The Southern Scenic Route

Thanks to Hamish, Annette and Flavia, we set off on the Southern Scenic Route from Dunedin armed with helpful hints on what to see and do. There were beautiful lonely beaches, where the wind had written on the sand...









We clambered out of the car at gusty Nugget Point to walk to the lighthouse.



It really was very gusty! Standing out here on the grating gives a bit of a thrill, suspended over the exposed cliffs.



The ocean was a beautiful deep colour, it was mesmerising watching the giant strands of bull kelp sway in the water.



We also headed into the forest to see hidden waterfalls, famous in the Catlins. Contrary to my previous beliefs, the Catlins coast is easily explored and you don't need to tramp very far to see the sights - McLeans Falls were a 15min round trip.



While the iconic multi-tiered Purukaunui Falls were 10 min walk through the podocarp forest from the car park!



Dave took this photo to illustrate how tall the tree ferns grow in the forest. It's fun to imagine that this is what ancient forests looked like, when there were plenty of huia and moa, all the mystical extinct birds of New Zealand roaming the land.