Southland rowing officials and Invercargill City Council are working frantically behind the scenes to ensure Southland's Olympic success is honoured with plenty of fanfare in the coming weeks.

A ticker-tape parade has been ordered by Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt but a date is yet to be confirmed.

The curtain to the 2012 London Olympics was brought down yesterday with the closing ceremony.

For New Zealand the 13-medal haul equalled its best ever while Southland can now lay claim to two Olympic medallists. Invercargill Rowing Club member Nathan Cohen won Southland's first Olympic medal when he teamed up with Picton's Joseph Sullivan to win gold in the premier double sculls final. Forty-eight hours later Storm Uru made it two Southland medals when the Waihopai Rowing Club member won bronze in the lightweight double with Peter Taylor.

Cohen and Uru will headline a street parade in Invercargill when the athletes return to New Zealand but the parade will also include Southland's other Olympians.

A public welcome-home function will be held for all New Zealand Olympians at Hagley Park in Christchurch on Saturday and Mr Shadbolt was hoping the Invercargill ticker-tape parade would be held soon after that.

"It's got to be as soon as possible but we've got to fit it in with the rowers, no doubt they'll have their commitments. We've got to work it to fit them," Mr Shadbolt said yesterday.

It would be an exciting day for the city, he said.

"We're going to make a real parade out of it and celebrate all sport really. It's just such a historic occasion for us never having won a medal before and then getting a gold and a bronze."

- © Fairfax NZ News

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