Catlins a ‘Jurassic’ Kiwi gem

The variety of southern stays available to mainland dwellers is eye-watering. From the wild West Coast to the tranquil Abel Tasman National Park, Christchurch’s Banks Peninsula to Mackenzie’s wide valleys, a lifetime is too short to take it in.

The Catlins are often left off the main tourist trails, to the delight of locals and pioneering foreigners. The region straddles the boundary of Otago and Southland, at the southeastern tip of the country, and resembles a land that time forgot. From fossilised forests to abundant wildlife, the Catlins is worth the lengthy drive it is from most southern centres.

Almost 2000sq km of cliffs, waterfalls and coastline offer visitors an array of locations to sit and ponder life, and in each area wildlife abounds, including yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions and dolphins.

The most populous bay is surely Curio Bay. Known for its stellar surfing waves, there are surf schools, with gear for hire. Expect to share the waves with the local Hector’s dolphins, throwing themselves from beneath the surface and catching waves.

The Curio Bay camping ground, recently rebranded as Curioscape, is a unique stay among large flax bushes right above the water. The flax provides privacy between sites and gives visitors the feeling of camping in the bush rather than on a sprawling lawn.

Aside from accommodation, Curioscape also runs a shop and newly opened Gateway Experience, an interactive museum showcasing the bay’s settlement and geological history, from early Ma¯ ori to European arrival.

The Curio Bay fossil forest contains submerged petrified trees from the Jurassic period, accessible by foot at low tide. Pay attention to Department of Conservation signs leading to the area, as at certain times of year the area plays host to yellow-eyed penguins, who may not appreciate human visitors.

Additional accommodation is available among the baches of Curio Bay, and further north in the settlement of Waikawa. To the west is Slope Point, the country’s southernmost point, and Cathedral Cave is a short drive to the east next to Waipati Beach.

Nearby Jack’s Bay has long been a popular holiday destination for locals, with a slow-sloping beach making for safe swimming and bodyboarding.

Jack’s Blowhole is not far from the beach, a 55-metre-deep hole about 200m from the sea, at the bottom of which seawater sloshes back and forth to the delight of onlookers above.