About

Tuatara Lodge is a clean, warm, smoke free hostel with a friendly crew and excellent security. Our comfortable new accommodation includes bunks, doubles or executive ensuite rooms. All rooms are bright, spacious and warm with good ventilation. The multi-share room beds have hotel grade mattresses, mattress protectors, fitted bottom sheets and pillows with cases.

Other popular facilities include a self-cater kitchen, two TV lounges, video, a bus stop at the front door, 24-hour guest access. Our reception is open from 2pm - 7pm daily.

Invercargill is the last stop on the mainland for those visiting Stewart Island. It is a good starting point for discovering the Catlins or Fiordland via the Southern Scenic Route. Nearby you can also Walk the Hump Ridge Track, visit the Art Gallery, etc. Experience true southern hospitality.

Check in is 2 pm. Check out is 10 am. Hostel facilities, e.g. showers, kitchen etc. are not to be used after 10 am check out.

Reception hours are 2.00pm - 7.00pm
Check-in hours are from 2pm to 7pm. Late check ins after 7pm must be made by prior arrangement.

Strictly No alcohol allowed in the hostel.

Payment for bookings is taken 48 hours prior to arrival.

House Rules

Check In

14:00 - 19:00

Check Out

until 10:00

Age Restriction
Taxes Included

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Facilities

Free City Maps
Free WiFi
Free Internet Access
Bicycle Parking
Luggage Storage
Fax Service
Housekeeping
Reception (limited hours)

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Reviews

8.3Fabulous(663)

Value for Money
8.3
Security
9.0
Atmosphere
6.6
Cleanliness
8.8
Staff
8.5
Location
8.9
Facilities
8.0

Summary of traveller reviews

Tuatara Lodge in Invercargill offers a great location, close to amenities and transport. Guests appreciate the clean rooms and friendly staff. Some mention noise from the street and basic bunk beds.

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Stayed in Apr 2026

5.7

Meghan

Female, 25-30, Canada

We were a group of 3 in a 8-bed mixed dorm. The bunk beds were uncomfortable, squeaky, and had small metal railings for steps. There were no privacy curtains or storage lockers. Additionally, the bag storage was at the bottom of the stairs, not in a room of any kind. The room had bright street lights, and while it is not controllable, some of our bunkmates were particularly smelly and one was the loudest snorer I've ever experienced. Bathroom and kitchen facilities were okay, nothing special.

Stayed in Mar 2026

7.4

Kassi

Couple, 31-40, Canada

Very basic hostel, check yourself in, kitchen was manageable, kind of a more quiet hostel. Movie room was joined to kitchen so people sometimes played their movie really loud for all to hear. Awesome location being right at the bus stop and close to food, grocery stores, and shops.

Stayed in Mar 2026

Babara

Female, 41+, New Zealand

Great service

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Location

30 - 32 Dee Street, P.O. Box 960, Invercargill, New Zealand

0.8km from city centre

About Invercargill

You'll touch one of the world's southernmost points when you visit Invercargill in New Zealand. Surrounded by wilderness, it's an ideal base for a camping trip along the Rakiura Track or for visiting the Waituna Lagoon's bright waters. Adventurous types will feel at home here, with opportunities for scuba diving, kayaking and mountain biking. In the city, get a taste of local culture at the museums and galleries or wander streets lined with Art Deco facades.

Experience the city's heritage at an Invercargill hostel in a restored Victorian villa or stay at a lodge with inviting common areas and lots of greenery. Most Invercargill hostels offer free Wi-Fi with your stay, making it easy to organise the next stop on your trip. Look out for Invercargill backpackers hostels with self-catering kitchens so you can have a home-cooked meal every now and then or choose a hostel with its own on-site coffee shop.

Invercargill's Central Business District is home to the bustling goings on of everyday life, as well as museums and restaurants serving a range of foods. For something a little different, visit Demolition World on Bain Street, a bizarre 'secret town' built from a junkyard that includes a haunted theatre, a historic school and a sweet store. Stewart Island is ideal for quiet days on the beach, diving and heading out to sea in a kayak.

You can spend a day at Queens Park, an Edwardian park with an observatory, golf club and rose garden. Or head to the 32km Oreti Beach Track to relax on the sand or walk the trail next to streams and sloping dunes. Grab a mountain bike and pedal through pine forests at Sandy Point or look for rare birds along the estuary walkway at Pleasure Bay Lagoon. Lazy afternoons can be spent with a cappuccino in Esk Street's shopping and pedestrian zone. You could also drive the epic Southern Scenic Route, which runs from Invercargill all the way to Queenstown.

Invercargill Airport is close to the city at just a 5-minute taxi journey from the business district. You can fly here from Christchurch in 3 hours. Coaches can take you from other major destinations in New Zealand, but expect a long journey time; Christchurch is a 10-hour trip. Dunedin is a 2.5-hour drive away. Around town, flag down a local bus or go green with a hired bicycle.