Daily Photo – The Catlins from the Papatowai Highway

If you venture into the Catlins, you have several options for where to go and which direction to take. Passing Lake Catlins and following the Catlins River through the area around Houipapa, you soon find yourself heading toward small rural communities such as Caberfeidh, MacLennan, then on to Papatowai and eventually Tautuku. Not long after leaving Houipapa the road climbs gently, and before long you reach a point where you can look back down into a valley filled with the most remarkable shades of green. It is the sort of green that makes you realise there are far more varieties of the colour than you ever noticed before.

For tourists travelling through the Catlins, a common stop is the famous Florence Hill Lookout. Personally, I love this view. It feels quieter and more authentic, like stumbling across a secret the guidebooks have not quite caught up with yet.