By James Wall on tour.
My first imression of Invercargill, New Zealand was probably a little negative. This flat town on the bottom of the NZ south island seemed to be a little run down and struggling. It was not until my walk in the Park that I realised what a proud little place this is. Not only is there a brilliant little museum that is meticulously maintained, there are some horticultural wonders.
What first grabs your attention are the vivid flower colours. Without the harsh Melbourne summer, the flowers here don’t seem to fade out so much. The result is some magnificant blooms of all sorts.
The beech trees also seem to enjoy the cold , and I was told it has been a great year here for the roses. The rose garden in Queens Park certainly backed that up. This park is huge and has an adjoining golfcourse – right near the middle of town. It must be a mecca for both locals and tourists a like. The care for the plants and the variety of plants is as good as you would see at a botanic gardens. Most certainly worth a brisk stroll on a cool breezy day.
The pine seen here is a magnificantly shaped specimen and it was spikey all over – including its trunk. Very few animals would be comfortable climbing these.
These woody trunks in the picture below were some very old rhododendrums. They must have been 10 metres high – truly amazing.
The colours in the hydrangeas were also a standout and planted along the edge of a pathway, they created a picture perfect scene.
So if you are doing the south island of New Zealand, sure, there are some more beautiful places, but don’t discount this town down the bottom. There is some good food to be found, local islands to visit, and a wonderful park where you will find a little bit of peace and tranquility. Well worth a visit.
The climbing roses were amazing
Checkout all the photos in the gallery below.
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