There are plenty of reasons to visit Curio Bay in the Catlins. But travellers who are conscious of their limited time in New Zealand may opt for the more marketed attractions on the regular tourist routes. And they’re missing out. Bigtime.
Granted, Curio Bay isn’t somewhere you just pop over to from a major South Island tourist hub. Situated off the Southern Scenic Route between Invercargill and Dunedin, it is quite a drive, albeit a spectacular one, through beautiful, rugged, untamed nature. If you thought Milford Sound was remote, try the Catlins, and it’ll beat Milford any time for that feeling of isolation, and not only because of the strange lack of camper vans and tour busses on the roads.
But back to my original point: why go there, other than for solace in stunning coastal scenery?
Well, for one Curio Bay is famous for its petrified forest: the tree fossils can be seen at low tide, up close or from a viewing platform, and are over 160 million years old. There’s a fantastic campground there, too, with a tent and van sites on top of a hill overlooking the bay. You may also get to see yellow-eyed penguins in Curio Bay. And for the sports enthusiast, Curio Bay’s very own little surf school provides everything a novice surfer needs to successfully stand on their board after only one afternoon of riding the rather docile but regular waves in this beautiful, remote spot. A perfect mixture. Just don’t forget there’s more wildlife than the cute yellow-eyed penguins, and in places where you least expect it…!
Wildlife adventures
It was a relaxed, sunny Saturday afternoon in February, and I had just woken up from a short nap in my tent. I had spent 4 hours surfing (which by the way, was my first time on a surfboard and just brilliant, but that’s another story) and badly needed some energy. Still dozy I stepped out of my tent and couldn’t help but feel that I had really hit the jackpot with my tent location. I mean, it couldn’t have been any better than this: a private spot, nestled between the flaxes, around 10 metres away from the cliffs, with perfect views over the sea. Yes, this was the penthouse suite on Park Avenue in terms of tent real estate!
I realised there was a guy standing near my tent, pointing his camera towards something of interest to my left, so I turned around and saw… a HUGE sea lion. There, 15 metres away, a 300-pound sea lion sunbathing and rolling around in the grass. How on earth did he manage to get there? Climb up the cliffs?! Although my brain was still preoccupied with the awesomeness of wetsuits and surfboards, I somehow managed to react at lightning speed and jumped back into my tent to grab my camera. I had to get a bit of footage and some pictures of that fellow rolling around in the grass before more people came and scared him away back to where he had come from, wherever that may have been.
Oh, what a thought. Little did I know that he was the angry landlord coming to reclaim his habitat. It had somehow escaped me that today’s sea lions prefer more modern accommodation. I was standing between my car and the cliffs when my new little friend decided to run towards me. Who knew these floppy, clumsy looking animals could actually move that fast on land!? I jumped to the side, and my partner and I continued filming him at a respectful distance. The rest is best explained by our video here:
Who knew that Curio Bay sea lions were partial to yellow tents? This guy must have really missed his Kathmandu outdoor equipment since his last window shopping experience. In any case, he certainly gave us a run for our money in competing for prime camping real estate! Am I glad I woke up from my nap!
So who says you can’t have original adventures anymore in our modern world? If you want to get your adrenaline pumping and don’t have the courage to go bungy jumping, your next New Zealand adventure may just be waiting for you on one of those many stunning campgrounds!
By the way, you can also surf with the hector dolphins in Curio Bay if you’re looking for an adventure that includes wildlife, but not necessarily running away from it…! Have you been to Curio Bay? What was your experience of it?
Travel photo: Curio Bay, New Zealand
This little piece of heaven is Curio Bay. Curio Bay is located in the Catlins, a region in the very south of New Zealand’s South Island. As an area of extraordinary wildlife and stunning natural beauty, one would think it swarms with tourists. But not so. Admittedly, it is quite literally off the beaten track; despite its vicinity to the Southern Scenic Route, Curio Bay is still a long way for most visitors to New Zealand. It is difficult enough for most tourists to fit in touring both islands in 2-3 weeks that many never take the time to go this far south.
However, the drive there is rewarding, and so is the actual destination. Not only can you learn to surf in Curio Bay’s steady waves while dolphins play next to you; there’s a petrified forest, great camping and plenty of wildlife (which may get even too close for comfort).
I didn’t get to see any penguins, but I have to say after the surfing and the sea lion encounter I’d had about enough adventure for the day. Driving on from Curio Bay to Owaka later, I couldn’t shake that thought that you also had: what if he’d visited a little earlier?