Walks

Nugget Point, with its 150-year-old lighthouse, is the symbolic northern landmark of the Catlins. The intimate 10km road from Kaka Point leading to the headland hugs golden sandy bays with ample stopping points and seats made out of odds and ends. A spectacular 20-minute walk high above the water through wind-sculpted vegetation clinging to the land leads to the point with its panoramic views over the nuggets and the infinity of the southern ocean beyond. Even on a calm day the power of the ocean is obvious as lines of unbroken swells, curving around the headland, create the strange sensation of being in a boat that is rising and falling with the waves. Uncanny.

Nugget Point is home to fur seals and 40 species of sea bird that visit or reside here. Nearby Roaring Bay has a viewing hide from which to spot the world’s rarest yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho) nesting in the coastal forest. The best time to view these shy and sensitive creatures is late afternoon when they are returning from the day feeding at sea. Visitors must stay off the beach after 3pm so as to not disturb the weary homeward waddlers.