Hiking the Catlins

You will walk into the forest, and at the fork, keep left to follow the Old Coach Road Track rather than the Old Possumers Track. This track leads through a forest of tree fern, silver beech, and totara. It leads out to the beach within 20 minutes. The forest part of the track is slightly undulating, slightly muddy at times, but not difficult or adverse. Near the end of the track there is an important moa hunter archaeological site where regenerating totara is growing.

At the end of the forest trail there is a rope to aid in getting down to the beach. Walk to the left toward the ocean.If you wish, you may walk along the beach until it terminates to view beautiful white cliffs covered in vegetation. The walk to the end of the beach may take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending on leisure. Along this beach are many beautiful and unique shells and rocks.

Disclaimer This track used to connect with Old Possumers Route, but OPR on the beach has unfortunately been closed/removed due to flooding and damage. This originally would have been a 3 hour loop. (We did not know this at the time, so we wandered around for about 3 hours on the beach attempting to find the connecting route which had been removed)

Getting there: The carpark is near the north end of the bridge over the Tahakopa River on SH92- Southern Scenic Route in Papatowai. Location: Catlins, south part of South Island of New Zealand