Reality TV show filming around city
Invercargill and Otatara are going to star in an international reality TV series.
The show House Hunters International is set to film over five days following the hunt for the perfect home in Otatara and the city.
The film crew will follow the life of palliative specialist, Dr Amanda Sommerfeldt, who works at Hospice Southland.
Sommerfeldt moved to New Zealand from the United States with her husband, son and daughter in January.
The episode will follow Sommerfeldt to three houses, before deciding on her home.
Bluff Hill and Oreti Beach would feature in the production.
Sommerfeldt said she loved Invercargill. ‘‘It’s a great family city, enough to do but not crowded,’’ she said. ‘‘There’s a lot in the area, with Queenstown, Bluff and Stewart Island, and I think other people would love it too.’’
The show would be broadcast in the US to 95 million households.
Sommerfeldt said she and her husband had loved watching the show when they lived in the US.
House Hunters International is a spinoff from the long-running cable show House Hunters.
Venture Southland tourism and events manager Warrick Low said the exposure of the region to millions of viewers would promote Southland as a place to live and work.
Low said the tourism team pro- vided support for the broadcast opportunity, which would provide exposure to North America.
Hospice Southland chief executive Andrew Leys, who is also a Southland Regional Development Strategy inclusive communities team member, said celebrating new residents would attract more to the region.
‘‘The key is a focus on the people, and having a community that’s welcoming. It’s something everyone in Southland can play a part in.’’