The Catlins
This information is based on our experience and what I have read.
Travel times for us:
Owaka 1 hour
Balcultha - 1˝ hours
Dunedin - 2˝ hours
Invercargill - 50 minutes
These times are without stops. Remember, taking the side roads to points of interest throughout the Catlins will add a lot of time to your trip. How long you take to go through the Catlins is up to you, but I do recommend 2 days.
I have briefly estimated travel times. Everybody drives differently so please take that into consideration.
Slope Point: 3 minutes drive. 7 km further south than Bluff, it is the southern most point of the South Island. Now open over lambing - September to 1 November. 20 minute return trip through the paddocks.
Waipahatui Reserve: 3 minutes drive. There are 2 walks
one is a 15-minute bush walk and is wheelchair rated. It even has a swing bridge
The other is 2 ˝ hours to 2 waterfalls. Awesome walk if you have the time.
Waipapa Point Light house: 10 minute drive. It was the scene of the New Zealand’s worst shipping disaster in 1881 where 131 lives were lost when the Tararua was wrecked. You can drive directly to the lighthouse and you are at the beach. There is a seal colony there so please stay 15 metres or more away from the colony and never get between them and the sea.
Fortrose: 20 minutes drive. This has the estuary, cemetery, at low tide there is the remains of a shipwreck, art studio called Pukeko Alley and Stirling Tides, which is a great café.
Tokanui: 12 minutes drive. This has fuel, food and a pub. What more would you ask for.
Curio Bay: 15 minutes drive. The bay has dolphins, penguins, the Petrified Forest that can be seen 2 hours either side of low tide, a campsite and shop. Dolphins can be seen in the bay Nov - April.
Waikawa/Niagara: 20 minutes drive. The museum is a wealth of local history and provides public internet. There is a lovely estuary and Niagara Falls is a local pun of the actual Niagara Falls. The Niagara café has a gallery to view. A few minutes further there is a Llamas trek and “the craft Shed”. Also, George Burns walk at Waikawa which takes about 10 minutes. New to Waikawa is the Catlins Marine Encounters, spend time mammal watching, fishing and diving with Brian.
McLean falls: 20 minutes walk. This is about 40 minutes drive from us. There is the Frog and Whistle there for a cuppa.
Cathedral caves: 45 minutes drive from here. This is only open 2 hours either side of the low tide. It can change at any time if the sea is too rough for you to go down to the caves. Great experience if you have the time to wait for low tide. It is a 20 minutes bush walk down onto the beach.
There are more exciting things in the northern end of the Catlins. I will explore them further then let you know. If anybody wants to know any further information, let me know. If I don’t know, I can find out with a quick phone call or email to the right person.
I understand it is hard to plan your trip when you are on the other side of the world. Hope this information has been useful to your planning. Please use the links on the right for further information on the activities.
Please use the links (provided on the right) for further information on the activities.
Suggestion for a 2 night stay at our place:
Arrive in the afternoon and get the sunset at Slope Point.
In the morning, travel to Waipapa point, Pukeko Alley and the ship wreck (tidal). Coffee at Stirling Tides.
Travel to Tokanui, Then towards Waikawa. Check out the craft shed or Lama walks if it interests you. Waikawa museum is a must see and visit the Niagara Falls. Have lunch at the Niagara Café or Blue Cod Blues. Visit Curio Bay in the afternoon and slip in the 2˝ hour walk to the 2 waterfalls in the Waipahatu Reserve. Back here for dinner and put your feet up. If you have not had enough yet, you can re-visit the fossilised forest in Curio Bay and watch the penguins come in, evening time.
If this suits your travel plans, we suggest that you book for 2 nights.
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