Two Southland businesses have collaborated to form a unique flavoured beer, in a first for the region.

United Brewing and the Seriously Good Chocolate Company have combined their efforts to create the Seriously Good Chocolate Stout, launched in Invercargill last night.

The director of the company developing a Kmart complex in Invercargill says the build will be a complete new offering for the city.

Windermere Holdings Limited director Paul Smith says Kmart will be accompanied by eight national brand stores, offering new services to the city.

A Southland family today remembered Victoria Cross recipient Richard Travis, on the centenary of his death.

The family, who were relations of Travis fiance Lettie Murray, were given the chance to view his medals in Invercargill, and remember the fallen hero.

Venture Southland chief executive Paul Casson hopes a visitor centre in the heart of Invercargill will draw larger tourist numbers into the city centre.

Invercargill’s i-SITE was temporarily relocated after the closure of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, and has now found a new home for the next three-to-five years.

Sixteen years of planning came to fruition yesterday with the official opening of Curio Bay’s Tumu Toka Curioscape.

The opening of the $2.5million visitor centre will go towards educating visitors to the Catlins about the history and wildlife of the area.

Two Invercargill musicians are on a mission to put Invercargill on the map for touring bands.

Southland Musicians Club members Jordan Cossill and Matt Hoffman have been transforming the club to attract more bands, and to help the Southland music scene flourish.

Southland youth have been using different mediums of art to tell the stories of their history and culture.

Storytelling is the theme for this year's Polyfest Arts Exhibition which has received over three hundred entries from early childhood classes through to Year 13 pupils.