A remote landscape. Rugged coastline. Stunning waterfalls. This Catlins itinerary will show you some of the beautiful spots you can visit in this remote region on New Zealand’s South Island.
On our most recent trip to New Zealand, we wanted some variety on our travels. We visited popular spots like Milford Sound and Queenstown. But we mixed it up with lesser known destinations such as The Catlins and Dunedin.
Driving from Invercargill to Dunedin, we spent a day exploring this beautiful region. We certainly didn’t get to see every amazing place in The Catlins. But we will show you the amazing spots we did get to visit in this Catlins itinerary.
Our Passion For Travel contains affiliate links which may provide a commission. Our reviews and commentary remain independent and commission comes at no cost to you. Income derived help us create more content to help travellers like you make the most of your travel experiences. Read more here.
Where are The Catlins?
The Catlins are located in the south east corner of New Zealand’s South Island. The area extends from Balclutha to Invercargill. It encompasses some of the most remote and rugged sections of coastline in New Zealand.
The area forms part of the iconic Southern Scenic Route, one of the world’s most stunning road trips.
There’s not a lot of people in The Catlins. It’s only home to about 1,200 people. Most reside in the town of Owaka. Given it’s also not on many tourist itineraries, it’s easy to go a long time without seeing another person. At many of the stops we made in this Catlins itinerary, we were the only people there. This was during January too, which is generally considered a peak season.
The Catlins itinerary: places to see in one day
Driving through The Catlins is fairly easy. There’s one main highway, and another road that runs closer to the coast. There are however quite a lot of side roads and stops you can make. We’ll outline here the ones we were able to fit into our itinerary.
We drove through The Catlins in the direction of Invercargill to Dunedin. As we were coming from Queenstown, we didn’t start exploring The Catlins until after lunch. It was a lot later than we had anticipated. However, it worked out perfectly due to the times of the tides. As you’ll see soon in this itinerary, some of the key places to visit are only possible during low tide. If we arrived in the morning, we would have missed out.
We did however totally underestimate how long each of the stops on our itinerary would take. There were additional places we wanted to see, but completely ran out of time. Many of the places we mention are not simple side of the highway visits. They can require side trips off the main road, with a 10-15 minute drive towards the coast. Do this a few times and it all adds up.
Luckily we were visiting in the middle of summer, so we enjoyed long hours of light. If you’re visiting during a different season, or just want to fit more in, consider staying in The Catlins for at least one night.
Waipapa Point
Leaving Invercargill, our first stop was Waipapa Point. It took us just under an hour to reach this stop. We followed the main highway until the town of Fortrose. From there, we turned toward the coast onto Fortrose-Otara Road.
This spot is located right on the coast. There’s a small, picturesque lighthouse too. This was the place of our first exciting animal sighting too. One fur seal was sunbaking on the sand. We admired from afar as we were advised to stay well back.
At Waipapa Point there is a sign here saying that it is “where life battles the elements.” It’s a fitting saying and encapsulates the feeling of the area. It’s a lot more rugged that any of the beaches I’ve seen in New Zealand before. It really feels like you’re on the edge of the world here. This makes sense given it’s just around the corner from Slope Point. This is reputedly the most southern part of the New Zealand mainland.
There’s not much by way of shops or services around Waipapa Point. However there is a drop toilet if you’re in need. Plus a little hut has some display boards to tell you more about the area.
Slope Point
We debated whether we should stop off at Slope Point, the most southern part of the New Zealand mainland. Aside from this accolade, the area is famous for some windswept, crooked trees. However, we had read that this stop requires a short hike across private farmland to visit.
We decided to give this a miss. In our earlier discussions with the tourist office they had not marked this down on The Catlins map as a must visit. We decided to trust their guidance and continue on our journey. It was a good decision for us in the end as we would have run out of time to visit more spots on our Catlins itinerary.
If you’ve visited, we’d love to hear what it was like. Please let us know about your experience in the comments below.
Curio Bay
Approximately 30 minutes from Waiapapa Point is the next stop on this Catlins itinerary, Curio Bay. Head to the point marked “Curio Bay Petrified Forest” in Google Maps.
This spot has a small tourist centre with a café and a number of attractions. The main thing to see here is the Fossil Forrest. It was an area that grew in the Jurassic Period, about 160,000,000 years ago. The forest was killed by ash from a nearby volcanic eruption. After years of the sea hitting the coastline it eventually revealed a petrified forest. You can walk out onto the beach here. You might think you’re walking on rocks but then you realise they are actually tree stumps, millions of years old!
It’s such a unique sight and something I have certainly never see before on a beach. It’s only visible in low tide, so make sure you plan your visit accordingly.
On the way to see the Petrified Forest from the car park, you’ll walk through an area with penguins. You might see the Hoiho, Yellow-eyed penguin, which is the rarest penguin in the world. The signs here suggest that there are less than 300 breeding pairs of this penguin in mainland New Zealand. We didn’t spot any here, but hopefully you’ll have more luck.
There’s also a walkway to see a Living Forest. It was an interesting 5 minute walk around the small forest area. What’s really strange though is to see this little rainforest amongst a large and remote farming area. The contrast is pretty incredible.
Cathedral Caves
Continuing on for a further 40 minutes, and you’ll hit Cathedral Caves. This was our favourite place in this Catlins itinerary.
The Cathedral Caves are passageways that have been formed over the years by the powerful force of the sea. They are quite large, up to 30 metres in height. They can be accessed from the beach, in low tide only. To check on the opening times, it’s best to check the official Cathedral Caves website.
You’ll need to set aside at least one hour to visit the caves. From the carpark there’s a 1km track you need to walk through to get to the beach. The carpark is up on the hillside, so the walk is much easier on the way down to the caves. It only took us about 13 minutes to walk down, but about 25 minutes to get back up. It’s also a 5-10 minute walk along the beach to get to the caves (turn left once you reach the beach).
It was so wonderful to walk through caves this close to the sea. A surreal experience given the area would be covered in water a few hours after our visit. We went towards the end of the visiting hours and we could see that the tide was already on the way in. In fact, if we had of waited another 10 minutes, we would have needed to take our shoes off.
It obviously gets very dark inside the caves. So if you want to venture further inside, a head torch is a great idea.
There’s an entry fee for the Cathedral Caves, $10 per adult when we visited. There’s a staff member in a booth who will take cash on arrival. There is a drop toilet in the carpark, but no other facilities. There’s also no mobile service at Cathedral Caves.
Florence Hill Lookout
A beautiful lookout right by the roadside. It’s an easy stop so make sure you add this into your itinerary.
The lookout sits right above the stunning Tautuku Beach. A long stretch of sand that reminded us of Pambula Beach on Australia’s Sapphire Coast.
Purakaunui Falls
There are a number of stunning waterfalls to visit in The Catlins. The most popular are McLean Falls, Matai Falls and Purakaunui Falls. All of the waterfalls require at least a 20 minute walk. Given we only had one day in The Catlins, we only had time to visit one. The helpful person at the tourist office recommended Purakaunui Falls. So we made sure we visited.
The Purakaunui Falls are said to one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand. This is not a claim that we can substantiate, given we were the only visitors there! There were certainly a lot more people at the waterfalls we visited in Milford Sound.
We were lucky though, because we had this stunning spot all to ourselves. The walk to the falls from the carpark is well marked. In fact, the walk alone through all the trees is super beautiful. Whilst it is a short walk, it does get quite steep towards the end. Down on the way there, but uphill on the way back. Your reward is a gorgeous view of this three tier waterfall.
Nugget Point Lighthouse
The final stop in our Catlins itinerary was the one we were most looking forward to, Nugget Point Lighthouse.
This lighthouse here dates back to 1869. It’s in a stunning position perched right up on top of the headland. It gets its name from the nugget-shaped rocks that surround the lighthouse.
To get here, you follow the road around through Kaka Point. There is a large car park. From here, it’s a fairly flat 20 minute walk along the coastline.
We visited just prior to sunset and had the path to ourselves. It was such a refreshing walk being right on the edge of the coast. If you’re lucky, you might spot some seals down on the rocks below.
Once you’re done soaking in this pretty spot, head back down with the car to Roaring Bay. Here you can take another short walk to a viewing shed. The yellow-eyed penguins can often be seen from here. What we did encounter were some very eager bird spotters. Whilst we could see some penguins, they were at quite a distance.
Where to stay for this Catlins itinerary
The most logical way to explore The Catlins is by travelling from Invercargill to Dunedin, or vice versa. You may wish to stay in either of these towns, or do a night or more within The Catlins region itself. The key point to remember is the timing of the tides. This may dictate where you choose to stay. So make sure you look up the expected tide timings during your planning process.
Invercargill
Invercargill, the capital of Southland, is the southernmost town in New Zealand. The city centre itself is filled with heritage buildings with a Scottish feel. As Invercargill is a fairly sizeable town, there are a good range of accommodation options here. Some well-rated properties include:
Victoria Railway Hotel: a 4 star hotel located in the heart of Invercargill. This property wins out due to its stunning historical building, giving it an old world charm.
Golden Leaf Apartments: if you’re looking for a place with more facilities, including your own kitchen, this could be a great option. These apartments are just a short walk to the city and come with free parking.
The Catlins
If you’re looking to stay within The Catlins, there are two towns you should consider. Owaka is the largest inland town, with supermarkets and some restaurants. Kaka Point was a beautiful spot right along the coast with a large amount of holiday accommodation. This would also be a perfect spot to stay if you want to visit Nugget Point Lighthouse for some sunrise photography.
Here are a few well-rated options:
Catlins Area Motel: located in Owaka, this motel comes with cosy rooms with kitchen facilities. Owaka is located about 15 minutes from Purakaunui Falls.
Kaka Point Spa Accommodation: luxury, self contained units located directly across the beach.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island, located on the east coast. It’s a vibrant university town, with hip cafes and cool street art. This city has a lot of affordable accommodation, and is a wonderful place to explore in its own right. We stayed here for a few nights after our one day in The Catlins. It’s located about 90 minutes from Nugget Point Lighthouse, so it’s still a fair way out from the Catlins. But a great option if the few places in The Catlins are booked out or you’re looking for a budget option. Below is the place we stayed in Dunedin:
Aurora on George: located in North Dunedin, it’s a 15 minute flat walk into the city centre. The rooms here were super comfortable, with a well-stocked kitchen. It also comes with free and easy parking. Given the close proximity to the city, it’s a fantastic option. We’d definitely stay here again.
Other notes for this Catlins itinerary
If you want to visit the Petrified Forest and the Cathedral Caves, it’s imperative that you plan ahead. It’s only possible to visit these spots during low tide.
As we set off from Invercargill after lunch, we’d already eaten by the time we were exploring The Catlins. We also brought snacks and water with us. This worked out well given the limited options in the area. However if we spent more time in The Catlins, we would have made a visit to some of the areas small businesses, including:
Blue Cod Blues: A takeaway food truck serving up fish and chips. It’s located in Waikawa, not far after the Petrified Forest. It was closed when we drove past unfortunately.
The Lost Gypsy Gallery: an art gallery housed in an old Leyland bus. Located in the town of Papatowai, you’ll drive straight past it. This was also closed when we visited.
We hope you have a wonderful time exploring The Catlins. If you’ve got any questions or thoughts about this post, please let us know in the comments below.
I’ve just come back from a trip to the Catlins. We had 3 days, which you really need to see everything.Well worth seeing all 3 waterfalls you named, and Waipapa Point lighthouse is another dramatic spot made more poignant as you can see the rocks where the Tararua foundered, with the loss of 131 lives. The Owaka museum is well worth a visit. We stayed at Catlins Mohua Park up Catlins Valley Rd, in a cottage in a quite delightful spot.
How wonderful Sally! 3 days definitely sounds about right to us. Hopefully we’ll be able to spend a bit more time there on our next visit in the future! Thanks for the extra tips, will be sure to add them to the next itinerary 🙂