Tours & Activities

Fishing

There are several rivers in The Catlins that hold good numbers of brown trout. The Owaka river and Catlins river are the two closest to Owaka and The Split Level accommodation. You can buy a fishing licence, lures, hooks and bait from the owaka four square supermarket. The lower stretches of these rivers are easily accessable through farmland and in some cases there is direct access from the road such as on Duttons Rd just north of owaka and the Catlins Lake via the road to Jacks Bay . More experienced anglers might enjoy the upper sections of the catlins river where it winds through huge beech forest and can be accessed off the catlins river walking track, watch out for logs and snags!

Catlins River Walk

The Catlins river walk is one of the best walks in The Catlins. The Department of Conservation keeps the track well maintained and has upgraded many sections of the track in recent times due to it's increasing popularity. It is a five hour one way walk through towering beech forest and home to the extremely rare Mohua or yellow head bird. Some of the features of the walk are its many swing bridges, tranquil setting amid towering beech forest - the last remaining on the east coast of New zealand and the beauty of the surrounding environment.

The walk can start at either end of the track at the Tawanui Camping ground or the Wisp Camping ground and can be broken down into 3 stages with access back to roads at Wallace stream and Frank’s stream. You will need a vehicle to pick you up at the end of the walk and this can become an issue for some people especially if you are travelling in one vehicle. Local tour company Catlins Adventures have transport options available, click the link for more information on their services.

Catlins Scenic Tour

Local tour operator Catlins Adventures run their Catlins Scenic Tour to get you off the main roads and into the heart of the wild Catlins, we reckon this is the only way to do it! You will see wildlife lik Sea Lions, pristine rainforest, beautiful waterfalls, untouched coastline, towering cliffs, Caves and many more unforgetable scenic sights.

They offer a great personalized tour to view the best Scenic attractions the Catlins has to offer. There are many breathtaking sights to see, however it is almost impossible to see everything in the Catlins in one day! So Catlins Adventures have selected the best of the best for you and if there is anything special you want to see they usually have the time to make a special visit.

Catlins Adventures also do multi day tours which can be booked as a package with our accommodation! The Catlins is essentially a quiet and relaxing place and with a multi day tour you can really take in what the Catlins is all about in a more relaxed way!

Places Visited on The Catlins Scenic Tour

Every time - Nugget Point, Cannibal Bay, Purakaunui Falls, Lost Gypsy Gallery, Lake Wilkie, Mclean Falls

Tide dependant - Curio Bay, Cathedral Caves, Tautuku Island, Tautuku bay (beach drive)

Optional visits - Clutha river mouth, Surat Bay, Tunnell Hill, Matai Falls, Whistling frog Cafe, Jacks Blowhole

Yellow Yed Penguin Tour

Get amoungst it with a guided wildlife tour to a secluded Penguin Sanctuary on the Catlin's Coast to view some of the best wildlife the south has to offer. Along with the Yellow-Eyed Penguin you may also see Fur seals, Giant Hooker Sea Lions, pelagic sea birds and some stunning wind-sheared scenery. The location was recently purchased by the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust to provide a crowd–free & predator-free, habitat for these highly endangered birds.

Your guide from Catlins Adventures tours will get you into the best viewing locations so you can spot the penguins as they make their way home from a day’s fishing at sea. As the birds come ashore they preen themselves on the rocks and go through their comic greeting rituals which can take some time, this allows for some great viewing! Click on the link to the Catlins Adventures website for more details of this tour.

Alternativley there is a public viewing hide at roaring bay which can be accessed on the way to Nugget Point lighthouse, the hide is located around 80 - 100m from the beach itself so you will need a good set of binoculars to see the penguins coming ashore. If you want a crowd free and closer view of the penguins then you might be better off booking a tour.

Rainforest Kayaking Tour

Peace tranquility and scenery!

These three words sum up the rainforest kayaking adventure! There are not many places left where you can kayak through un touched coastal rainforest like this. Your Catlins Adventures guide will take you on a kayaking adventure down the Tautuku river shrouded in native forest! This is an experience you won’t forget! The forest is alive with the sounds of native birds and the river reflects the overhanging trees like a mirror.

To top it all off the beautiful Fleming and Tautuku rivers are only a short 2 minute drive from the Whistling Frog Cafe & Bar and after the adventure this is a great spot to have a hot chocalate, coffee or a beer!