Get Back to Nature at The Catlins New Zealand

You can’t get more south on the South Island than The Catlins New Zealand on the eastern tip. Named after a ship’s captain who claimed the land in 1840, it became a milling site for giant podocarp trees, a class of conifer commonly found in the area, around 1865. Since then, it was known for farming.

Rugged coastline yields glistening sandy beaches and hidden coves that’s home to some of the world’s rarest marine animals. Fur seals, three penguin species, and seabirds inhabit rocky platforms there. Rivers, waterfalls, caves, beaches, rivers, lakes, and forests make up an unspoiled world in this southeastern most scenic corner of the world.

The Catlins, New Zealand offers many areas to explore on South Island Scenic Route tours. Kaka Point’s a holiday town, clearly marked on this route 12 miles north of Owaka. The Kaka Point bush walk lends a remote feeling in just 30 minutes. Specimens of ferns, perching plants, and podocarp are found everywhere. There’s also an excellent surfing beach on swells that crash along sandy shoreline.

Nugget Point is probably the most well known sight in The Catlins, New Zealand, characterized by a stone lighthouse (the southernmost lighthouse in the world) on the apex of fantastic, rugged landscape. A unique blend of wildlife lives here, and it’s the only place where fur and elephant seals and Hooker sea lions coexist. Southern blue penguins and other bird life also predominate.

Tunnel Hill Historic Reserve’s 246 meter long tunnel can be explored by torch for backpacking adventure. The tunnel was excavated by pick and shovel in 1895 in during the Catlins Branch Railway construction.

Owaka is one of the few places qualifying as a town in The Catlins, New Zealand. This is the place to stock up on gas and supplies before continuing your New Zealand vacation travels to the area’s attractions.

Cannibal Bay’s kilometer-long beach stroll over False Islet stretches on the hour or two long route marked to Surat Bay, which is a longer two to three hour trek. NZ sea lions may be spotted in the dune vegetation and beaches here. Trampers should maintain their distance from these animals.

The Catlins, New Zealand Pounawea Nature Walk offers a massive forest canopy where a variety of wading birds can be seen at low tide. The walk goes through part of the Pounawea Scenic Reserve next to Newhaven Estuary, where large kahikatea, rimu and totara trees tower over kamahi forest, and salt marsh and southern rata (NZ forest trees) lie on the edge of the estuary.

At high tide, Jack’s Blowhole, formed by a collapsed sea cavern, is the place to be for great views, particularly in stormy weather. A 30-minute walk takes you 200 meteres out from sea to this point.

Rare forest birds such as parakeets can be seen through the silver beech forest on Catlins River Walk. This track follows the Catlins River from Tawanui or Wisp.

A 10-minute walk on excellent track ends at the best known forest waterfalls in a small reserve of mixed podocarp, and beach forest. The Catlins, New Zealand boasts a cascading, multi-tiered showpiece at Purakaunui Falls, considered an iconic image for southeastern NZ. The falls are surrounded by native bush in a scenic, isolated reserve.

The larger of the two famous forest-surrounded waterfalls, Matai Falls is another area landmark. This is reached via a 20-minute walk through regenerating native forest.

The Papatowai area presents a healthy fitness challenge at Old Coach Road Track and Tahakopa By Loop Track. This is the case if you choose the track to Ratanui, Sharks Creek Roads, MacLennan and the car park area. Otherwise the portion found north of the Tahakopa River before crossing the bridge into Papatowai offers an easy walk along old track built for horse drawn vehicles to reach the beach.

Picnic Point Track is an easy circuit track that goes along the coast with opportunities to explore rock pools at low tide. Past the picnic ground at Papatowai, it follows the coastline to a memorial of local artist Edna May Peterson at the entrance to a bush track through podocamp forest.

In the Tautuku area of The Catlins, New Zealand, Lake Wilke has an interpretive display of plant species at its nature boardwalk entrance. Just off the Southern Scenic Route is the entry to interpretive displays of different forest plant life.

The Tautuku Estuary Boardwalk provides access through wetland and jointed rush into the middle of this ecosystem where native fernbird live. The boardwalk was constructed by the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.

Traills Tractor Historic Walk provides background information about early Catlins timber milling. The walk begins at Fleming River Bridge and continues to Cook’s old mill site and a restored logging machine.

The last area in The Catlins, New Zealand is Chaslands, site of one of the most popular tourist attractions, Cathedral Caves. This series of sea caves consists of two main caves with massive openings joined by one cliff. A new ecotourism camp scheduled to open in October 2006 is designed as a convenient base for cave access into these natural wonders, which is possible only two hours either side of low tide.

McLeans Falls are labeled as “spectacular” on the New Zealand South Island map. Indeed, dramatically tiered falls are your reward waiting at the end of a very pleasant half hour walk.

You can easily backpack your way through the Catlins, as top notch relaxation, comfort, and coziness is plentiful at Budget Backpackers Hostels (BBH). Whatever your pleasure, get back to nature at The Catlins, New Zealand.