New Zealand > Waterfalls in the Catlins

From our room, I can hear the other residents in the house already busy. I step into the shower and get dressed. Unfortunately, the weather this morning is cloudy, with the occasional drizzle. A friend of the apartment owner comes in. The owner is on vacation, and the friend is temporarily handling the rental. He asks if we can pay in cash, as the phone for credit card payments is broken. We have enough cash to pay. As a tip, he suggests we visit the Kanapuku Falls in the Catlins—a lesser-known waterfall. There is only a small sign along the road. Carefully, he marks the approximate location on a map. First, we drive to the Cathedral Caves, a cave at the beach. The cave is only accessible at low tide; at high tide, the entire cave fills with water. The cave is about twenty meters high and roughly a hundred meters deep. It gradually narrows, and at the very back, there is a passage leading to an adjacent cave. We return to the beach through this second cave. Papatowai appears on the map as the largest settlement in the Catlins. There is a gas station, where we refuel the car. The village isn’t very large—there are no more than twenty houses. In one house lives an artist who creates artworks from discarded materials. An old bus is completely covered with trinkets—a bizarre collection. The café we originally wanted to visit is closed because the waitress is sick. At the small stall across the road, we order a spring roll, as we haven’t eaten yet today. Just past Papatowai are the Purakauri Falls. A short walk brings us to the waterfall, where the water cascades down several tiers. A little further back on the route are the McLean Falls. A twenty-minute walk leads to this waterfall, where the water plunges more than twenty meters. Finally, we search for the Kanapuku Falls, the tip we received this morning. Without much trouble, we find the small sign along the road and follow the path into the forest. Unlike the other waterfalls, this trail is much narrower and winds through denser vegetation, which makes it particularly beautiful. We pass streams and scramble over rocks until we finally reach the base of the Kanapuku Falls.

New Zealand - Water cascading down several levels

This waterfall is certainly worth the visit. By now, it’s four o’clock as we drive back to Waikawa. Near the hamlet of Niagara, there is a café. When we try to order beer, we are told we can only order alcohol with food due to licensing rules. It’s a bit early for a full meal, so we order beer with a portion of fries. When it’s time for a refill, we decide to order food as well. This is the only dining option in the area, and it closes at seven. After dinner, we drive one more time to Curio Bay in the hope of seeing penguins. Unfortunately, the beach is empty tonight. We do see a sea lion clambering onto the rocks. Finally, we return to our cottage. A family from New Caledonia is waiting outside, trying to reach the owner. We point out the sign showing the room layout and explain where everything is located.