Day One: Catlins
| Nugget Point, the perfect viewing point for Yellow-Eyed Penguins, New Zealand fur seals, Southern elephant seals, New Zealand sea lions, sooty shearwaters and many other seabirds. Cannibal Bay, the site of early Maori encampments, where New Zealand (Hooker) Sea Lions can often be seen. Jack’s Blowhole where you might be lucky enough to see the little blue penguin whose breeding ground is on Tuhawaiki Island |  |
Lunch in Owaka or call to Catlins Adventures centre for a range of land and sea tours in the area including a Cathedral Caves trip.
A 10 minute walk on an excellent track brings you to the best known of the Catlins forest waterfalls Purakaunui Falls. Overnight in Waikawa or Curio Bay
Day Two: Curio Bay - Bluff - Stewart Island
Visit Curio Bay’s fossilised forest watching out for any yellow-eyed penguins. Further along in Porpoise Bay, keep those binoculars on hand for passing pods of Hector’s dolphins.
Towards Invercargill stop at Awarua Wetlands, best known for some of New Zealand’s best birdlife and an impressive array of alpine plants
Take the ferry for Stewart Island at Bluff, watching out for any passing albatross, mollymawks, shearwaters or petrels.
Overnight in Stewart Island.
Day Three: Stewart Island
Visit Ulva Island predator free, open bird sanctuary. Listen to the sounds of Stewart Island Robins, saddlebacks, wekas, bellbirds and tuis in the enchanting surrounds of ancient native rimus, totara and miro trees.
Spend the afternoon visiting Stewart Island on foot, by bike or scooter. There are many short walks throughout the Island. In the evening go kiwi-spotting.
Overnight Stewart Island
Day Four: Stewart Island - Fiordland
Explore the waters surrounding the Island with one charter or water taxi companies. The local guides have a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife on the Island.
In the afternoon, return to Bluff and continue your drive through Invercargill and on to Riverton. McCracken’s Rest is an exceptional viewing point for Te Waewae Bay and often pods of Hector’s dolphins can be spotted.
Overnight in Western Southland and continue to Fiordland the next day.
