The Catlins, or the Catlin Coast, was rugged and remote – a mix of beaches, farms, waterfalls, rare birds, rain forests, and towns that looked as if they had not been inhabited for ages. Once again – there was NOBODY in sight. We attempted a few small hikes to waterfalls, but gave up when it was clear the off-roading (and cattle herds) weren’t getting us anywhere. We walked across petrified logs, searched for yellow-eyed penguins (no luck), hiked across green pastures to a blow hole, and explored private (seemingly abandoned) beaches. My favorite place on our road trip was Jack’s Bay, the trailhead for Jack’s blow hole hike. This small beach town reminded me of another time and place.
If you’ve ever seen the movie Summer of ’42 – it looked exactly like that.
