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IF THERE'S a place that melds the Southland experience, it's Invercargill. With its rich heritage and vibrant central business district, this city's more than just the region's commercial hub and tourist service centre - it's an attraction in itself.
The City of Water and Light has a population of 50,000, and buzzes with the prosperity of a thriving economy and the vivacity of student life.
And, like the rest of the region, its unique culture and spirit are set in the most beautiful of surrounds.
The city radiates from Queens Park, an 80-hectare sanctuary that's home to wildlife, native flora - and even an 18-hole inner-city golf course. The park sets the scene for the rest of Invercargill, which nurtures bountiful pockets of greenery and gardens, springing some of the most stunning hues in the world.
As with the rest of Southland, visitors don't have to travel far for a change of scenery. Just a few kilometres from the city centre, Oreti Beach unfurls miles of soft sand and surf, belying its proximity to civilisation.
Thirty kilometres south, nestled above Foveaux Strait, is the port town, Bluff, home of the iconic - and deliciously delectable - Bluff oyster.
Those who prefer shanks' pony can stretch their legs on a series of walks criss-crossing the city's many points of interest; its outskirts, too, are a network of treks - from a gentle half-hour amble to more challenging tracks weaving along scenic coastal routes.
Within a two-hour radius, lies a wealth of internationally-acclaimed experiences, making the city the ideal base for those taking day trips around the province, but who want easy access to the full range of amenities - and creature comforts.
Flourishing business, tourism and agriculture sectors have honed the accent on service. Banks, post offices, supermarkets, gyms, Internet and library facilities are all centrally located, within a short walk of each other.
Travelling further afield isn't a hassle either. Flights depart several times daily from Invercargill Airport - just a few minutes from the central city - to all New Zealand's major centres. The airport is also the base for passenger flights to Stewart Island and for visitors wanting to take in Southland on high.
Shuttle buses run between Invercargill, Fiordland, Queenstown and other Southland-Otago destinations, while long-distance coach services operate from the central city.
With some of the world's best seafood and farm-raised fare produced right on its doorstep, Invercargill's also fast gaining a name as a "cuisine destination".
When it's time to turn in, the southern city offers an array of accommodation, catering for every taste and budget - from five-star to backpackers' lodges, boutique hotels to home stays, from the convenience of a central-city location to the tranquillity of a rural retreat.
The city is a retreat with an ambience rarely found elsewhere. With unusual insight for the times, the city forefathers designed wide and flowing streets, a legacy that continues to add to Invercargill's uncluttered and unhurried character.
It also features some of the most interesting - and intact - examples of historic New Zealand architecture. Invercargill's early prosperity paved the way for construction of many fine commercial buildings, impressive churches and other attractions, still treasured today.
A recent multi-million dollar upgrade blends these heritage landmarks into a welcoming cityscape, with sculptures and artwork to interlace the many facets of Southland.
Reminders of the first settlers' tenacity fill the Southern Hemisphere's largest pyramid - the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. As well as celebrating the region's natural history, displays provide insights into southerners through the ages, with galleries dedicated to Maori and European pioneers.
At the museum, you'll also find the Tuatarium. The reptilian enclave is one of the few places to marvel up close at tuatara, "living fossils", whose ancestors walked in the footprints of giant dinosaurs 220 million years ago.
The people of both Invercargill and wider Southland's network of communities are as distinctive and interesting as the environment they call home. Whether you're in Invercargill or out discovering the rest of the province, you really can "get away from it all".
You'll find friendly faces, with service to match, in the city and at the many towns throughout your southern journey. Each inimitable area offers its own, special slice of Southland.