There are so many incredible tracks across Aotearoa and like so many of us, I want to get to as many of them as I can whilst I am on holiday and have the chance to travel. However, not everything worth seeing requires a huge level of effort and often as we rush to get from one track to the next, we miss out on seeing some incredible highlights on the way. Actually, driving through New Zealand can be just as rewarding as the destination you are trying to get to, so before deciding on your route, take a look at what options are available and consider stopping along the way to make it part of your exploration.
This is exactly what I did on a trip to walk the Rakiura Track on Stewart Island. I flew into Dunedin and needed to make my way down to Bluff for the ferry crossing, so I decided to turn this into a bit of an adventure rather than trying to get there as quickly as I could and added a night to do so.
Having arrived in Dunedin in the early afternoon I first headed to Tunnel Beach. It was a blue-sky day and on the drive to the start of the track the turquoise water caught my eye every time the coast was visible. It’s just a short 25-minute drive from the airport and whilst it is in the wrong direction if heading to Bluff, on a good day I think the extra time is worthwhile.
Tunnel Beach (2.6km/1hr walk)
As the name suggests, the highlight of this walk is the tunnel that has been carved through the rock and down to a beautiful, secluded little beach. However, on a nice day the walk to any one of the viewpoints along the 2km track is worth a visit in itself so if you don’t have time to go all the way down, then it is still a nice place to get some fresh air and take in the views.
The track is well maintained and there is nothing technical about it, however there is a lot of downhill to get to the beach….and therefore a lot of uphill on the way back! It is also quite exposed, so tricky to find anywhere to shelter from the sun. You will find information signs along the way telling you about the local plants and what they have traditionally been used for and there are plenty of places to sit down and enjoy the views whilst you regain your breath on the way up the hill!
Having filled my lungs with ocean air and got the legs working, I decided to add a spontaneous additional stop to my itinerary and booked myself on a guided tour of the Royal Albatross Centre in the evening. It is a bit of a drive out of Dunedin to get there, but the road is beautiful and given I had the extra night I figured I may as well make the most of it.
Royal Albatross Centre
My primary objective that evening was to see penguin ironically enough. Tours start at the Albatross Centre and so I arrived early and was able to learn about the fascinating birds that return to the Dunedin Coast each year and head out to see the colony. As dusk approached we headed down to a little beach near the centre where Kororā/Blue Penguin return to shore at night. After waiting a while we saw the first one sprinting across the sand from the dark water. Moments later more emerged and after a while your eyes became attuned to the ripples indicating a penguin was approaching. Some soft lighting further up the banks enabled us to still see the birds as they made their way up to their nests and we remained until the flow of birds arriving to shore had more-or-less stopped. It was a fantastic experience.
Cup now filled with the experience of watching tiny Blue penguins make their way to shore, I continued my journey towards Bluff with a 30-minute drive out of town where I had found some accommodation for the night. That meant the next morning I only had to drive another 1 hour towards Kākā Point for my first stop of the day.
Nugget Point Lighthouse (10 minute walk)
Rocky outcrops heading into the ocean are a great photo point along the coastlines of New Zealand, but there is something that particularly captures our imagination when there is a lighthouse nestled into the rocks as a focus point. Nugget Point Lighthouse, built in 1869, provides just this inspiration, and you will see it in many photos advertising the beauty of Aotearoa.
It is an easy 10-minute walk from the car park to the lighthouse viewing platform and if you are lucky you will spot the fur seal colony in the rocks below. If you are keen on wildlife spotting and will be passing through in the late afternoon, then it is worth stopping in at Roaring Bay which is just down the road. There is a bird viewing hide a 10-minute walk from the parking area from where you may see yellow eyed penguins.
The next couple of stops on my journey were focussed in on waterfall hunting. The Catlins are known for their spectacular falls, and these are a great option if the rainy weather hits as it makes them all the more spectacular.
Purakaunui Falls (20 minute walk)
A 45-minute drive from Nugget Point brought me to Puraukanui Falls car park. From here a short, well maintained and easily accessible track led the way to a viewing platform of the three-tiered Falls. From the platform you can venture down for a better view of the Falls which is where the photo is taken.
Matai Falls (40 minute walk)
The next stop on my trail was Matai Falls which is just a 10-minute drive down the road. This requires a slightly longer walk to reach the Falls, but again, it is a well-formed track and guides you through some beautiful forest where you see some of the old railway line that used to connect Owaka to Tahakopa before arriving at the beautiful 10m high Falls.
There was one more Waterfall on my list, but before getting there I drove the 25 minutes out to Waipati beach for a bit of a change of scenery and some cave exploration.
Cathedral Caves (1km walk to the beach)
To reach the caves you first have a 1km walk through the bush which crosses Maori freehold land, managed by a trust. Note that there is a charge ($2 - $10) for the use of the car park and access to the bush track, beach and caves payable by card only. Once on the beach you spend hours exploring the shoreline and the two spectacular, 30m high caves. The two caves have been carved out of the sandstone cliff by the ocean and have joined at the back.
The colours of rock and patterns formed by the fractures in the sandstone are truly beautiful and if the light catches them correctly it feels like you are looking up at a mosaic. I could have stayed here much longer, but the onward journey beckoned, so I headed back towards the car and on to my final stop of the trip.
McLean Falls (40 minute walk)
A further 15-minute drive from the beach and on the way towards Bluff I stopped at my final waterfall, McLean Falls. This is a 40 minute, relatively easy bush walk with a gentle uphill that leads to an impressive 20m Waterfall. It was probably the most impressive of the waterfalls to see, with the volume of water cascading over the rocks and tumbling below the viewpoint. With rain now pouring down it was hard to get a good photo and I didn’t hang around too long, but I would certainly return given the chance!
Curio Bay (10 minute walk)
Another 40 minutes down the road I decided I needed a lunch break so stopped in at Curio Bay and with the rain now back in check and coffee in hand from the little café, I went for a stroll along the Penguin walk. Having not really planned on this stop, I didn’t hold out much hope of spotting a penguin, but much to my delight I got lucky!
Just as I arrived a Hoiho/Yellow-eyed penguin that is endemic to New Zealand emerged from the water and wandered along the waters edge before climbing up onto the rocks and disappearing off into one of the many cracks. It wasn’t there for long and I felt particularly privileged to see it, as everyone I had spoken to on the way out to the viewing point reported that they hadn’t seen anything. I guess sometimes luck is just on your side.
Slope Point (10 minute walk)
The last stop on my list is the Southernmost point on the South Island of New Zealand and was a further 20 minutes down the road. By the time I arrived the wind had picked up and a bit of rain had arrived – it was easy to see why the trees are leaning over so firmly to the ground, they don’t have an easy life!
I hesitated for a minute as the horizontal rain drops hit me in the face as I started walking towards the start of the track, but continued on through the field to make my way to the all-important sign. It is only a 10 minute walk through farmland and is relatively easy. Note that the track is closed during lambing season (Sept – Nov) so check before you go. On a nice day it is definitely worth spending some time there as you can watch the waves crashing in over some incredible rock formations. As the rain progressed, I made a relatively quick return to the car instead of exploring too much.
Southernmost point reached and heavily windswept, I got back to my car and set off for Bluff which by now was only just over an hour’s drive away. The 5-hour drive from Dunedin Airport beautifully broken up over a 24-hour period and packed with points of interest, waterfalls and wildlife as well as opportunities to stretch my legs so I was primed and ready for my Rakiura trek.
If you have a long drive coming up and want some ideas or inspiration for ways to turn this into a fun journey, Inzider Trails can help. Enquire here.
