Visit to the Catlins
Sunday, March 20th, 2005


About an hour and a quarter south of Dunedin one enters the region known as 'the Catlins', the southeastern corner of the South Island. We (Karen and I) had flown in to Dunedin on the Saturday morning as part of an Air New Zealand 'Mystery Weekend' away. It was to the Catlins that we decided to head on the Sunday, a part of New Zealand which neither of us had previously visited.

It's not a heavily populated part of the country. What it does have is lots of native bush, pleasant terrain and rocky coastline inhabited by seals and penguins, etc.

We were there on a mild day weather-wise and got to go on a couple of short bush walks, hit the coastline at two different points, and visited a somewhat isolated lighthouse at another. The pics below tell the story in more detail. We had a very enjoyable time in this relatively isolated region and would like to return at some stage to explore it further.

- Malcolm Sparrow




Northern Catlins countryside. Arriving in Owaka, one of the main townships in the region.
Nearby Pounawea. The estuary at Pounawea.
Bush walk at Pounawea. Native totara tree (I think that's what it is!).
Energetic sea lions at nearby Surat Bay. Yes, they are alive!
An 8-10 minute walk
through the bush ...		 ... to reach the picturesque
Purakaunui Falls.
Travelling through the countryside. Arriving at the smallish settlement of Papatowai.
The inlet at Papatowai ... ... with the tide well out.
More of the inlet ... ... and looking out to sea from the same spot.
Tautuku Bay near the very bottom of the South Island. Starting back north again (although the car's actually facing the wrong way).
Heading to the lighthouse at Nugget Point. The walk from the carpark to the lighthouse.
The lighthouse was built in 1869. These days it is remotely controlled from Wellington. View from the lighthouse.

See the previous day's Taieri Gorge train excursion