Otatara is on Invercargill's southern fringe, around 8 km from the CBD, on the plateau above the city's flat residential suburbs with native bush reserves.

What is Otatara like?

Otatara offers large sections with native bush access, a rural feel at the city's southern edge, and some of the best-preserved podocarp forest in the Invercargill area, at prices that remain reasonable by national standards.

What native bush is in Otatara?

The Otatara Scenic Reserve holds remnant podocarp forest including ancient totara trees, one of the best remaining examples of the native lowland forest that once covered much of the Southland plain.

What schools are in Otatara?

Otatara School is the local state primary, with Southland Boys' High School and Southland Girls' High School the main secondary options in Invercargill.

How do I get from Invercargill CBD to Otatara?

By car, around 10 minutes south via Dunns Road or the southern arterials to the plateau.

Which schools are in zone for Otatara?

Children living in Otatara are in zone for Otatara School, Verdon College, Southland Adventist Christian School, St John's Girls' School (Invercargill), James Hargest College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Otatara?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Otatara, Southland | Postcode, Population & Property Values

Est. Median Value: $787K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Safety Score: 89/100
Green Space: 20%
Current Weather: 8.3°C
Median Age: 43 yrs

Living in Otatara

Otatara is Invercargill's leafy southern suburb where the city's property market delivers the lifestyle block option at prices that Aucklanders find implausible and Invercargill residents consider normal. Around 3,500 people live on the generous sections of the Otatara plateau, in a suburb that combines the city's southern residential fringe with the native bush remnants and the rural feel that the plateau's elevated position above the Invercargill flats provides.

The Otatara Scenic Reserve and the remnant podocarp bush that the plateau holds are the suburb's natural assets - ancient totara trees in a landscape that gives Invercargill a native forest connection that the flat city centre doesn't otherwise offer. The bush reserve is the suburb's green anchor, and the walking tracks through the podocarp remnants provide the kind of native bush experience that would be a major attraction anywhere closer to a tourist circuit.

The sections are the selling point that the real estate listings centre on: half a hectare or more at prices that compare to Invercargill's flat suburban sections elsewhere, with the bush views and the elevated position adding the premium that Southland pricing still keeps manageable. The CBD is 10 minutes north.

Otatara School serves the local primary years. Southland Boys' and Girls' High Schools handle the secondary run. The totara do not appear on the curriculum but should.

Is Otatara a good place to live?

Otatara is home to roughly 3,432 people across 21.1 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Otatara scores 67 out of 100, with a safety score of 89/100 and 20% green space.

Schools: Otatara has 5 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $787K, and weekly rent typically sits around $450.

Lifestyle: Otatara has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 8.3°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Otatara is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety89
Amenities62
Schools76
Housing Affordability48
Green space67
Community100
Transport14

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $787K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Median HH Income: $129K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +9.2%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Invercargill City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Otatara?: Otatara is on Invercargill's southern fringe, around 8 km from the CBD, on the plateau above the city's flat residential suburbs with native bush reserves.
What is Otatara like?: Otatara offers large sections with native bush access, a rural feel at the city's southern edge, and some of the best-preserved podocarp forest in the Invercargill area, at prices that remain reasonable by national standards.
What native bush is in Otatara?: The Otatara Scenic Reserve holds remnant podocarp forest including ancient totara trees, one of the best remaining examples of the native lowland forest that once covered much of the Southland plain.
What schools are in Otatara?: Otatara School is the local state primary, with Southland Boys' High School and Southland Girls' High School the main secondary options in Invercargill.
How do I get from Invercargill CBD to Otatara?: By car, around 10 minutes south via Dunns Road or the southern arterials to the plateau.
Which schools are in zone for Otatara?: Children living in Otatara are in zone for Otatara School, Verdon College, Southland Adventist Christian School, St John's Girls' School (Invercargill), James Hargest College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
How do I check my school zone in Otatara?: Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Otatara Weather

Current conditions: 8.3°C, broken clouds

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	19.34	10.99	3.81	10.54
☀️ Feb	18.11	10.66	4.11	10.2
🍂 Mar	16.15	9.06	4.69	8.23
🍂 Apr	15.04	8.62	3.58	6.69
🍂 May	12.13	6.41	3.64	4.8
❄️ Jun	10.18	3.18	3.42	5.39
❄️ Jul	9.77	3.76	3.3	5.48
❄️ Aug	10.65	3.95	3.01	6.8
🌸 Sep	12.44	5.69	5.18	7.5
🌸 Oct	13.29	6.25	4.27	8.22
🌸 Nov	14.73	7.42	3.46	10.2
☀️ Dec	17.35	10.24	5.08	9.63

Est. Median Value: $787K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Safety Score: 89/100
Green Space: 20%
Current Weather: 8.3°C
Median Age: 43 yrs

Living in Otatara

Otatara School serves the local primary years. Southland Boys' and Girls' High Schools handle the secondary run. The totara do not appear on the curriculum but should.

Is Otatara a good place to live?

Otatara is home to roughly 3,432 people across 21.1 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Otatara scores 67 out of 100, with a safety score of 89/100 and 20% green space.

Schools: Otatara has 5 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $787K, and weekly rent typically sits around $450.

Lifestyle: Otatara has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 8.3°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Otatara is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety89
Amenities62
Schools76
Housing Affordability48
Green space67
Community100
Transport14

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $787K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Median HH Income: $129K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +9.2%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Invercargill City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Otatara?: Otatara is on Invercargill's southern fringe, around 8 km from the CBD, on the plateau above the city's flat residential suburbs with native bush reserves.
What is Otatara like?: Otatara offers large sections with native bush access, a rural feel at the city's southern edge, and some of the best-preserved podocarp forest in the Invercargill area, at prices that remain reasonable by national standards.
What native bush is in Otatara?: The Otatara Scenic Reserve holds remnant podocarp forest including ancient totara trees, one of the best remaining examples of the native lowland forest that once covered much of the Southland plain.
What schools are in Otatara?: Otatara School is the local state primary, with Southland Boys' High School and Southland Girls' High School the main secondary options in Invercargill.
How do I get from Invercargill CBD to Otatara?: By car, around 10 minutes south via Dunns Road or the southern arterials to the plateau.
Which schools are in zone for Otatara?: Children living in Otatara are in zone for Otatara School, Verdon College, Southland Adventist Christian School, St John's Girls' School (Invercargill), James Hargest College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
How do I check my school zone in Otatara?: Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Otatara Weather

Current conditions: 8.3°C, broken clouds

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	19.34	10.99	3.81	10.54
☀️ Feb	18.11	10.66	4.11	10.2
🍂 Mar	16.15	9.06	4.69	8.23
🍂 Apr	15.04	8.62	3.58	6.69
🍂 May	12.13	6.41	3.64	4.8
❄️ Jun	10.18	3.18	3.42	5.39
❄️ Jul	9.77	3.76	3.3	5.48
❄️ Aug	10.65	3.95	3.01	6.8
🌸 Sep	12.44	5.69	5.18	7.5
🌸 Oct	13.29	6.25	4.27	8.22
🌸 Nov	14.73	7.42	3.46	10.2
☀️ Dec	17.35	10.24	5.08	9.63

Living in Otatara

Is Otatara a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Otatara

Schools in zone for Otatara

Otatara School

Verdon College

Southland Adventist Christian School

St John's Girls' School (Invercargill)

James Hargest College

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Explore Otatara

🎯Things to do(8)

Teretonga Motor Racing Circuit

Fosbender Park

Paterson Reserve

Sandy Point Domain

Otatara Golf Centre

Otatara Bowling Club

Bushy Point

Flying Horse Ltd.

🌳Parks & green spaces(5)

Teretonga Motor Racing Circuit

Fosbender Park

Paterson Reserve

Sandy Point Domain

Bushy Point

🏥Healthcare

Eat & Drink in Otatara

🍽️Places to eat & drink(2)

The Cabbage Tree

Ziff's Cafe and Bar

Tradies & Services in Otatara

🔧Tradies & services(6)

Blacktan Design

Hayes Mechanical

JV Roofing Southland

Price Fencing

Richard Affleck Building

Urban Colour South

Shops in Otatara

🛍️Shops(5)

Bob Hammond Painter Decorator

Bottle-O Wetlands

Darren Scott Design

Four Square

Four Square Otatara

Beauty & Fitness in Otatara

💅Beauty & fitness(9)

A&A Beauty Lab

About you Hair by Melanie

Flying Horse Ltd.

KO Beauty

Native Nails Otatara

Nice Nails By Ali

Otatara Bowling Club

Otatara Golf Centre

Studio Rata

Professional Services in Otatara

💼Professional services(2)

DeepSouth Sharpening

McCarthy Media and Communications

Stay in Otatara

🛏️Places to stay(1)

Tui Hideaway

Otatara Weather

Otatara Community

Reviews of Otatara

Local tips

Living in Otatara

Is Otatara a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Things to do(8)

Parks & green spaces(5)

Healthcare

Places to eat & drink(2)

Tradies & services(6)

Shops(5)

Beauty & fitness(9)

Professional services(2)

Places to stay(1)

Things to do(8)

Parks & green spaces(5)

Healthcare

Places to eat & drink(2)

Tradies & services(6)

Shops(5)

Beauty & fitness(9)

Professional services(2)