Many People Ask, ‘Is It Worth Seeing The Catlins?’… Well Is It?

November 2018

Introduction

There are many things that make it worth seeing The Catlins in New Zealand. Namely, waterfalls and spectacular coastlines. I didn’t have the most amazing weather on my trip, limiting some activities I did, however, everything I visited was still enjoyed in the rain.

The drive is best started from Invercargill or one of the smaller towns (like Fortrose), and finished around Balclutha (or vice versa). If starting from further away, it might be worth allowing for an overnight stay somewhere in the region, but most sights can be seen in a day. There are no real lengthy walks and most are accessible to all ages.

The Sights in The Catlins Region

Fortrose

My journey from Invercargill began from the small town of Fortrose, where I camped for the evening near the mouth of the Mataura River. It was a free camp, but I donated a gold coin in the iron box as I enjoyed my stay there.

The sunsets in this region are meant to be generally good, as there are no mountains blocking the setting light. I was rewarded with a decent sunset and made sure to set up my tripod by the water’s edge. It wasn’t exactly a picturesque seascape, but it was quite nice! There were thousands of little crabs all through the shallow stretches of water.

Waipapa Lighthouse

Not too far away further south is Waipapa Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located in an awesome spot surrounded by many bird types all feeding on the rock platform.

Slope Point

Slope point is the southernmost point of South Island in New Zealand, and after visiting both the northernmost parts of North and South Islands, it felt essential to see. It’s only a short walk to the coastline from the carpark. Sadly, there was a little rain, but it didn’t damper my experience.

Curio Bay

Curio Bay was the next stop in The Catlins, a small tourist village next to the larger Porpoise Bay. The weather was fairly bad when I arrived sadly. I made sure to visit the petrified forest –  a rock platform with ancient evidence of a forest that went through a major flooding (and burial) event. It was very interesting to see, with a few penguins off in the distance.

Korupuko Falls

Probably one of the lesser travelled to waterfall in the area and the track to it is maintained by a local. However, this is the nicest nature walk in the entire area. You follow a stream through the tree ferns and forest towards the falls. It’s an easy walk and it was refreshing as there was no infrastructure on the trail, just a simple nature walk! The waterfall was only small, but still very photogenic!

McLean Falls

McLean Falls I’d heard was one of the better falls in the area, and was more popular to visit in The Catlins. Again, it was only a short walk to see. It was a fairly large waterfall that has a lower cascade section. I made sure to climb up to the upper section for a different angle. McLean Falls was the overall largest waterfall of all the ones I saw.

The Lost Gypsy Gallery

This one was a bit different! I’d heard great things about this alternative gallery in the middle of nowhere. Blair, the creator was a cool guy to chat with and his art was awesome. For $8, you can check out his gallery (must do, it’s got all his best works and it’s A LOT of fun. This isn’t a ‘looking’ type gallery, this is a ‘doing’ one. I didn’t take photos there as it’s something to experience.

Matai Falls and Horseshoe Falls

This was a two in one waterfall stop off, with both falls right next to each other. Although not spectacular by any means, both falls were beautiful and i really enjoyed the tranquility there.

Purakaunui Falls

This would be the last waterfall on my route I’d see. I’d already see some really nice falls, so I wasn’t expecting much. My expectations were overwhelmed – the falls were awesome, and probably my favourite overall! It was much broader and offered so many small cascading effects. I couldn’t take my eyes off it! Magical place!

Nugget Point Lighthouse

Nugget Point Lighthouse was the second lighthouse I visited in my trip. I’d had heard great things about it being a very photogenic spot when I lived in Dunedin. I visited there early in the morning and was the only person in the area. The views were mind-blowing! I made sure to gain a high vantage point high on the ridge.

It’s not something that is advised to do due to the instability of the terrain, but it definitely offered a better view. There were nesting birds at the top, and I was careful to not go close to them.

From the sights listed above, you should now see why it is worth seeing The Catlins, both in good and bad weather.

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