Gore is the official home of country music in New Zealand. It's also known for great fly fishing – or maybe you'd rather go flying in a Tiger Moth!
The rural town of Gore has a special attraction for country music fans. Every year in early June, Gore hosts the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards, which incorporates the New Zealand Line Dancing Championships.
If you like to flick a fly rod, spring and early summer are the best times to catch a brown trout. In addition to the Mataura River, there are many productive streams close by. Guided fishing trips are available.
While in Gore, attend the Hokonui Moonshiners' Festival, which celebrates this history in March each year. Or for insight into Gore's Maori and European settler past, head to Gore Historical Museum, and to see one of the finest art collections in Southland, visit the Eastern Southland Gallery.
Surrounding Gore is a variety of small towns like Mataura, Waikaia and Mandeville, that still serve their roles in rural communities while telling the stories of their industrial past. Mandeville is also of interest to aviation enthusiasts as here you can go flying in a restored Tiger Moth.
