wizard himself lives up on a hill – he loves Bluff’s village feel.

Dramatic coastlines are typical of New Zealand’s Deep South, such as near Lookout Point close to the port town of Bluff. Picture: Ben Mack

Bluff is a petite place, like most Deep South locales. But lodgings like Bluff Lodge (a former post office), Art Deco-style Foveaux Hotel (allegedly haunted by the ghost of a former owner named Mary) and aptly named Lands End (next to a restaurant called Oyster Cove boasting panoramic views of the strait, with particularly good seafood chowder) are full of rustic charm.

More charming still is the Aurora Australis – the Southern Lights, which you can catch in its full glory in the winter months. Their multi-coloured, shimmering glow is especially enchanting on clear nights in Bluff past the end of the road at Stirling Point, where a twisting trail clings to the cliffs. With dense foliage on one side and the waters of the strait on the other, accompanied by a soundtrack of crashing waves and rustling leaves, a walk is spellbinding.

No wonder the Green Wizard occasionally appears along the path.