Southland

The Catlins Fills Your Soul

There are places that look great in photos and places that actually do something to you. The Catlins is the second kind. It's raw, it's windy, it's sub-antarctic coastline pointing straight at Antarctica, and it gets under your skin in a way that Queenstown or Wanaka just don't. The big rule here is simple: get off the main road. The highway itself is mostly unremarkable except around Papatowai, where it opens up beautifully. The detours are where the magic is.

Sea Lions, Dolphins and Edge-of-the-Earth Vibes

The wildlife alone is worth the drive. Surat Bay and Cannibal Bay are two of the best places in NZ to watch NZ Sea Lions - the massive 500kg sub-antarctic variety, not your standard fur seal. Give them serious space, they're cantankerous. Curio Bay has Hector's Dolphins if you hang around long enough, and the campsite there has one of the best locations you'll find anywhere, even if the facilities don't always match. Up at Nugget Point, the lighthouse walk delivers a proper Pacific coastline hit with seals and sea lions thrown in.

Don't Rush It

Seriously, one night through here and you'll leave wondering what all the fuss is about. Two to three nights is when it clicks. Papatowai is a personal favourite - the Lost Gypsy Gallery is one of the more genuinely delightful things I've come across in NZ, and the burger place there recently won NZ's best, so time your visit for lunch. For camping, Catlins Newhaven Holiday Park is a solid base, and the Monkey Island freedom camp along State Highway 99 is worth a night if the wind plays ball.

The Rest of Southland

Invercargill is mainly a service stop, but Bill Richardson Transport World is genuinely fun and worth a couple of hours even if cars aren't your thing. Bluff is worth it if oysters are your thing and you're here between March and August, but otherwise Slope Point is a better use of your time for that southernmost-point feeling. If you need a full-facility camp near Invercargill, the holiday park there covers you well.