Stirling Point — Attraction in Invercargill City

Claimed to be the most southerly mainland point in New Zealand. Slope Point (The Catlins area) is the most southern point on the mainland nearest the South Pole.

It is also notable as the southern end of State Highway 1. Just follow State Highway 1, keep going south and when it stops, you're at Stirling Point.

If you have visited the top half of the North Island, the Cape Reinga Lighthouse is located right at the tip of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the first lights that shipping observes when arriving from the Tasman Sea and North Pacific Ocean. Stirling Point is it's equivalent for the South Island.

Here at Stirling Point it is famous for its signpost, depicting distances to major cities in the world. This signpost has featured in thousands of photographs with tourists from all around the world.

The Point is named after Captain William Stirling, who established a whaling station here in 1836. There's a café at Stirling Point, which serves NZ world famous oysters, that are havested from this area. Bluff oysters are reputed to be the best in the world and is a New Zealand national treasure.

The Italian playboy Casanova consumed 50 oysters for breakfast every day to heighten his libido first thing in the morning, and due to his numerous sexual conquests, is largely responsible for oysters being perceived a potent aphrodisiac.

It is here that you can access beautiful Department of Conservation walk tracks Foveaux Walkway: Stirling Point to Lookout Point 60 minutes one way. The coastal track from Stirling Point to Lookout Point has an easy grade and well-compacted surface providing good views across Foveaux Strait.

On a clear day you can see Stewart Island which is New Zealand's third largest island, situated 30 kilometres south of the South Island, across the...

I was admittingly not very ecstatic about visiting Stirling Point... I thought it was literally just a sign, but I was totally wrong! We got to Stirling Point at sunrise, and I had an absolute blast shooting the waves here. I would say this was the first place I found my own vision in photography, and it resulted in one of my most famous shots of a wave crashing on the rocks! The waves here can be super intense, and the backdrop of the ocean and lighthouse make it that much more mesmerizing. It is cool in retrospect to say you visited the southernmost point on the South Island of New Zealand. There is a very cool chain statue that is a tribute to Maui, a demigod in the Māori mythology (and the same character of the Disney movie). Overall, I loved our experience here and I wish I could've spent more...

There's a sense of accomplishment when you arrive at this point, depending on the distance and effort you had to take to get here. When I went, there were plenty of freedom campers, backpackers, and some tourists. There were even hikers who, I assume, walked over the Bluff hill. From this point, there are two tracks that are available for you to take. If you have some time to spend, then do the longer track which I believe take about an hour to get to the Bluff hill lookout point. Alternatively, you could take your car to go there instead. There are enough parking spaces, and the restaurant by this point is at a prime location - if you want to have the window...