Catlins – Part One

The Catlins was an area we were ‘itching’ to get to explore.  Okay, COVID 19 made us delay our trip, but we eventually had a window of opportunity to start our voyage of discovery.

The Catlins is a spectacular coastal stretch between Invercargill and Balclutha.  It has a rugged and untouched beauty that is quite unique.

There is so much to see along this Catlins coastline so we decided to tackle it in chunks.  So here is Part One, there is more to come so keep your eyes peeled for further blogs.

 

Scroll in or out on the map above to follow the route we took for the first part of our trip.

Fortrose 

Starting out in the far south and working our way northwards, our first stop to explore would be Fortrose.

Invercargill to Fortrose is around a 45km drive and is the gateway to the Catlins.

It’s a small sleepy town that is situated on the shores of Toetoes Estuary and close to the mouth of the mighty Mataura River.

It is a popular spot for water sports and fishing and also boasts the South Islands most southern golf course.

There is a freedom camping spot right beside the estuary but we had our sites on another location further along the route for basecamp.

History

In its heyday in the early 1900s, it was a much livelier centre.  First established as a whaling station in 1834.  This was only shortlived, being replaced with sawmills, a port, farming, blacksmithing, trading, churches and a school. 

The newly built railway (1911) bypassed Fortrose, this coupled with the sea lane becoming impassable due to the sand bar at the Mataura River Mouth, were the contributing factors in the decline of the growth of Fortrose.

Fortrose Cliffs

Located 2 km from the township you will find a stomach-fluttering steep cliff lookout.  It is certainly worthy of a photo-op stop.  We managed to drive the ute right to the point to enjoy a 180-degree view back towards the township and out over the rocky outcrops.

It also offers spectacular views over the mouth of the estuary.  On the way to the lookout, there is signage indicating the old shipwreck of the Ino which ran aground in 1886.  Not much is left of the wreck and we did struggle to see any sign of her.  The tides weren’t in our favour to fossick around to try and find the remaining evidence.  

Waipapa Point Lighthouse

Just a short 10km drive from Fortrose, you come across the Waipapa Point Lighthouse.  From the car park area, it is a quick 10-minute walk past the location of where the old lighthouse keeper’s house stood.

The lighthouse was built in response to the tragic sinking of the passenger steamer Tararua in 1881.  It floundered off the Waipapa Point and all but 20 of the 151 people aboard drowned.  The lighthouse was first lit in 1884, became automated in 1974 and still shines its light today.

At the base of the lighthouse, we found some lazy looking fur seals basking in the sunshine, looking like they didn’t have a care in the world.

Tararua Acre 

As mentioned earlier, the SS Tararua struck the reef of Waipapa Point, near to where the lighthouse is situated.  It sank the next day and became the worst civilian shipping disaster in NZ’s history.

When driving to the lighthouse, you will see signage, indicating the gateway where you can walk to the Tararua Acre.  It is a wander across some paddocks to get to the graveyard where 55 out of the 74 bodies were laid to rest. 

The initial casualties were transported to Fortrose Cemetery for burial, but it soon became apparent that the increasing fatalities made the job too big to continue to bury them all there.

Today, the only evidence of the 55 graves within the fenced-off area are three gravestones and a memorial plinth.

Slope Point

Well, we just had to do it!  We’ve travelled to the northernmost point of the South Island, now it was time to stand on the southernmost point, and it just happens to be in the Catlins.

Slope Point lies just south of the small settlements of Waikawa and Haldane and 71km east of Invercargill.

The point is accessible via a 20-minute walk across private farmland.  We set off from the carpark and battled a head-on wind.  It quickly became apparent as to why it is called ‘Slope Point’.  We were certainly trudging along on a slope that’s for sure.

We arrived at the yellow AA signpost indicating the distance to the equator and the south pole.  The only other structure at the point is a solar-powered lighthouse.  This was bolted down with massive bolts into a very thick slab of concrete.  I can’t think why??!!

The views of the surrounding ocean and coastline of the point’s steep rugged cliffs are breathtaking.  The cold air whipped and whirled around us as we anchored ourselves to the sign or fence line in order to take photos that weren’t going to turn out blurred from the constant movement.

The airflow from the Antarctic Ocean causes the winds to gain immense strength before they smash themselves into this exposed coastal area.  The warped sloping trees are a great testament to this for sure.

Note: Dog access is NOT allowed as you’ll be walking through private farmland to get to the point.  Access is also limited or prohibited during lambing (Sept-Nov)

Niagara

Our first basecamp on our Catlins Escapade was at the NZMCA Park (#9451) at Niagara.  This was to be our base to explore the surrounding area.

It is a spacious flat area which is in the process of being extended.  Once finished, there will be plenty of parking for large and small rigs.  It is nicely sheltered with a lovely short walk through a man-made shrubbery area.  Dogs will love it for their daily walks (on leads of course).

It borders the Waikawa River which is popular during the whitebaiting season.

Niagara Falls

It was thanks to a surveyor with a sense of humour who named possibly the smallest falls in NZ after one of the grandest falls in the world.  They are so far removed from their namesake that it is quite funny to find them in the Catlins.

They are probably the most unremarkable falls I’ve seen.  However, they do offer rather a hilarious photo stop for travellers passing through the area.  They are located very close to the NZMCA Park and we watched quite a few visitors stopping off for the opportunity to record their visit to Niagara Falls (NZ Style!).

Niagara Falls Cafe

Located just up the main road from the camp, you will find Niagara Falls Cafe.  Always keen to support local business, we called in for a coffee and a scone.

There’s nothing better than sipping on a flat white surrounded in a little bit of local history.  The cafe used to be a single classroom which was erected in 1895.  The school was in use until its closure in 1972.

Waikawa

Located just down the road (4km) from Niagara, is the small settlement of Waikawa.  It sits at the mouth of the Waikawa River.  You will find a scattering of houses near the harbour and others nestled on the hillside.

Once, a busy port during the 1880s up until the early 1920s when shipping ceased.  The town supported whaling, gold mining, stone quarrying, flax milling and farming.  With a history like this, it is expected that their little local museum would be jammed packed with memorabilia.  

Museum

The Waikawa Museum and Info Centre is formed from two old school buildings.  It is run by volunteers and we were lucky enough to happen to be passing whilst two of them had ‘popped’ in to do some vacuuming (or luxing as they seem to say in the south).

We’re so glad we got the opportunity to wander through as it seems that although the sign says open daily, it doesn’t seem to apply to the winter months so it may be a bit hit and miss if you want to visit during the off-season.

Inside photos are prohibited but you can rest assured that it is a treasure trove of photos, exhibits, memorabilia and all sorts of equipment.  A great portrayal of life in Waikawa and surrounding districts from way back in the lives of the earlier settlers and residents.

With a name like that, it was certainly going to get our attention and it was screaming out to be explored.

Luckily, there is actually a walk along the Old Coach Road.  The walk across the estuary is only possible at low tide.  It starts from the right side of the jetty.

The actual road was formed in the 1880s so that the coach could run between Waikawa and Fortrose.  We were excited to see the evidence of stone bridges over the creeks and the road raised above the sand.

The walk is normally around 20 minutes return.  We were so intrigued and fascinated by its history, that we kept walking for some time.  That may have been why we had a few ‘sinking moments’ in some rather boggy muddy sections.  We spent around 1.5hrs return wandering the Old Coach Road.

Curio Bay and Porpoise Bay

Possibly the most well known and popular spot to visit in the Catlins would be Curio and Porpoise Bay.  Actually, statistics show that over 100,000 visitors a year make the pilgrimage.  At a guess, this would be pre-COVID!

Not only is it a popular spot for humans – it is a favourite spot for some of our most precious and rare inhabitants:

• Yellow-Eyed Penguins (one of the rarest penguins in the world)
• Little Blue Penguins (the smallest species of penguin)
• Hector’s dolphin (one of the smallest and rarest marine dolphins in the world)
• Fur Seals and Sea Lions (their numbers are increasing after nearly hunted to extinction) 

You can view the wildlife in the area. Hector’s dolphins play in the surf during the summer months.  The Yellow-eyed and Blue penguins nest in the area around Curio Bay.  The fur seals and sea lions regularly haul themselves out of the water along the coastline.  We were clearly there at the wrong time of the year or time of day as we saw none of the above.

The Fossil Forest

Often referred to as The Petrified Forest, it is one of the most extensive and best-preserved examples of a fossil forest in the world.  It actually stretches about 20km and reaches nearly all the way to Slope Point.

Dating back to the Jurassic period, its been laying here for 180 million years.

You can tiptoe your way around the solid rock logs and stumps on low tide.  What you think is just another pile of rocks is actually the stump of a once towering tree.

There are viewing platforms and information panels which overlook the area.  This is especially handy if you can’t do stairs or fancy negotiating the sometimes slippery rocks.

So that I don’t start sounding like a Wikipedia site, here is the link to read more about how the Fossil Forest came about.

Koropuku Falls

It would be fair to say that there are some pretty impressive waterfalls in the Catlins. 

Only 10km from Niagara is the Koropuku Falls.  Not one of the more well-known falls in the Catlins and slightly more impressive than Niagara Falls! 

The track was formed through the sheer hard work of a couple of retired guys.  They knew of the existence of the falls and decided that they wanted other people to enjoy them too.  It took them 15 years to cut a 40-minute return trail.  They laid over 2000 punga logs to walk on.  I was very grateful for their hard work.  It meant that the track was a lot drier than it would have normally been. 

There is a little more challenging section just before reaching the falls which involves a little rock climbing which is a tad slippery.

Summary

Well, as you have read, this is just Part One of our explorations of the captivating Catlins.  It is a shame if you have to rush it.  Keep an eye out for Part Two coming soon.

Click on the link to see a video of our highlights of the ‘The Catlins’.