To us one of the most enjoyable things of the Southern Island was the Southern Scenic Route. This excellent signposted route takes you through some of New Zealands most scenic roads with a surprise and nice stop waiting around each corner. Technically the Milford Sound Highway is also part of this route, but more about that tomorrow and the Mouraki Boulders as seen below aren’t as they are above the starting point (Dunedin).
The most beautiful stretch of the route has been The Catlins which offer a glimpse of rural New Zealand set amid native forests, fringed by high cliffs and golden beaches. It is a world of waterfalls, including the tiered Purakaunui Falls, amongst the most photographed in the world. This spectacular coastal stretch is home to an array of marine life – sea lions are regular beach visitors, while dolphins frolic in the shallows. Nugget Point, with its lighthouse perched on a spur of land provides a spectacular viewing platform, while at Curio Bay, watch the outgoing tide reveal a 180 million year old Jurassic forest. Another low tide attraction is the Cathedral Caves. Etched by the sea over centuries, its entrance towers 30 metres above the beach.
