Day 2 in the Catlins

At 5am I wake up to an almost deafening chorus of amazing birdsong. It's layer upon layer of complex melodies and continues until it becomes muffled by heavy rain. After navigating the tiny bathroom and microscopic washbasin to get ourselves ready, we wander over to the dining room for breakfast where, to our surprise, we meet two couples from Europe. We had no idea that there were other guests staying in the house, it is deceptively large. 

Warren, our host, encourages us to go to the Cathedral Cave when it opens this morning at low tide. My stomach is rebelling and the weather is terrible so I'm not keen, but it's our only opportunity. We take our leave after breakfast and sprint to the car with our suitcases as we try to dodge the heavy rain. It is no better once we arrive at the cave car park so we don our raincoats, take a deep breath, and head out into the elements. Fortunately the first part of the walk is quite sheltered as we hike downhill through dense forest. Emerging onto the beach we then cross a large expanse of open sand, following the tracks of other visitors, to reach the cave entrance.

The forest walk down to Cathedral Cave

It is very wet...and cold!

Crossing the sand at low tide

The cave is 199m in total passage length, making it one of the 30 longest known sea caves in the world. Unlike limestone caves which are hollowed out by water chemically dissolving calcite in the rock, sea caves are purely the result of brute force. Cathedral Cave was formed by the sea exploiting naturally occurring fractures in the sandstone until a cavern was formed by the relentless hammering of waves over thousands of years. This morning the yawning entrance of the cave is guarded by a deep pool of water and so visitors clamber over slippery wet rocks to get past. I choose to stay outside in the rain and admire the grand entrance while Ross joins the others and soon disappears into the inky blackness. After a few minutes he emerges from a different exit in the cliff face, having walked to the back of the cave where it joins with another. 

The lofty arch marking the entrance to Cathedral Cave

Now for the trek back across the beach and up the steep hill to the car. Unlike some clever Chinese tourists who have raincoats and umbrellas, our flimsy raincoats are decidedly sodden and getting wetter by the minute. We strike a brisk pace and soon Ross is powering up the hill in what becomes an epic unbroken sprint through the forest. We reach the car, lungs bursting and gasping for air, and very, very wet. It takes us a while to catch our breath and recover sufficiently to take to the road again. The small town of Owaka is our first stop for coffee and an opportunity to get indoors out of the rain. It's also a big enough town to have a supermarket and so we stock up on some lunch provisions before pressing on for another 20 minutes to Kaka Point.

Kaka Point is a seaside hamlet with homes cascading down the gentle slopes to the sea, much like Gracetown in WA. Now that the car's sat nav is working(!) we locate our accommodation at Catlins Gallery with ease. It is pouring with rain when we reach the house and knock on the door ... but there is no answer. We walk around to the front and see a covered deck with some laundry hanging up to "dry" - in this weather?! As we approach the glass balcony doors we spot the occupants. What must they think of us - boots muddy from the morning's walk, raincoats askew and looking like a pair of drowned rats. When they see us, our hosts Brian and Jan hurriedly greet us. Jan directs us to another entrance where we can unload our bags and then we're invited to hang our raincoats out to dry in the warm lounge room and join them at the table for a cup of tea. We bring our food with us and end up sharing lunch with this most amiable of couples. 

The rain is not letting up but our hosts suggest that if nothing else, we must try and visit nearby Nugget Point lighthouse while we're in these parts. They lend us some umbrellas and we set off. On Brian's recommendation, we stop briefly along the esplanade to book a table for tonight at the local restaurant. I get absolutely drenched just walking from the car to the restaurant and back. By the time Ross and I reach the Nugget Point car park 10 minutes later, the rain and wind are fierce. Despite having umbrellas, we are absolutely soaked after walking only a few metres. We reach the trailhead, look at each other and say "nope" before retreating to the car. Slightly crestfallen, we return to our accommodation for another cup of tea and more friendly conversation with our hosts. Jan is an artist and shows me the watercolour paintings of NZ landscapes in the downstairs gallery. She is also a keen gardener (a kindred spirit!) and proudly points out nearly every plant in the garden, which we can now wander around as the rain tapers off to a drizzle. 

At dinnertime, we take leave of our hosts and return to the esplanade for another meal of delicious NZ fish and then decide to try our luck at Nugget Point again. This time our efforts are rewarded. By the time we get there at 7:30pm, the rain has stopped and the setting sun casts a golden glow over the spectacular coastline. We even spot some fur seals far below!

Looking back towards Kaka Point

Nugget Point Lighthouse

Approaching Nugget Point

Sunset over the wild Catlins coast

The Nuggets

We would never have been able to walk the exposed sections of the track this afternoon so I am glad we came back in the dry. When we do finally reach the old 1869 lighthouse after a 20 minute walk, the view below reveals the rocky coastline and boulders ("nuggets") that give this place its name. We return to our lodgings much happier (and drier!) and excitedly tell our hosts about Nugget Point, surrounded by comfort and the gorgeous smell of fresh bread that is baking away in readiness for our breakfast tomorrow.