Catlins

From the curious fossilised forest of Curio Bay to the fur seals, penguins and sea lions of Nugget Point, the Catlins is an area of surprising natural beauty. There’s a touch of enchantment in the air, like you’ve slipped through a magical gateway into a different world.

The Catlins is a region of forest, countryside and coast between Kaka Point and Fortrose on the south-eastern corner of the South Island. Owaka, the main town, has a population of around 400 and a collection of essential shops and services. Accommodation in the Catlins area is full of local character, especially if you choose to stay in B & Bs, farmstays and self-contained cottages.

A quick history

Cannibal Bay is known as a breeding ground for Hooker’s sea lions and elephant seals.

The Catlins' first human inhabitants were Maori of the Kati Mamoe, Waitaha and Kai Tahu tribes, which today are known collectively as Ngai Tahu. No formal Maori pa (forts) were located in the Catlins, but there were many hunting camps. The area was once inhabited by giant flightless birds known as moa, and the timber of the forest was ideal for canoe construction.

European whalers arrived in the early 1800s, followed by settlers who came to farm the land and harvest the dense native forest. The area gets its name from Edward Cattlin, the ship's captain who purchased a large tract of land from local Maori in 1840. However authorities didn't formally transfer the land until 1873, a little late for Captain Cattlin who had died in Sydney 17 years earlier.

The Catlins coast has always been a challenge for mariners, and shipwreck stories abound in the area. The most tragic shipwreck occurred in 1881, when the SS Tararua struck the reef at Waipapa Point, resulting in the loss of 131 lives. It was the worst sea disaster in New Zealand’s history and led to the construction of the Waipapa Point lighthouse. Another historic lighthouse, at Nugget Point, guards the other end of the coast.

Photogenic geography

Beneath the Catlins' forest and farmland, Triassic and Jurassic sandstones and mudstones often reveal interesting fossils. At Curio Bay you'll find the petrified remains of a forest that’s over 160 million years old. The fossilised trees were closely related to modern kauri and Norfolk pine.

Another oddity is Jack's Blowhole, where a large sea cave has collapsed to leave a deep ocean-filled hole in the middle of a field. At the northern end of Waipati Beach you can walk to a series of tall sea caves - these caves are accessible two hours either side of low tide.

In most of the Catlins region the land rises sharply from the coast to the inland ranges. For this reason, many of the area's rivers pour over waterfalls as they approach the ocean. Purakaunui Falls is particularly beautiful, cascading 20 metres in three tiers. The most amusing waterfall is Niagara Falls, named by a surveyor with a sense of humour (they fall less than a metre).

Wildlife and wild places

You can easily imagine the castle of Cair Paravel high above beautiful Purakanui Bay
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At Pounawea a walking track through tall native forest and saltmarsh is a chance to spot numerous native forest birds, including mohua (yellowheads), kakariki (parakeets), tui and fantails. In wetland areas you can hope to see migratory godwits, royal spoonbills and white-faced herons.

Satisfaction assured

Wherever you journey in the Catlins area, look for the Qualmark© logo - it's your sign that accommodation, activities, services or transport have been independently quality assessed. Dunedin's i-SITE visitor centre can provide advice and information before you drive down the coast to begin your adventure.