Luckily the rain had begun to clear by the time we got to the Catlins. Named after an avaricious settler, this region is famed for its beauty even amongst Kiwis blas� about the qualities of their natural scenery. The sweet, 30 year old guide book that Beryl lent us says that it draws visitors from as far as Dunedin and Invercargill! Today they come from Japan, Europe and Canada.
We had a bracing walk on the great curve of beach at Kaka Point. Beyond here an unsealed track leads to Nugget Point (so named because it is allegedly shaped like a gold nugget.) This uninhabited headland is famous both as a trap to shipping and as the only place on the mainland where elephant seals, fur seals and Hookers sea lions co-exist.
There are indeed seals breeding here, as these pups learning to swim in a rock pool show. The sides of the headland are very sheer and forbidding, making it impossible to get close up. We saw other seals lounging about but couldn't see their noses to identify whether even the largest were elephant seals. Far down one cliff was a colony of sea-lions, their long white whiskers just visible in the monocular, but not caught on camera.