Natural Attractions

The Catlins is the Real Deal

Southand's natural attractions are pretty much all about the Catlins coast, and the key to it is getting off the main road. The main highway through here isn't consistently scenic, but take the detours and it's a completely different story. Papatowai is the most scenic stretch of the main route, but the real stuff is out on the gravel roads leading to raw, edge-of-the-earth places most people fly straight past.

The Coastline That Points to Antarctica

Nugget Point Lighthouse is a stunner - raw Pacific ocean, steep rocky outcrops, fur seals and NZ sea lions all going about their business. Down at Surat Bay and Cannibal Bay you've got some of the best NZ sea lion viewing in the country, and these creatures are the full deal, big blubberous 500kg sub-antarctic animals, not the little fur seals you see everywhere. Slope Point, the true southern tip of the South Island, is exposed and windy but genuinely cool, and Waipapa Point Lighthouse sits on some equally interesting coastline with sea lions and great stones on the beach below. These aren't polished tourist stops. They're proper wild.

Go Slow or Don't Bother

The Catlins fills your soul in a way that Queenstown or Wanaka doesn't quite manage, but only if you give it time. Those that rush through in a day are often less positive about it. Two or three nights is the sweet spot. The waterfalls at McLean and Purakanui are both short walks through great native bush and worth doing, especially after rain. And if you're at Curio Bay, stick around a while - the resident Hector's dolphins are rare and your best chance of seeing them is putting in some time, ideally staying the night.