Papatowai: Catlins Big-Wave Surf Break, Beach, Estuary and Walks

DOC notes that the forest behind the beaches at Tahakopa grew on old sand dunes, with mature miro, rimu, tōtara and mataī on the oldest dunes, giving way to bands of mānuka, kāmahi, tōtara, rātā, tree ferns and fuchsia nearer the coast.

The coast here has a long Māori history. DOC says kaika, or seasonal camps, were dotted along the Catlins coastline, most notably at Papatowai, and it marks an important moa hunter archaeological site near the end of the Old Coach Road, among regenerating tōtara.

Before the bridge, travellers followed Tahakopa Beach and forded the estuary where the Papatowai bridge now stands, according to the Clutha District Council’s heritage archive. When the railway arrived in 1915, excursion trains from Dunedin brought visitors to picnic beneath the rātā trees on Papatowai Beach and to attend sports meetings.

The bridge over the estuary was built in 1921, and about 1918 locals set up the Papatowai Scenic Board to protect the native bush, a conservation legacy that continues today.

Papatowai is still a crib settlement, one of the Clutha District holiday communities where families have come for generations. Clutha NZ notes the DOC campsite behind the shop backs on to the estuary, and lists the Florence Hill lookout over Tautuku beach, Lake Wilkie and the Matai and Horseshoe Falls, just north of Papatowai, among the nearby sights.

Otago Regional Council calls Papatowai a serious big-wave surfing spot, near Skeleton Point, that draws internationally renowned big-wave surfers. Clutha NZ rates it experts only and describes it as a favourite for big-wave riders, with a quality beach break at the river mouth and, out on the reef at the point, a large right-hand reef break and a difficult left. It says the point needs swells of over 5 metres, and recommends a jet ski or boat. Southland NZ also points adventurous big-wave surfers to Papatowai.

The Surf Facts box on this page shows the break’s direction, swell window and offshore wind.

If someone is in trouble and you cannot see surf lifeguards, call 111 and ask for police, but remember DOC says mobile coverage at Papatowai is limited.

Southland NZ notes that the exposed Catlins coastline sees some of the country’s largest ocean swells. DOC also warns that there is a bar on the river, which makes it unsuitable for boats at low tide.

On the coast you may meet seals and sea lions: Clutha District Council asks people to keep at least 20 metres away from them, and dogs must be on a leash within 20 metres of wildlife.

DOC describes it as a flat 40-minute return walk beside the tidal river, suitable for all ages, following the route that horse-drawn coaches took after coming off the beach in Tahakopa Bay; in places the original formation can be seen beneath tree ferns, silver beech and young tōtara.

The track ends at the beach, which you can walk along to join the harder and often muddy Old Possumers Track, a three-hour loop that starts from the left fork off the Old Coach Road.

In the settlement, several interconnecting tracks start from the beach beyond the picnic area and off Cross Street (turn off the Papatowai Highway onto Alexandra Road).

The Picnic Point Track crosses the Papatowai Scenic Reserve to the coast at Picnic Point and returns along the beach; DOC gives 40 minutes to an hour return for the Papatowai walks. An extension to Kings Rock takes 20 minutes each way from the junction, mostly over private land. DOC does not allow dogs on these walks.

The DOC Papatowai Campsite is a Standard campsite in the bush with easy access to the beach and estuary, open to cars, campervans and caravans and with toilets. There are no marked sites, no spaces are held for walk-ins, and bookings are made online through DOC.