St Clair
Dunedin / Otago · 3hr session
Beach break · Right point
All levels
Warm up at the Esplanade before the road south. Stock up in the city, supplies get thin from here.
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Seven days down the Southern Scenic Route from Dunedin to the bottom of the world: city surf, then the Catlins' waterfall coast where points and rivermouth bars hide between podocarp forest and penguin beaches, finishing at Riverton and Colac Bay, the southernmost surf towns in the country. Thick wetsuit, low expectations of crowds, high expectations of everything else.
7Days
7Stops
345kmDrive total
5.0hrDriving
S / SWBest swell
N / NEBest wind
Trip forecast best of each day, by stop
Day 1
St Clair
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Day 2
Taieri Mouth
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Day 3
Kaka Pt
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Day 4
Papatowai
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Day 5
Curio Bay
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Day 6
Ōraka / Colac Bay
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Day 7
Riverton
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Day 1 is today. Forecast refreshes every 3 hours.
Start / finish
Day-by-day itinerary
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Taieri Mouth
Dunedin / Otago · 3hr session
River mouth · Bar
Intermediate
First stop down the coast road. Rivermouth banks and a sleepy fishing village that sets the tone for the week.
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Kaka Pt
Catlins / Southland · 3hr session
Beach break · Reef
Beginner to intermediate
Gateway to the Catlins. Beach peaks below the road, and Nugget Point lighthouse twenty minutes on for the evening photo mission.
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Papatowai
Catlins / Southland · 3hr session
Reef point · Beach break
Intermediate
Deep Catlins. Surf the rivermouth bar where the forest meets the sea, then walk to Cathedral Caves at low tide.
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Curio Bay
Catlins / Southland · 4hr session
Beach break
All levels · Surf school at campground
The famous one: long lefts wrapping into Porpoise Bay with Hector's dolphins in the lineup most summer days. The petrified forest is in the rocks at low tide.
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Ōraka / Colac Bay
Catlins / Southland · 3hr session
Beach break · Right point
All levels · Long vertical walls on bigger swells
Around Foveaux Strait way. Friendly rolling point waves and a pub with a surfboard on the roof. Stewart Island sits on the horizon.
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Riverton
Catlins / Southland · 3hr session
Right point · Beach break
All levels on smaller days, intermediate on bigger
Final morning at the southernmost surf town. Sheltered bay options when the strait is angry, then Invercargill is 30 minutes for the flight or the long drive home.
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Where to stay
- Kaka Point Camping Ground (day 3)
- Papatowai DOC campsites among the podocarps (day 4)
- Curio Bay Holiday Park above Porpoise Bay (day 5)
- Riverton Holiday Park (days 6 and 7)
Things to do nearby
- Nugget Point lighthouse and seal colonies
- Cathedral Caves (low tide only) and McLean Falls
- Curio Bay petrified forest and yellow-eyed penguins at dusk
- Stewart Island day trip from Bluff if you add a day
Bring this trip to life
Aotearoa Surf can help with lessons, board hire and accommodation across most North Island routes. Get in touch for a guided run of any of these trips.
Plan a guided trip