Dunedin - Te Anau
Hang out with frolicking seal pups and lazy sea lions, rare yellow-eyed penguins, and the only accessible mainland colony of Northern Royal Albatross in the world. Explore the wonders of the Catlins coastline.
Approx driving time 6 Hours 52 min
Pit Stop List
Summary
Locations along this route include:
| Dunedin | Book Accommodation | What to See & Do |
| Kaka Point | Book Accommodation | What to See & Do |
| Catlins Coast | Book Accommodation | What to See & Do |
| Riverton | Book Accommodation | What to See & Do |
| Invercargill | Book Accommodation | What to See & Do |
| Manapouri | Book Accommodation | What to See & Do |
Itinerary
Begin your road trip in Dunedin, and as you head towards the final destination of Te Anau, make sure you stop in to spy on the world's most endangered penguins. Penguin Place turns the tables: these yellow-eyed penguins roam free while visitors make their way undetected through a network of cunningly designed burrows into the heart of penguin country.
The Royal Albatross Centre on Taiaroa Head offers the chance to get up close to these legendary seabirds with their vast three-metre wingspan. Also check out Nature's Wonders Naturally – spectacular views from a 4-wheel Argo, and enjoy the precious wildlife habitat. There is also the Portobello Aquarium with its new deep-sea exploration experience.
Next call in to Mosgiel or follow the beaches of Westwood, Ocean View, Brighton and Kuri Bush, which lead to the village of Taieri Mouth, where fishing craft jiggle on their moorings. The hilly terrain offers sweeping views back over the city, before the road descends to the peaceful shores of Lake Waihola then on to Milton.
Hotspots
Head to Larnach Castle a must-see stop on the Otago Peninsula.
Visit the lighthouse at Nugget Point for spectacular views.
At Curio Bay at low tide, a petrified forest is exposed on a rock shelf. This amazing example of a Jurassic fossil forest is one of the geological wonders of the world.
Manapouri is the gateway to the ear-splitting silence of Doubtful Sound.
Te Hikoi, Cultural Heritage Museum and Visitor Information Centre in Riverton.
Tips
The Milford Road: Take the time out to walk – board a ferry from Te Anau Downs to the beginning of the Milford Track and walk a 54km route over four days, staying in huts along the way. This trail is so popular that it's fully booked for months in advance, but with some forward planning and a reasonable level of fitness there is no better way to fully appreciate the beauty of Tu-te-raki-whanoa's masterpiece.
Go to Gore: Visit the Eastern Southland Art Gallery, where a substantial bequest has created an outstanding display of world-class Australian Aboriginal, African and contemporary American art, as well as works by renowned New Zealand artists including Ralph Hotere, Rita Angus and Theo Schoon.
Head to McCracken's Rest: for a photo opportunity overlooking picture-perfect views of Te Wae Wae Bay before heading inland to Tuatapere.
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SH8 rises rapidly to Central Otago, and SH1at Balclutha competes in vain for the attention of travellers pursuing SH92into the dramatic coastal landscape that waits to unfold. There are some great walks in Balclutha – take a stroll along the Blair Athol Walkway as it meanders alongside the Clutha River. Visit Peggydale for a taste of Kiwiana.
Sweeping south out of Dunedin, the Southern Scenic Route cruises through the Catlins – a panorama of desolate beaches,formidable cliffs, dense rainforests, varied wildlife and isolated lighthouses.
After the coastal village of Kaka Point, a narrow and windswept trail leads to the lighthouse at Nugget Point. A Nugget View tour can be arranged at the Kaka Point Motels where you can enjoy a beach-side meal at the Point Café afterwards. Owaka caters for the sport-fishing and hunting crowd, as well as the nature lover, with abundant bush walks and spectacular coastal scenery and wildlife. At Surat Bay, where the SS Surat was wrecked in 1874, treasure hunters can comb the harbour for ballast tossed from19th-century immigrant ships. Make sure you visit the museum to find out about the local history. Head south, skirting the harbour, then hike to Jack's Blowhole or visit the Purakaunui Falls, which cascade over a series of ledges amid dense forest of podocarp and beech.
From here it's onto Papatowai where you can fill your tummy, fill your car, and stock up on every conceivable necessity in between. A visit to the Lost Gypsy Gallery is a must-do here as well.
Further along SH92, the Florence Hill Lookout provides breathtaking views of Tautuku Beach, smothered to the shoreline with a jungle of native forest. Head down for a dip in the blue water, wander along the beach or make your way to Lake Wilkie, set among broad-leaved flowering trees. Stop at Cathedral Caves, but check the tide first.
A short drive leads to the Waikawa turnoff,where the Niagara Falls Café and Gallery serves homemade fare from a renovated schoolhouse. Take a stroll to the Niagara Falls, which trickle into a rocky pool nearby.
Head on to Porpoise Bay, a quaint place where dolphins ply the waves and paua cling to rocky shelves in the shallow water. The campground at South Head is poised between the long, white beach and Curio Bay, where a 180-million-year-old fossilised forest can be seen at low tide.
Nearby Slope Point is the southernmost tip of the South Island. Waipapa Point's lighthouse guards the memory of NZ's worst shipping disaster, where 131 lives were lost when SS Tararua struck the reef in1881.
A holiday atmosphere permeates Fortrose year round. With fishing launches plying the tranquil Toetoes Harbour, an danglers wading in the rippling shallows of the Mataura River – this is a fishing lover's paradise.
As the Catlins fade into the distance, lush Southland pastures lead to Waimatua. From here, head down to the maritime village of Bluff. As ferries and fishing boats leave the port for Stewart Island, follow the spiralling walkway up Bluff Hill for unforgettable views of Invercargill and Foveaux Strait.
Visit the Maritime Museum, watch fishermen unload their catch, then wrap up warmly on the waterfront for a feast of legendary Bluff oysters and super-fresh fish and chips, for which this small sunny port is renowned.
Next stop is Invercargill, New Zealand's southernmost city. It offers an excellent range of shops and a selection of lively cafés, bars and restaurants. View New Zealand's largest collection of live tuatara (native reptiles) at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery and enjoy the locals – they're an open and friendly lot. Following the Southern Scenic Route out to Riverton, you must visit Te Hikoi Cultural Heritage Museum and Visitor Information Centre, the ultimate heritage attraction bringing the South Coast's history alive. Plan to have lunch at either the Beach House Café in Riverton with sweeping views of the ocean or at The Pavilion, in the relaxed seaside settlement of Colac Bay. A short drive away, the salt-encrusted cribs of Cosy Nook cling limpet-like to a boulder-strewn shoreline, and the discovery of gold in 1865 led to the growth of a tent town at nearby Monkey Island. At Orepuki you can sift the sands for hidden gems like garnets, jasper,quartz and sapphires.
Head to McCracken's Rest for a photo opportunity overlooking picture-perfect views of Te Wae Wae Bay before heading inland to Tuatapere. Tuatapere Sausages on Main St still makes traditional bangers the old way, and you can have a BBQ or pitch a tent in the Domain. Yesteryears Museum Café serves unforgettable pikelets amid a tasteful collection of memorabilia.
Tuatapere is home to the starting point of the Hump Ridge Track. Conceived and built by locals, the track meanders from sea level to alpine tundra and includes the largest wooden viaduct in the world. Trampers are led through parts of Fiordland National Park, along anal pine ridge, through forest, across Maori land and along deserted South Coastbeaches. The three-day, two-night walk provides a variety of options from freedom walking for independent trampers, through to fully guided walks.
Lake Hauroko is New Zealand's deepest lake,and its Department of Conservation (DOC) campsite has an enviable location on a sandy beach fringed by a forest. Basic conveniences are the price of beauty, but there's a toilet block and taps – just don't forget your drinking water and the mossie repellent!
Back on SH99 you can camp at the magnificent Clifden suspension bridge, which has been hanging around since1899, or, if your interests lie closer to earth, take a torch for a scramble through the underworld of Clifden Caves.
The touring route continues past the watchful gaze of the towering Takitimu Mountains to the mirrored waters of LakeManapouri, where you can see the snowcapped Hunter Mountains, Turret Range, and Cathedral and Jackson Peaks. Manapouri is the gateway to the ear-splitting silence of Doubtful Sound and trips depart daily from Pearl Harbour. From Te Anau, scenic cruises visit Te Anau Glowworm Caves, where beech trees grow down to the waterline, and walkers tramp along the Kepler Track inthe shadow of Mt Luxmore.
One of the main attractions in Te Anau is its ultra-modern cinema, where you can relax with a glass of wine in a comfortable sofa-like seat and watch Ata Whenua, a 32-minute scenic journey through the splendours of Fiordland World Heritage Wilderness.
More Information
Experience the ultimate trail, the Otago Central Rail Trail. Once a busy railway line connecting Clyde to Middlemarch, it's now a scenic, secluded trail spanning 150km. Cycle over old wooden trestle bridges, through eerie tunnels and across acres of sun-drenched rocky plains, and stop and admire the majestic mountains and dramatic gorges. Plus, experience classic southern hospitality when you stop overnight in small towns along the way – it's a great way to see Central Otago!
You don't have to be an expert cyclist to cycle the Rail Trail – almost anyone can do it. It's relatively flat and generally takes four days to complete comfortably – that's approximately four hours of riding per day, with plenty of accommodation options available along the way.
However, the trail experience can be as long or short as you want it to be. The trail is divided into sections, as short as 4km each, so you can choose to cycle just one section, or the whole trail.
Only 10 minutes from Invercargill's city centre, an idyllic location awaits. Sandy Point and Oreti Beach are popular for water sports and walking tracks, many with panoramic views and picturesque picnic spots.
If you've seen the film The World's Fastest Indian, you may recognise Oreti Beach – the 26-kilometre stretch of sand was featured in the film about Southland motorcycling legend Burt Munro.
At the southern end of Oreti Beach, you will come across Sandy Point, which is a haven for recreation. There are several walking tracks here that will take between 50 minutes and an hour-and-a-half to complete. You can also opt for a mountain biking adventure.
There's plenty of wildlife to see while here, you can also climb the sand dunes and the displays at the visitor centre provide a history of the area.
If oysters really are an aphrodisiac then Bluff must be the busiest little town in New Zealand – with a population of less than 2000 and a seasonal oyster yield of more than 300,000, that's a lot of oysters to get through!
Thankfully though, Bluff oysters are not only consumed at the bottom of the South Island. Believed to be the finest quality oysters in the world, Bluff oysters are dredged from their seabed then swiftly chilled and flown off all over the country.
The Bluff oyster is harvested between March and August from the clean, clear waters of the Foveaux Strait. Without a doubt, the Bluff oyster has put the tiny southern town on the map. They even have a festival dedicated to the much-revered mollusc; the Bluff Oyster & Food Festival takes place on Saturday 22 May 2010 to celebrate the start of the season.
As a rich source of zinc, selenium and other essential minerals, oysters are high in health benefits. They can be eaten raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, or in a variety of drinks.
But any avid oyster lover will tell you the best way to enjoy a Bluff oyster is fresh, raw, eaten straight from the shell. Worth travelling to the ends of the Earth for, or at least the bottom of New Zealand.
Dunedin's spectacular Otago Peninsula is a definite highlight of the region – you don't want to miss this, especially if you're a wildlife and nature lover. It's one of the few places in the world to boast such a diverse range of wildlife all within easy reach of the city.
And for an unrivalled viewing of these fascinating creatures, you can cruise the Otago Harbour, one of the most picturesque in the country. A tour will take you to the wildlife ‘hotspots' and provide informative commentary, ensuring you get the most from a visit here.
Among the birdlife and wildlife you may encounter are northern royal albatross – with their up-to-three-metres wingspan – yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand fur seals, sea lions, dolphins and plenty of ocean birds, including some that are rarely sighted.
What better way to explore Dunedin's impressive architecture and the history that goes hand in hand than by taking a self-guided heritage walk at your own pace? Dunedin has two such walks, each is just over two kilometres in length and takes around an hour to complete, depending on how long you stop at each point of interest. Just follow the bronze plaques on the footpath!
Dunedin's well-reserved heritage is well worth exploring, with the city being home to one of the finest collections of Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the southern hemisphere. This is evidence of the gold rush in the area over 100 years ago that lead to Dunedin being New Zealand's wealthiest cities. Many of the buildings built then are still standing in great condition, a proud testament to the golden days.
Highlights on the walks include the breathtakingly beautiful Dunedin Railway Station, various churches including the stunning St Paul's Cathedral, the Town Hall, a gaol and the array of company offices that have stood the test of time.
You won't find many shops or any banks here, but what Stewart Island lacks in services, it more than makes up for its variety of walks. There are both short and long walks exploring all corners of this picturesque island.
The island itself is larger than you might expect when looking at a map; at around 64 kilometres long by 40 kilometres across, it would take weeks of tramping to uncover it all!
Luckily, you don't have to, because it's easy to pick and choose between the walks that interest you. You can't really go wrong – since it's Stewart Island, you can guarantee that wherever you go, the tranquil scenery will be second to none.
Guided walks are very popular here, as you'll be informed and entertained by someone who knows the island like the back of their hand. However, there are plenty of walks that can be taken without guidance.
