Kathlins is a hilly, forested area and sparsely populated even by New Zealand standards. It is located in the eastern part of the Southern Lands. Most of this territory belongs to the same forest park. The coast of Kathlins attracts a huge number of marine mammals (for example, New Zealand seals and sea lions of Hooker) and birds, including species that are threatened with destruction. The most famous bird you can see here is the yellow-eyed penguin.

A bit of history

The local places were inhabited since the 14th century BC. e. Prior to Europeans, there lived nomadic Maori groups, usually settled in the estuaries of rivers. Initially, the Europeans were primarily engaged in whaling and seal production, then began to harvested and logging, which continued from the mid-19th century until the 1930s. And only recently the role of ecotourism in Kathlins has increased significantly in the economy of the region, which otherwise depends now on dairy farms and fisheries.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Kathleens was the highest, but since then it has shrunk by more than half. Today Kathlins is inhabited by about 1200 people, most of whom live in Owak.

Entertainment, excursions and attractions of Kathleens

Cathedral caves

This is one of the longest sea caves in the world, located on Vaipati Beach, 15 km south of Papatovoy .Caves are considered one of the region's must-see attractions .In fact, there are only two caves, connected by a rock .In one of the caves the arch reaches 30 m in height .You can reach them only within two hours before or immediately after the ebb .The road to the caves passes through private ownership, and a small fee is charged for it for routine repairs .At 400 m is the tourist eco-park Kiwi Holiday, which can be an excellent base for further excursions to the caves and other interesting places of Kathlins .

McLean Waterfalls

5 km from the Cathedral Caves, on the Tautuku River, there are MacLean waterfalls, the highest in Kathlins .The waterfalls are formed by a number of ledges and terraces, and the deepest of their basins reaches 22 m .Cascades descend here one by one, for many meters, and waterfalls are considered the most spectacular in the region .At the same time, the waterfall-neighbor of Purakanui is visited by tourists more often, since the way to it is easier .In order to get to the path along the river leading to the waterfalls, you need to get off the Southern landscape route and walk about 3 km along the wild forest with a variety of different and old trees .

Kario Bay

This bay is known for the fossilized forest of about 180 million years old - there are very few such trees in the world .Fossil trees were once ancient conifers, but were buried under a layer of volcanic ash - and not even one, but several times .The total length of the fossil zone is about 20 km, from the very bay of Karyo to Slope Point .In addition, there is a colony of yellow-eyed penguins, possibly the rarest in the world .Look at the bay annually about 100 thousand .of tourists: at low tide tree trunks are exposed and easily visible from a special viewing platform .The information center is located in the village of Vaikawa .

Slope Point

The southernmost point of the South Island of New Zealand Slope Point is located just behind a small Vaikawa settlement, near the south-western border of Kathleens .Around the sheep farm, but there is no shelter nearby - just a small solar-powered lighthouse .The road to Slope Point is also not laid: here you need to walk about 20 minutes from the highway along the yellow signs to the place where the bare, wind and moisture disintegrating cliffs abruptly break off into the sea .On the platform in front of the cliff there is a sign indicating the distance to the equator and to the North Pole .Access here at a time when sheep are lambing is prohibited (September-November) .

Nugget Point

One of the most picturesque coastal landscapes of the Otago coast of Nugget Point is at the northern end of the coast of Kathleens. Here is the same lighthouse, surrounded by rocky islets (actually, they are called "nuggets"). There are a lot of sea birds on the cape, including cormorants and spoonbills, and on the southern side, in Roaring Bay, there is a small colony of yellow-eyed penguins. But the lighthouse Nugget Point is as interesting as the Cape Fauna: it was built in 1869, and its tower rises 76 m above the water.