I stand by the fact that the Catlins region of New Zealand is the most underrated region in the whole country. Where else will you find jaw-dropping waterfalls, amazing wildlife, and quiet isolation (even by New Zealand standards)? With that being said, I think everyone should include a detour to the Catlins when visiting the country. Read on for a complete Catlins road trip itinerary, including the best things to do and places to stay along the way!
This itinerary goes north to south, starting in Balclutha and ending in Invercargill. You can definitely flip flop it and start from the other end as well. If you’re driving to the Catlins from somewhere else in New Zealand, you might want to add an additional day or two’s worth of driving time to either end of your trip.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. When you purchase through links on my site, I may make a small commission (at no extra cost to you!).
Where is the Catlins region?
The Catlins comprises a 1,900 km2 (730 sq mi) area in the southeast corner of New Zealand’s South Island. It stretches across the Otago and Southland regions between Balclutha and Invercargill. The entire area has a population of around 1,200 people.
Driving times to Balclutha from:
- Dunedin: 1 hour
- Queenstown: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Christchurch: 5 hours 40 minutes
Driving times from Balclutha to Invercargill:
- Via Southern Scenic Route: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Via State Highways 1 & 93: 1 hour 35 minutes
Read more about the Catlins on their official website.
How much time do I need for a Catlins road trip?
The Catlins area isn’t massive, so you could technically drive the whole stretch in less than a day. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you absolutely had to, however, as you would miss out on a lot of good stops. In my opinion, a Catlins road trip can be comfortably completed within 3 to 5 days. This timeframe gives you enough time to see most (if not all) of the things on your list. It also leaves some time open for relaxing or unplanned exploring. One week is probably the absolute maximum amount of time I’d want to spend here — any longer and I would get a bit bored.
Best time to visit the Catlins
Spring, summer, and autumn are all wonderful times to visit the Catlins. Spring and autumn are the shoulder seasons, which means fewer people and generally cheaper prices. Summer is great if you want to check out the beaches or do some surfing, but with the warmer weather comes more tourists and higher prices. We visited in April (the beginning of autumn) and it was great.
I would recommend against visiting the Catlins in the winter just because some popular attractions are closed. Always make sure to check opening and closing dates before you go to avoid disappointment.
- The Cathedral Caves are closed from June to mid-October
- The Lost Gypsy Gallery is closed from late April to late October (also closed Wednesdays during the summer)
What to pack on a Catlins road trip
Here are some items I found absolutely essential on our trip:
- A good rain jacket and/or umbrella
- Hiking boots and wool socks
- A cell phone signal booster for your vehicle (good phone service is hard to find in the Catlins!)
- A tripod with a wireless remote to take great pictures
- Something to keep you entertained at the campgrounds when you don’t have service (books on a Kindle, downloaded movies, Bananagrams, etc.)
- A portable espresso maker for good coffee on the go
Catlins road trip itinerary: Day 1
Start your trip in the town of Balclutha, New Zealand. This is a great spot to fill up your gas tank and buy groceries, as these services are scarce and expensive once you get farther south. Drive about 15 minutes to reach our first itinerary stop, Kaka Point.
Kaka Point
Kaka Point is a tiny seaside village with a population of about 300 people. It has some interesting history and is a good jumping-off point to the rest of the Catlins area.
Things to check out in Kaka Point:
- Kaka Point Beach
- The Port Molyneux School for a really delicious breakfast — this spot also doubles as a free self-contained camping site at night!
- Catlins Brewery for craft beer
- Kaka Point Bush Walk
Nugget Point
A 15-minute drive south from Kaka Point will bring you to Nugget Point. As one of the most popular attractions in the Catlins, this is a can’t-miss spot.
Nugget Point is a short walk along the ridge of a rocky peninsula. You’ll see a lighthouse, lots of massive boulders (or “nuggets”) in the sea, and plenty of wildlife in the pools below. It’s also a wonderful place to take some very unique photographs.
If you time it right, you can also check out the nearby Roaring Bay. At certain times of day, you’ll be able to see yellow-eyed penguins from a viewing hide on the beach.
Address: 523 The Nuggets Road, Ahuriri Flat
⇉ Nugget Point: All About the Coolest Lighthouse in the Catlins
Teapotland
Teapotland is exactly what it sounds like: a quirky collection of hundreds of teapots, all displayed on some guy’s front yard. It’s located twenty-five minutes from Nugget Point in the small town of Owaka. This is a quick and fun stop that won’t take you longer than 5 minutes to admire.
Look out for the cluttered yard on your right when driving down the main road (you can’t miss it). Why not, right?
Address: 21 Main Road, Owaka
Purakaunui Falls
Ahh, the first of many waterfalls you’ll get to experience in the Catlins!
Purakaunui Falls is a stunning 3-tiered waterfall near Owaka. You’ll pass through lush rainforest, cross over a bridge, and follow the river to the falls. The whole roundtrip walk takes about 20 minutes to complete.
Address: Purakaunui Falls Road, Purakaunui
⇉ Best Waterfalls in the Catlins: A Full Guide to 8 New Zealand Hidden Gems
Purakaunui Bay Campsite
Purakaunui Bay Campsite is a DOC-owned campsite just a few minutes away from the waterfall. This is where I recommend spending your first night in the Catlins: it’s beautiful, quiet, and has plenty of space away from other campers. In the morning, we took a walk around the water and explored the caves built into the cliffs.
Our visit here was extra special because we ended up accidentally herding an entire flock of sheep (!!!). Apparently, they had escaped from a nearby farm and couldn’t be turned around on the narrow road. With the farmer’s blessing, we pushed them down to the end and watched as his dogs herded them back home a few minutes later.
Note that there is absolutely no cell phone service at Purakaunui Bay. The campsite costs $8 per adult and $4 per child. From 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, you’ll need to make a booking online to reserve your spot.
Address: -46.54501713, 169.61183024
Catlins road trip itinerary: Day 2
On day 2, you’ll see a few more waterfalls, an eccentric and interactive art gallery, and some towering seaside caves. Be sure to check the tide times before heading off to Cathedral Caves — they’re only open at low tide, which changes every day. If low tide is early in the morning, consider changing around your schedule and visiting the caves on day 3.
Matai Falls
Matai Falls walk actually encompasses two separate waterfalls: Matai Falls and Horseshoe Falls. This is an easy 30-minute return walk that is located right off of the main highway halfway between the towns of Owaka and Papatowai.
Address: -46.505921, 169.485816
Lost Gypsy Gallery
The Lost Gypsy Gallery was one of our favorite activities in the Catlins. It is essentially a random, interactive gallery of artsy and weird things. The owner, Blair, creates and maintains all of the automata (mechanical toys). There is a bus with smaller and simpler automata that you can enter for free, but the paid gallery is where all the real fun happens. You’ll just have to experience it to understand!
Tickets are $8 per person and can be bought on the bus. The gallery also has a coffee cart out the front that makes amazing flat whites and homemade treats.
Address: 2532 Papatowai Highway, Papatowai
Cathedral Caves
The Cathedral Caves are often one of the first things people think of when mentioning the Catlins, and for good reason! These caves are lofty, majestic, and just plain fun to walk through.
If the tide times line up correctly, you’ll drive 15 minutes from the Lost Gypsy Gallery to reach the Cathedral Caves parking lot. From there, it’s a 1-hour return journey through forest and across beach. Tickets cost $10 per adult and $2 per child and can be bought from the ticket attendant.
Address: 1069 Chaslands Highway, Chaslands
⇉ Cathedral Caves: A Catlins, New Zealand Must-See
McLean Falls
McLean Falls is another incredible waterfall to add to your list. It is the largest and most popular waterfall in the Catlins, making it a must-see stop. The walk only takes 40 minutes return and goes through lush, green rainforest. The waterfall itself is multi-leveled and gets more impressive the farther up you climb.
Address: -46.573315, 169.346445
The Whistling Frog
The Whistling Frog is a campsite and resort near the town of Papatowai. I recommend staying here for night 2 because it’s the only spot in the surrounding area with wifi. The location is excellent — it’s right on the main road and is minutes away from Cathedral Caves and McLean Falls. They also have an amazing restaurant where I had one of the best cheeseburgers of my life.
Accommodation here is quite expensive, with the cheapest campsites going for around NZ$65. Sometimes you can find some kind of deal by booking online.
Address: 9 Rewcastle Road, Papatowai
⇉ The Best Apps to Use When Traveling New Zealand
Catlins road trip itinerary: Day 3
Day 3 of your Catlins road trip is all about experiencing the wild and rugged nature of life down south. You’ll see some more waterfalls, search for wildlife at Curio Bay, and stand near the cliffs at the southernmost point of the South Island. Expect to battle the elements a bit today — rain and wind are extremely common.
Koropuku Falls
This was my favorite waterfall walk in the Catlins. About a 13 minute drive from Whistling Frog, the Koropuku Falls walk is a privately-owned track maintained by locals. It’s bursting with life, from birds to fungi to plants and everything in between. It’s only a 30-minute return walk, so be sure to fit this one in your itinerary — you won’t regret it!
Address: 2800 Chaslands Highway, Progress Valley
Niagara Falls
I would only recommend stopping here if your travel companions have a sense of humor.
Niagara Falls (or lack thereof) is a tiny trickle of water named by a joker that had visited the real Niagara Falls in North America. This wee stream has viewing platforms and a nice trail that goes around the water. We found wild blackberries growing in some nearby bushes as well. I’d say it’s worth a stop, especially since it’s right off of the main road.
Address: -46.594531, 169.135398
Curio Bay
Just 10 minutes down the road from Niagara Falls is Curio Bay, a large, broad coastal bay. Curio Bay and nearby Porpoise Bay are great spots to see wildlife, including Hector’s dolphins, yellow-eyed penguins, southern right whales, and sea lions. You can read more about the wildlife at Curio Bay in this DOC pamphlet.
After a sudden torrential downpour, we were treated to a beautiful rainbow stretching across the headland. Although we didn’t end up seeing any wildlife, this is such a beautiful spot and somewhere you definitely shouldn’t miss!
Address: 601 Waikawa-Curio Bay Road, Curio Bay
Petrified Forest
The Petrified Forest is right beside Curio Bay. The tree fossils are visible at low tide and date back over 170 million years. You can walk along the beach to see the Petrified Forest and then take a walk through the Living Forest walkway to see what the trees would have looked like when they were alive.
Address: 25 Mair Road, Curio Bay
Slope Point
Slope Point is the southernmost point of New Zealand’s South Island. To get to the famous yellow sign, you’ll park in the parking lot and walk through private farmland. We passed a bunch of cows, which stare at you in a very creepy manner but are otherwise harmless. This walk is extremely windy — don’t get too close to the edge of the cliffs!
There is a DOC campground nearby named Waipohatu Picnic Area that I recommend staying the night in. It was flat, quiet, and had pretty good cell phone reception.
Slope Point address: 500 Slope Point Road, Slope Point
Waipohatu Picnic Area address: 195 Weir Road, Slope Point 9884
Catlins road trip itinerary: Day 4
This is the last day of your Catlins road trip! Day 4 includes some hiking, sightseeing, and delicious food (woohoo!).
Waipohatu Walk
The Waipohatu Walk is the one activity on this Catlins road trip itinerary that we didn’t get to personally. I’ve heard really good things about it, however, which is why I wanted to include it anyway.
This track is longer and less well-maintained than the other waterfall tracks on this list. The full roundtrip walk is 6 km (3.7 mi) long and will take around 2 hours to complete. After your trek through the hilly rainforest, you’re rewarded with not one, but two stunning waterfalls.
Address: 100 Waipohatu Road, Niagara
Waipapa Point Lighthouse
This is a lesser-known lighthouse, but a neat one to see nonetheless. Waipapa Point Lighthouse was built in 1884 and was one of the last wooden lighthouses to be built in New Zealand. Around the lighthouse, there are sand dunes, a raised viewpoint, and a shelter with information on the spot’s history. This is a nice place to take a walk or have a picnic for lunch.
Address: 211 Waipapa Lighthouse Road, Otara
Bluff
Bluff is the southernmost town in mainland New Zealand. Nowadays, it’s most famous for its Bluff oysters, which are considered a delicacy. This is also where you’ll come if you’re taking the ferry to Stewart Island.
Best things to do in Bluff:
- Eat some oysters! We went to Oyster Cove restaurant, which was yummy but definitely overpriced. Try to venture out of the more touristy areas to get a better bargain.
- Take a picture with the Stirling Point sign
- Take a hike:
- Foveaux Walkway: 2-hour return coastal track
- Topuni Track: 1 hour 40 minutes return to the top of Bluff Hill
- Glory Track: In January this track is covered in blooming rātā trees
- Visit the Bluff Maritime Museum to learn about military ships
After exploring Bluff, you’ve officially made it through the Catlins. If you want to spend a bit longer in this neck of the woods, you can tack on one or two days to explore the city of Invercargill, which is only 20 minutes from Bluff.
⇉ The Ultimate Guide to Traveling New Zealand
Thanks for reading this Catlins road trip itinerary post! I hope you found it helpful or got inspired to take your own trip through the Catlins in the future.
xoxo Niki
