Māruawai | Gore

Māruawai, Gore and the wider Eastern Southland area, boasts an eclectic mix of heritage, culture, and industry.

Southland's second-largest town, Gore, is well known for its connection with country music. It is New Zealand's Country Music Capital, hosting the annual National Country Music Awards. It is home to the Bayleys Tussock Country Music Festival as well as the Hokonui Fashion Awards, which began in 1988 as a platform for amateur fashion designers.

The town also presents the impressive Eastern Southland Gallery, home to significant works of New Zealand and international art. Additionally, visitors can revel in the region's history at the Hokonui Moonshine Museum, which explores its colourful past of illicit whisky-making. For a deeper understanding of early local life, the Hokonui Pioneer Village and Museum offers visitors a glimpse into the area's farming heritage.

The Māori meaning for the word Māruawai is "the Valley of Water" and reputed to be a fisherman's dream. However, it extends beyond fishing, signifying that the area is a food basket producing abundant supplies. The Mataura River, with nearly 150 km of easily accessible waters, is internationally renowned for brown trout fishing. It's no wonder the activity has been popular in the area since the 1870s, and Gore is known as the "Brown Trout Fishing Capital of the World". Hard to miss the giant brown trout statue in Gore, and it is a national icon.

Māruawai Gore is also known for its stunning botanical displays, public parks and gardens, perfect for picnics, gatherings, sports and recreation. Dolamore Park boasts camping, a children’s playground, forest walks and mountain bike trails. For indoor activities, the impressive Gore Multisports Complex, comprised of an aquatic centre, ice rink and indoor sports stadium, offers sporting and fitness activities and events all year round with the added capability of hosting large events. Gore’s main street is filled with colourful shop windows with foodie treats and gorgeous retail.

Gore has an extensive agricultural history, including supplying “the breakfast of the nation” with its Creamoata Mill, established in 1878. More recently, it has been the home to the biennial Southern Field Days at Waimumu, a three-day event promoting rural technology that in 2024 attracted 780 exhibitors and 45,000 attendees, and it's a fun day out for the family, too! The town continues to support large industry with the establishment of the Mataura Valley Milk plant, which opened in 2018, producing high-quality nutritional products for global markets.

Mataura, 12km south of Gore on the way to Invercargill, was also an industrial hub with a paper mill, tannery, and freezing works; it now welcomes visitors to explore its rich history at the Mataura Museum. The museum showcases the town's industrial heritage and the lives of its people. Additionally, visitors can enjoy world-class fishing on the Mataura River, known for its crystal-clear waters and abundant trout. The town is also home to the modern Mataura Valley Milk plant, which opened in 2018 and produces high-quality nutritional products for global markets, highlighting Mataura's commitment to innovation and excellence.

Continuing south, Edendale, a town with a rich farming heritage, offers historical exploration at the Edendale Homestead. In spring, Edendale really comes into full bloom as most of the fields are part of a tulip farm with more than 30 tulip varieties. It is home to the country’s largest tulip farm and exports its beautiful blooms to various countries around the world. Keep your eyes open for the announcement of Tulip Open Day; your Instagram feed could never go wrong with selfies at the tulip farm! Fonterra's Edendale dairy factory, the oldest in New Zealand, continues to innovate and contribute to the region's prosperity.

More history awaits northwest of Gore on the road to Te Anau. Mandeville – is where you can view a spectacular collection of vintage aircraft at the Croydon Aviation Museum dating back to the 20s and 30s, including an extensive collection of de Havilland aircraft. It is unique in that nearly all the aircraft on display actually fly. This nationally significant museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating New Zealand’s civil aviation heritage – the stories of pioneer aviators and their equally colourful machines. Also, grab a coffee and a bite to eat at Miss Cocoa or peruse Collaborate Fashion NZ, which is conveniently located next to the museum.

A few minutes south of the settlement of Mokoreta Wyndham on your way to The Catlins is the tranquil Maple Glen Gardens, a 30-acre private garden, nursery, aviary, woodland, and wetland.

Discover more about Gore District at GoreNZ.com.