Distance travelled: 189 kms. We left the Catlins, an area of New Zealand of outstanding natural beauty. Not mountains. Indigenous natural forests, water falls, blue seas and sandy bays. I loved it all. Just a short distance from our overnight stop are the Purakaunui Falls. We had been told about this waterfall by a number of people. You must see them they said. One thing you notice about this country is that where there are tourist must see’s, the Department of Conservation (Known as DOC, dock) do an outstanding job of installing a carpark and toilet (usually a long drop). This place was no exception. To get to the falls we took a walk of around 15 minutes through native bush. There were so many beautiful tree ferns called Pungas that it looked prehistoric. The falls themselves were not spectacular on a World scale such as the Niagara or Victoria Falls. But in the setting where they were they were stunning. A place I wanted to visit was Nugget Point. The only reason was that having sailed ships around this coast, I had navigated using Nugget Point lighthouse on a number of occasions. To see it from the land would be something special. It is a bit of a detour but well worth it. The walk from the car park out to the peninsular upon which the lighthouse stands is precipitous. A sign warns parents to keep your children close by due to the shear drops. Down to the sea. Health and Safety have kept away. I love it! Once at the lighthouse the views take your breath away. Azure blue seas turn white as the swell crashes against the nuggets in foaming waves. King kelp up to 10 metres in length swirls like auburn hair around the rocks. This place is majestic. Put it on your list when you come to this part of the planet. From Nugget Point we retraced our track to the main highway and headed to our next stop for the night at Roxburgh. The plan was to head a little further on but a threatening sky ahead meant we decided to stop a little early and get set up before any bad weather set in.
Woodend Wanderer 