A WILD AND UNTAMED PLACE TO EXPLORE
11 FEBRUARY 2024
The Catlins are one of our favourite spots in New Zealand (I know, I know... we have so many but do you blame us?!) because it's so wild and untamed, from the rugged coastline to the wildlife you don't see in many other places in New Zealand, like yellow-eyed penguins and sea lions.
The Catlins span over both the Otago and Southland regions and it's one hell of a wild (and windy!) ride through the area. The famous Nugget Point Lighthouse is in the Catlins as well as some of the most beautiful waterfalls we have seen!
It's a place you visit to get out in nature because that's what visiting the Catlins is all about. There are short and long walks and hikes to suit all fitness levels and
The Catlins span over both the Otago and Southland regions and it's one hell of a wild (and windy!) ride through the area. The famous Nugget Point Lighthouse is in the Catlins as well as some of the most beautiful waterfalls we have seen!
It's a place you visit to get out in nature because that's what visiting the Catlins is all about. There are short and long walks and hikes to suit all fitness levels and
Visit One Of New Zealand's Most Beautiful Waterfalls
The McLean Falls has to be one of the most spectacular waterfalls in New Zealand! The walk to the waterfall is a 40-minute track through the forest, which is full of moss, twisted trees and birds. It's an easy enough track that is flat with few hills up to the McLean waterfall, where you can sit and watch the power of the water rush over the boulders or take some long exposure shots on your DSLR if you have one (this was one my first successful long exposure shots and I was stoked with how it turned out!).
Hang Out With Seal Lions
Cannibal Bay is one of the best spots to see sea lions in the Catlins. It's beside the more popular Surat Bay, which is easier to get to for seal lion spotting, and the gravel road takes you to a secluded beach where *hopefully* you will spot some sea lions like we did! We had never seen any before visiting Cannibal Bay and it was amazing watching them playing, fighting and coming in from the ocean.
Visit An 150-Million Year Old Petrified Forest
Curio Bay is a magical place where time stands still because at low tide, the secrets of a 150-million-year-old petrified forest are unveiled and you can walk over it and touch it... how cool is that? Imagine running your fingers over ancient tree stumps from the Jurassic period!
It's a beautiful place with a rugged coastline and wildlife where, at different times of the year, you can spot yellow-eyed penguins, Hector's dolphins (the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world) and seals. It's a unique spot to visit and offers loads of real-life learning opportunities for kids.
It's a beautiful place with a rugged coastline and wildlife where, at different times of the year, you can spot yellow-eyed penguins, Hector's dolphins (the smallest and rarest dolphins in the world) and seals. It's a unique spot to visit and offers loads of real-life learning opportunities for kids.
Spend Sunrise At Nugget Point
This is a super popular spot to spend sunrise in the Catlins, as the run comes up behind the famous lighthouse and looks so beautiful. Even on a foggy morning and the sun doesn't want to come and say hello, the rugged coastline and nugget rocks look so beautiful. Sometimes you can spot Hector's dolphins and seals here too. It's a good excuse to get up early, get some early morning fresh air and the first light of the day on your face.
Take Photos At The Purakaunui Falls
Another beautiful waterfall in the Catlins are the Purakaunui Falls, which are a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall with a large viewing platform only a few metres away. The track to the waterfalls is an easy walk through the forest and it's not too far from the carpark. We visited in winter, so there was plenty of water here which made for the perfect long exposure shot!
Spy On Yellow-Eyed Penguins From A Hideout
Not far from the Nugget Point lighthouse is a hideout at Roaring Bay, purposely built for penguin watching! It's a small bunker with narrow windows, for watching yellow-eyed penguins come in early morning and late afternoon. Half of the windows are higher and the other half are lower down, so it means everyone gets a chance to see out the windows, no matter how tall you are. There are no chairs in there, so squatting to look out the window it is! The Catlins can get suuuuuper windy, so the hideout is just perfect to shelter out of the wind.
The beach is closed from 3pm to protect the little guys, so the hide out is the best place to see them from. They are one of the rarest and most endangered penguin species in the world and the colony at Roaring Bay is declining. We spent a long time waiting for them to come in from the sea but no luck! You won't see them every day, it's just luck of the draw.
The hide out is quite high up from the beach, so you'll need a pair or binoculars or a long lense if you want to see the penguins up close, but you can still see them without one.
The hideout is a couple of hundred metres from the carpark. Click here for the location on Google Maps.
The beach is closed from 3pm to protect the little guys, so the hide out is the best place to see them from. They are one of the rarest and most endangered penguin species in the world and the colony at Roaring Bay is declining. We spent a long time waiting for them to come in from the sea but no luck! You won't see them every day, it's just luck of the draw.
The hide out is quite high up from the beach, so you'll need a pair or binoculars or a long lense if you want to see the penguins up close, but you can still see them without one.
The hideout is a couple of hundred metres from the carpark. Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Visit The Crazy And Kookie Teapot Land
In the town of Owaka is a crazy little yard full of hundreds of teapots, called Teapotland Owaka, all in different styles from plain to just plain crazy. It's in someone's backyard and there is a little path going around the yard so you can look at them all and there's also a display behind glass to the left of the yard. We made a quick stop here because why not.... and the girls enjoyed looking at all the different designs.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Visit The (Not So) Incredible Niagara Falls
A surveyor in Niagara thought it would be hilarious to call the small waterfall along the Waikawa River in Niagara, the Niagara Falls. It's a very small waterfall, nothing to talk about really, and it's definitely not a must-do when visiting the Catlins but if you've got a sense of humour (pretty important) and some time, why not pass by and see the falls! Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Unfortunately, the photos I took of Niagara Falls were lost when my HD crashed, but Google is your friend if you want to see what it looks like.
Unfortunately, the photos I took of Niagara Falls were lost when my HD crashed, but Google is your friend if you want to see what it looks like.
Get Views For Days At The Florence Hill Lookout
There is a beautiful lookout at Florence Hill, with sweeping views across Tautuku Bay. It's sign posted and there is plenty of parking here, plus it's on the main highway which makes it a quick 2-minute stop on your travels. Be warned though - it can be SUPER windy here, we could barely open our doors to get out and take a photo, so hold on tight to your car door when you do manage to get it open!
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Click here for the location on Google Maps.
More to do in New Zealand
HOKITIKA BEACH
WEST COAST A popular beach on the West Coast where you can find greenstone, make driftwood huts and even see seals!
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MILFORD SOUND CRUISE
SOUTHLAND Cruising through the 8th wonder of the world, experiencing countless waterfalls and even wildlife - this is a must do!
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LARNACH CASTLE
OTAGO New Zealand's only castle wowed us with the history and architecture, plus we enjoyed an incredibly beautiful and delicious high tea!
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