The Catlins Top Spots – Otago & Southland, NZ

The third stop on our Christmas South Island Tour was The Catlins. The longest drive on our road trip, (8 hours from Akaroa), this place needed to be worth it.

The Catlins, split between Otago & Southland states, is on the Southeast Coast of the South Island and has amazing beaches with inland forest. A pit stop on our way South from Akaroa was the Moeraki Boulders.

Best seen & photographed at sunset or sunrise, we came during high tide which was not ideal. These spherical stones are concretions that have been exposed through shoreline erosion from coastal cliffs.

Quite a crazy site to see, this is a busy tourist spot with a large cafe for tour busses. Only a short drive to the carpark from the main highway, and then a short walk to the beach, the Boulders were a great stopping point to stretch the legs after 4 hours of driving.

When we arrived in Dunedin, everything was closed as it was Christmas Eve. We continued to drive until we reached Kaka Point. Our home for the next 2 nights, this Airbnb had views!

Ocean views along with the Nugget Point Lighthouse in the distance, we got lucky booking this back in August and could finally relax.

With so much to see in the region, I planned our Christmas route with the weather looking up. Our first stop: Florence Hill Lookout.

The cows & sheep grazing in this pasture have the best view to live on. Next up, Lake Wilkie.

A reflection lake that was super tranquil, you would never guess this is on the other side of Florence Hill! Only about a 10 minute walk from the carpark, it is a nice bush walk for families.

Next up, Purakaunui Falls. As one of the most photographed waterfalls in New Zealand, it did not disappoint. As cell service is bad in this area, be sure to drive slow or you will miss the car park!

As it was Christmas day and again everything was closed, Mark and I chose to do a picnic on a beach for lunch. I chose Surat Bay because of the chance of seeing sea lions.

We saw 3 sea lions in about a 3 hour period. Just amazing! We needed to be careful where we walked because they bury themselves in the sand. Also, if you are in the water you need to give them space as well, as one jumped back in to cool off.

We picnic’ed by this sea lion for about an hour and watched his every move.

Next up we went to view some yellow eyed penguins. December and January the babies hatch and the parents take turns looking after them. At sunrise and sunset you can see them change posts from in the water to the nest or visa versa. We waited for a good hour but were unable to see any, however the view of their nests made it worth it.

The main attraction in The Catlins is the Nugget Point Lighthouse & Lookout.

A steep, windy drive up a mountain brings you to the car park. About a 30 minute walk later you end up here:

Not too crowded, it was very serene listening to the birds and waves crash against the rocks.

This was the best view to end our Catlin’s sightseeing with. We then drove back to our Airbnb, made dinner and enjoyed a relaxing Christmas evening.

The Catlins was definitely worth the drive and we were sad to only have been there for 2 nights. Next time we will aim for a week!

TIP: We got lucky with the full on sun and no clouds, but make sure you wear a hat to cover your face. It will keep you cool and prevent unwanted freckles.