The Catlins is the part of New Zealand that people tend to skip, and then regret skipping. It is a ragged southeastern coast, running from Waipapa Point on the Southland side to the Clutha River mouth, a country of dense rimu and rata forest that comes down to the sea, of black cliffs, remote beaches and heavy Southern Ocean surf. Papatowai is a tiny settlement near the middle of it, with Balclutha a long way north and Owaka a smaller place to the east, and you feel the isolation immediately. The road, part of the Southern Scenic Route between Dunedin and Invercargill, is mostly sealed but narrow and twisting, rarely straight for more than a few hundred metres.
What makes the Catlins special is its wildlife and its geology. At Curio Bay, at low tide, you can walk across a rock platform that holds the stumps of a Jurassic forest, around a hundred and eighty million years old, with the stone logs still lying where the trees fell. Yellow-eyed penguins, or hoiho, one of the rarest penguins in the world, come ashore at dusk on some of the beaches, and sea lions and fur seals haul out on the sand. At Nugget Point a lighthouse sits on a narrow ridge above a scatter of rocky islets, and the Cathedral Caves can only be reached at low tide.
The forests are damp and green, with ferns and moss thick on every trunk, and waterfalls such as Purakaunui, tiered and beautiful, are a short walk from the road. Expect rain at any time of year, and cold wind off the ocean even in summer. The roads can be slippery under the trees, with wet leaves and patches of gravel, so keep a generous margin. Sheep and cattle are often on the road, and slow vehicles are common.
Fuel is thin here, and you should plan for it. Fill the tank in Balclutha or Invercargill before you enter the area, and treat any station you pass in the Catlins as a bonus. Food is limited, though small cafes in Owaka and a roadside stall or two offer simple fare, and fresh fish and chips from a coastal shop taste better here than anywhere else.