Okay, okay, it's 'one' of the southernmost cities in the World, but still! 

Invercargill is hard for me to describe. I grew up here, it's my home. Some people hate it, others love it. 

It's definitely not the most exciting place in the world, but there are still some cool things to do, if you know where to look.

My favourite thing to do in Invercargill (other than see my friends!) is the Invercargill Estuary Walk.

If you feel the need to get out and explore a quiet spot just out of the city, this is a great place to start. It begins on the Stead Street Reserve, by the Jellicoe Scout Building, over near the airport.

It's quite a relaxing walk, with a few different entrances and exits. I like to exit the walk on William Street, and then walk back through the Invercargill neighbourhoods. But the walk is a loop if you continue on, I think it's about 4km in total.

You won't see too many people around, just make sure you give a friendly Southern 'hello' when you do pass the odd someone. 

There is usually a boardwalk which goes right across the lagoon but this was recently damaged by a storm and is still being fixed. Hopefully they fix it soon, because it's quite impressive, and is pretty cool to photograph.

You can still walk around the outside of the estuary though, and watch the bird life on the water. There are also a few toilets around and picnic places. 

Not a bad way to spend an early morning! Just make sure you rug up warm. Invercargill can have quite the chill!

Wellington has some great walks. Here are some of the best ones.

One of my  all-time favourite walks in Wellington is up Mt Albert in Newtown. This walk is part of the Southern walkway and, in my opinion, the best part. It is not that well-known so there are now crowds, à la Mt Vic, and the view is just as good.

Also, cheetahs! I mean, not free roaming or anything, Zoo cheetahs. 

To begin the walk I like to start from Russell Terrace. Its about half way up the road, opposite the northern exit of Edinburgh Terrace. There is a road that turns left down to Newtown Park. Walk up that road until you see some stairs on the right. Take those, and you'll see a track up into the trees behind the basketball court. This is the start of the walk.

There are a few different tracks you can take, but most will lead to the top. I like to keep turning right, past the hockey stadium, until I get to the top, and then go back down past the zoo. The walk goes through forest and a bit of grass, and in summer there are loads of blackberries to eat. It's a bit of a climb to get to the top, but only for ten minutes or so. If you take the right turns it's more of a gradual climb, whereas left is steeper but shorter. 

There are two look-out points you can go to.  

On the southern side is Mt Albert itself...there is a marker up there so you know you are at the top. From there you can walk down to the road for the rest of the Southern walkway.

The second look-out north. Continue on the gorse-lined loop track until you get to a wooden seat. The view at the top is spectacular. And there are hardly any people up there. You can see all the way out to the lighthouse of the far side of the harbour, and even the South Island on a good day. It's my favourite place to sit and relax, while keeping an eye on my city.

On the way back, you can take a detour down to Melrose Park. This is where the back of the Wellington Zoo is. You can check out the baboon enclosure, if you're into baboons, but I don't like their attitudes. I ignore them, and walk around the fence-line until I get to a big grass enclosure that looks deserted. That's the cheetah enclosure. If you look hard enough you'll see Charlie strutting around somewhere. He likes to sleep right up against the back fence so you can often get pretty close to him. 

The walk takes about half an hour if you don't muck around, or 45 mins if you're taking it slow. 
​ 

I come from the very bottom of New Zealand, a small city called Invercargill. Invercargill itself isn't that interesting, but it is close to lots of scenic towns. 

One of these towns in Riverton, which sits around Jacob's River Estuary. As a kid, my parents would often take us out here to swim at the beach and play on the famous Riverton rocks. The beach is safer than the Invercargill alternative, Oreti beach, as the sea is a bit calmer around this side of Southland. You can also swim with dolphins if you're lucky! It is about a 20 minute drive from Invercargill. 

Riverton is fishing town, and is also one of New Zealand's oldest settlements. You can check out the local muesum, Te Hikoi Southern Journey, which has some interesting artefacts, and quite a bit about Southland Maori history. You can also drive 10 minutes to the stunning Colac Bay, which is a great surfing and swimming spot. 

The best thing to do in Riverton is chill out with a book and a coffee, and admire the view. Or go swimming in summer! It's pretty damn cold in Winter. We're pretty close to Antartica don't you know...

The pub, the Aparima Tavern, has been done up and now makes the most of a stunning location overlooking the estuary.  The menu is full of local seafood, so head down there for a beer and some bluecod. Or, head to the Beachhouse Cafe Bar for a coffee and some lunch.

​If you want to experience the real 'wild South', Riverton is definitely worth a day trip.

#5 Dragonfly

Dragonfly calls itself an 'Asian dining lounge', and that is a rather apt description. The beer garden out the back is beautifully decorated with bamboo and other trees, which creates a tranquil evening setting. The garden has a retractable roof too, so even if its pouring you can still sit outside, and be completely free of the wind and rain. A novelty for Wellington!

Dragonfly is known for its asian-influenced cocktails with names such as 'The Lotus', 'Mr Miyagi's Bonsai' and 'Kung Fu Panda'. They include some pretty interesting ingredients. Don't miss Tuesdays - it's two-for-one cocktail day. Wednesday is mystery wine night. Let your waiter know whether you want a white or red, and he'll return with a mystery one for $6! The beer is quite expensive, so try to visit on the days that have special deals.

The food is contemporary Asian, with lots of small plates to choose from. My favourite is the chicken and coriander dumplings! The pork and chive dumplings are good too.

Dragonfly is a pretty cool place to chill out with friends in the evening and have a few glasses of wine. Also worth checking out is the restaurant  which is on the right as you walk through to the bar.


Runners up

• Juniper - best for comfy seats and cheap, elegant cocktails - and gin of course!
• Ancestral - another secret asian-influenced beer garden out back, with heated concrete seats
• Basque - rooftop bar, great pizzas, and awesome craft beer
• Fork and Brewer - the most craft beers on tap in town, and serves Southland cheese rolls!
• Rogue and Vagabond - great outdoor area with bean bags, delicious food, and cool dogs hanging around
• Goldings - at the forefront of the craft beer scene, delicious pizza from Pomodoro and down a secret alley
• Hashigo Zake - underground craft beer bar, usually has a funky band playing 
• Sprig and Fern - a cute little pub in a small cottage in Thorndon - brews its own beer and has loads of boardgames to play.