Drive

Traveling to the Catlins generally involves whipping down State Highway 1 to Balclutha, and from there turning onto the scenic route bound for the Catlins. However, an excellent alternative exists to get to Balclutha from the north that involves leaving the state highway at Milton and taking the slower, little-travelled 42km coastal road to Kaitangata. Following this untamed stretch of coast and its wild southern seas, this road is also a great introduction to the slower-paced and nature-dominated feel of the Catlins.

The gravel road meets the coast at the crib settlement of Toko Mouth, which is a good spot to access this untamed coastline. Don’t expect to be able to swim here however, as these beaches are purely for basking in the rawness of the ocean’s energy and fossicking around for shells and driftwood. The 13km section from Toko Mouth to Wangaloa is particularly scenic and the cabbage tree-lined gravel road separates the farms on one side and uninterrupted vistas of big seas on the other. There is also access to the long expansive beach at Maisey Bay settlement, a good spot to be mesmerised by the enormous curling waves and swells roaring in.

Nugget Point, with its lighthouse, provides a constant distant marker and reminder along the route that the Catlins is drawing nearer, and for golfing enthusiasts, Kaitangata Golf Course deserves a round purely for its exquisite oceanside location. However, be warned that timing a game with any southerly blast may send a badly timed tee off back to Dunedin up the coast.