A different world _{by Madelaine Empson}

The Catlins (Summer 2018)

My partner and I arrived in Dunedin on a Friday morning for a weekend of immersion in the great outdoors of the Catlins. If you haven’t heard of the place, I’d describe it as a little pocket of dramatic beauty filled with surprises that will take your breath away.

Located along the Southern Scenic Route, the Catlins stretch about an hour and a half’s drive from one end to the other. Dean and I would have been smarter to fly into Invercargill; it would have taken us just over an hour to get to our accommodation in Curio Bay, whereas the drive from Dunedin airport took two and a half! However, driving the entirety of the Catlins – not just twice to get there and back again, but four times in total – gave us a great indication of the area. We treated it like a little road trip, aka a good excuse to stock up on snacks!

The drive was the first but by no means the last thing that surprised me about the Catlins. Scenically, you could mistake the terrain for any other stretch of rural South Island countryside. Except in the middle of farmland as far as the eye can see, you might spot a sign pointing out a waterfall. Follow that sign, and you’ll find yourself in the middle of native forest, another world, in five minutes flat. Then it’s back to the main road, to farmland again, like it never happened.

My favourite moment of the drive, and one that never got old, was driving over an unassuming hill and suddenly finding the ground below us had turned into ocean. Florence Hill Lookout watches over sweeping Tautuku Bay, a magical beach we didn’t get to frolic along due to maniacal weather – but more on that later.

Dean and I arrived in the Catlins after a leisurely drive, replete with a stop to meet the generous, charming, chuckling Clutha District marketing manager Toby, at about 4pm. On the way to our accommodation, we found a rustic information centre and museum in Waikawa, and popped in to say hello. We found the museum a little eclectic, but the staff knowledgeable. Ruth was particularly well-versed in sawmilling, the main industry in the Catlins between 1870 and 1970.

Walking into our accommodation, Curio Bay Salthouse, was like walking into a dream. The apartment is fabulously appointed with all the mod cons one could ever need, but it was the view that temporarily stopped our hearts beating. With floor-to-ceiling windows and access to a deck perfectly placed to watch the sunset over the water, hector’s dolphins trilling in the distance, we both could have happily sat in the lounge for days.

Alas, no rest for the explorers! After I spent a good five minutes squealing with delight (Dean is more of the ‘appreciative grunt’ type), we put our bags down and went straight out the door to Curioscape for dinner and more.

Curioscape is a one-stop shop for tourism in the area. It offers a campground, interactive museum, viewing platforms to spot yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho), a café, bar, and restaurant, and notably, a pristine Jurassic Fossil Forest.

The team at Curioscape have taken one of only three accessible petrified forests in the world and concocted a great activity around it: a living forest walkway just across the road. Walking between both is quite the activity. I have to admit, my very smart brain perceived the petrified wood to be humble rocks at first. But after Dean let me in on the ‘secret’, standing on whittled-down trees that were millions of years old was unreal.

Dinner at Curioscape was a lovely affair, with great service from Georgia. The restaurant itself could be made into a very special, intimate dining area with a little redecoration, but serves its purpose well as a transient space for travellers to enjoy a coffee or wine before hopping on their merry way again. The meals were expensive but the food good and the portions huge. I managed a quarter of my steak, a dismal effort, before having to unbutton my jeans and call it a night.

Then it was a quick dive through the impressive interactive gateway, a high-tech museum offering great insight into the area, before hitting the hay.

Fabulously, our sleep was interrupted by penguins! Thank goodness Georgia told me ‘hoiho’ means ‘noise shouter’, and not to be alarmed if they come crashing and bashing under the house at midnight. Sadly, that was the closest we came to a yellow-eyed penguin in the Catlins, although the area is renowned for them. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears blocked!

Dean and I arose early the next morning for an action-packed day of adventure. Our first stop was a place I’ll never forget: Nugget Point. I’d advise travellers to allow two hours to fully absorb the majesty of this place, and to bring a camera with a good zoom to spot fur seals basking on the rocks on the way up. At the top of a meandering, seal-laden 20-minute walk, we arrived at the grand ol’ Tokata Lighthouse, built in 1869. The sheer beauty and magnitude of Nugget Point is something I can’t put into words. Feeling as if one step would send me tumbling over the edge of the universe, I shed a tear at the lookout. We made our way over to Roaring Bay after that to spot yellow-eyed penguins, but the little yellers were nowhere to be heard.

After lunch, we moseyed on to Owaka Museum, which we found very impressive for such a small town. Owaka, meaning place of the canoe, is the largest settlement in the Catlins – although this means a population of less than 500 people! With its informative displays, interesting artefacts, and friendly staff, Owaka Museum is well worth a visit.

Next we met Blair of The Lost Gypsy Gallery in Papatowai. An artist who creates curious installations out of found objects, Blair is a local character and a half. He’s crafted his private museum out of shoes and bike wheels, rubber ducks and cricket balls – and believe me, I’m barely scratching the surface here. The Lost Gypsy is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. A room in which every key of a piano activates a different sound, light, or movement (think the wig of a mannequin head lifting clean into the air) was one of my favourite places in the whole of the Catlins.

At this point it started pouring with rain, but Dean and I were not to be deterred. We had our walking shoes on, after all! So it was on to Cathedral Cave.

Here we met the fabulous Liz, who kindly lent me her personal waterproof jacket. After a classic New Zealand bush walk, peaceful and serene with plentiful punga, we arrived on a breathtaking beach. The landscape was made all the more atmospheric by the lighting now crackling in the distance. As feral waves crashed against the shore and rain thundered down our necks, we ducked into the shelter of the majestic cave, its mouth gaping like a great black hole. At 199 metres in total passage length, Cathedral Cave is currently one of the 30 longest known sea caves in the world. I hummed a ditty in the cavern, and was told famous opera singers often do the same. It’s a shame we didn’t have a ukulele in our backpack to enjoy the heavenly acoustics!

Sopping wet but spiritually satisfied, we made our way to Whistling Frog for dinner. How divine. The food was absolutely worth the price, my succulent Southland lamb a tender medium rare and the homemade black aioli an evening highlight. Our waitress Nicole was attentive, helpful, and bubbly, and we loved meeting her husband: Whistling Frog’s head chef Sam, who makes “the best pies known to man”, according to a delighted Dean.

Our bellies fit to bursting, we fell into an instant food coma and slept straight through till morning.

Our last day in the Catlins was again jam-packed with activities. We were up at the crack of dawn to visit the famous Purakaunui Falls, the three-tiered beast you see pictured here. The bush walk to McLean Falls, the tallest in the Catlins, was dotted with mystical, moss-covered trees and ever-changing scenery.

We then stopped into Earthlore Wildlife Gardens. Run by Gordon and his wife Janine, this bug park is all about encouraging kids to get off the screens and outside for a spot of natural play. The littlies will love feeding the donkeys, meeting the geese, watching the flea circus, and playing dress up. Kids at heart, Dean and I enjoyed posing as spider and fly in a silly episode of giggles and grins.

Our final stop? Catlins Brewery at Kaka Point, where we met the MacGyver-esque brewer Norm and his business partner Peter. A cider modelled on a dry English draft took my fancy, while Dean raved about an earl grey Weiss beer – a surprisingly delicious brew born out of a lost bet! These two warm gentlemen will spin yarns with you for hours over a merry pint or five. Fair warning: if you’re visiting, do book a hotel in the area.

Many travellers just pop through the Catlins without realising how much it has to offer. If you’re willing to get off the beaten track and perhaps a little down and dirty, you’ll discover infinite wonders in this undisturbed natural paradise. Our two days felt like a blessing, but even still, we would have loved more time to explore the Catlins. It truly is a different world.