The variety of forests, waterfalls, sea coasts and views over open rolling farmland make the Catlins a walker’s dream. Apart from the most popular half dozen places you will possibly meet no-one else in a day’s exploring.
 

Waikawa – "The Old Coach Road” is a walk across the estuary, possible at low tide starting from the right side of the jetty.  Evidence can still be seen of the stone bridges over the creeks and the road raised above the sand. 
A short forest walk named in memory of a well-loved local, George Aitken, starts behind the Waikawa Hall. You will find some helpful labels naming the native trees, and peaceful views of the estuary.

Curio Bay – Easy walking to the beach, the headland and to view the Fossil Forest.

Slope Point – The southern most point in the South Island, which is accessible through private property, is closed to the public from 1 September to 1 November due to lambing season. It is absolutely essential to respect the signs at the parking area.

Otara –  A short walk from the road to the "Tararua Acre".  A cemetery containing some of the casualties of the worst civilian shipwreck in New Zealand, which occurred on the  Waipapa Reef in 1881.

The Waipapa Lighthouse, the last wooden light built in NZ, was erected in 1884 as a result of the disaster. If sealions and tide permit, one may walk east on a wide sandy beach for eight kilometers, and on towards Slope Point via a legal roadline. A derelict gold dredge lies in the sandhills

Waipohatu – The "Waipohatu Recreation Area" gives wheelchair access to an excellent example of the southern rain forest, with an impressive range of species especially ferns. It is registered as a Kiwi Walk. A second, less-maintained, three hour track leads to two small waterfalls.
 

Fortrose – The walk along the beach and around the headland near the golf course at Fortrose leads to a view over the swirling exit of the Mataura River.

O’Neill’s Bush –  Is a small remnant of lowland beech forest on the flat close to where the Fortrose-Invercargill highway crosses the Titiroa River.

Walks in the North Catlins
Kaka Point area
Owaka area
Papatowai area
Tautuku area
Chaslands area
 

Kaka Point area

Nugget Point – There is a 20 minute return walking path to the Roaring Bay viewing hide, as well as a 10-20 minute return walk to the Lighthouse.  This is a 47 hectare reserve and is home to many of the southern coast’s animals and birds, including elephant seals, fur seals, Hooker’s sea lions, the rare yellow-eyed penguin and many other species of seabird.  Please use the hide for viewing the yellow-eyed penguins, and never approach within 20 metres of penguins or sea lions.
 

Awakiki Bush – Farm and bush walk to a conservation reserve featuring a very large Totara tree.

Kaka Point – Bush track, at the top of Marine Terrace.  This 30 minute loop track takes you through a good cross section of vegetation types, including ferns and perching plants.  Most podocarp species are also present.

Tunnel Hill - - On the road between the Nugget Point turn-off and Owaka you will find one of the last remains of the old Catlins River railway, which when completed ran from Balclutha to Tahakopa.  The tunnel was completed in 1895.  It is just a short walk (10 minute each way) down to the tunnel.  You can walk through the 250m tunnel, but the old line beyond the other side is impassable and overgrown.

Owaka area

Purakaunui Falls – The road to these falls, which have long been a trademark of The Catlins, is well signposted from the South end of the Catlins River Bridge.  The walk to the falls enters the Reserve directly opposite the toilets and car park. The 10-minute (one-way) walk to the top viewing point is an interpretative walk, highlighting the many native trees and shrubs found in the Reserve.  This part of the track is accessible by wheelchair.
 

Pounawea Bush & Nature Walk – The start of this walk is at the back of the Pounawea Motor Camp  - - park your car outside the gate.  The nature walk is 15 minutes, round trip.  You can take a longer walk (40 minutes, round trip) through this remnant stand of virgin podocarp forest, rich in birdlife, and return via the saltmarsh and estuary.  It is rare to find this kind of intact sequence of vegetation from estuary shore to forest.Each year godwits return to the sand spit near the mouth of the estuary. There is also a short walk – 20 minute round trip, starting from in front of the Keswick Convention Centre.  It follows the Owaka River, an area of the river known as ‘The Elbow’, and brings you out at the beginning of the town, following the road back to the Convention Centre.

Catlins River Valley – the Catlins River Track runs from ‘The Wisp’ to Tawanui Camp Ground (DOC).  The entire track is 5 hours one-way, or can be broken up into three smaller segments.  Wisp to Wallis Stream – 1 hour, Wallis Stream to Frank’s Creek – 1.5 hours, and Frank’s Creek to Tawanui – 2.5 hours.  Along the track you will pass through attractive silver beech forest, cross swing bridges and possibly spot the endangered Mohua, or Yellowhead bird.  The track offers excellent opportunities for trout fishing.  At times parts of this track may be closed due to nearby logging of exotic forest, check at the Information Centre.  It is recommended if you venture off the track that you are well versed with compass and map - - The 1-50,000 series, G46 Clinton contains the track in its entirety. 

Coastal Route – Cannibal Bay to Surat Bay
The walk takes you along the beaches of Cannibal Bay to False Islet where you can climb to the top of the cliffs for the spectacular view, then drop down to Surat Bay.  Return through the sand hills where remains of a forest and moa hunters camp may be seen.  These beaches are popular resting spots for Hooker Sea Lions.  DO NOT approach within 20 metres of any Hookers Sea Lion.

Jacks Blowhole – The blowhole is in Tunnel Rocks Scenic Reserve and is a large hole 55 metres deep, 200 metres from the sea.  This one hour return walk is accessed from Jacks Bay.  Please stick to the marked track and use the fence stiles.  You are requested to respect the right granted by the Land owner.  The track is closed during lambing, 1 September – 1 November.

Matai Falls – This 20-minute return walk is signposted along the Southern Scenic Route, approximately 18km south of Owaka.  The walk to the falls is through regenerating podocarp/broadleaf forest.  A wooden platform built into the bed of the stream provides a convenient place to the view the 10m high falls.  About 50m upstream the stream divides and drops over Horseshoe Falls which are worth the steep 5-minute climb to them when the river is running high. 

Papatowai area

Shanks’s Bush Nature Trail – A twenty minute self-guided walk through a variety of habitats in a private reserve. Located in Papatowai at the junction of Chaslands Highway and Tahakopa Valley Road.
 

Old Coach Road – The start of 40-minute return walk is on the north end of the Tahakopa River bridge on the Southern Scenic Route.  Coaches forded the river below the present bridge, and you follow the same route to the beach.  The silver beech in this forest are the southern-most stand of this species.  Near the mouth of the river where the totara are growing was the site of early maori occupation and has been the centre of much archaeological interest.  To extend this walk you can continue along the beach and re-enter the bush to follow the Tahakopa Bay Loop Track back to the car park – this creates a 3 hours return journey.  Alternately follow the beach to the end and rejoin the Old Coach Road once more, climb the hill to Purakauiiti, and eventually join the Puaho Road which descends to the Maclennan River not far from the estuary.  This would be a day walk.

Picnic Point – This walk is suitable for all age groups and provides plenty of variety.  It is a 20-minute walk each way, with a possible extension of another 20 minutes each way to Kings Rock (signposted from junction).  The start of the walk from the bush side is signposted from the Papaptowai township, you can return via the sandy shore.  The layering of the rock structure at Picnic Point provides an excellent exposure of the geological structure of the region.  The extension towards Kings Rock offers bush scenery and viewpoints of small bays and seascapes.

Tautuku area

Lake Wilkie – Just South of the Tautuku Outdoor Education Centre on the Southern Scenic Route, a short walk takes you to a boardwalk over part of the Lake and shows well the forest sequence.  When the Rata is in flower around the viewing area, there can be a magnificent feast of colour as well as sound, as tui and bellbird enjoy the nectar.  This walk is suitable for wheelchairs to the top viewing point.

Estuary Boardwalk – A project of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, this 20-minute return walk starts from the Fleming River Bridge on the Southern Scenic Route.  This peaceful walk meanders out onto the Estuary into Fernbird habitat and to the edge of the mudflat habitat of crabs, snails and wading birds.

Lenz Reserve – This reserve is virtually opposite the road leading to the estuary walkway.  There is access to it from the south side of the Fleming River bridge.  The reserve, owned by the Forest and Bird organisation, contains three walks – a short nature trail, a wetland walk (one hour return) and a longer trail into the forested hills, which follows the tramlines that carried logs to Clarke’s sawmill.  To gain access to the reserve phone the caretaker in Papatowai at (03) 415 8024.

Traill Tractor – A flat walk of 200m leads you to a shelter where this early piece of bush-tram machinery has been set up on rails near the site of the long-gone Cook sawmill.  The tractor, a Fordson farm tractor converted for use on wooden rails was the invention of Frank Traill, who took out a patent for it in 1924.

Chaslands area

Cathedral Caves – Another trademark of The Catlins are Cathedral Caves on Waipati Beach, south of Tautuku.  The caves and access road are only accessible two hours before and after low tide.  The 40 minute return walk winds down to the beach through dense bush and then a short distance north along the beautiful Waipati beach.  The charge to visit the caves is $3 per adult and $1 per school child.  Access to the caves may be closed, even at low tide due to inclement weather.  Check at the Catlins Information Centre in Owaka. Tide times 2007/2008.
 

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