Discover Kaka Point

Kaka Point combines coastal views with a walk through native forest and a well-known Catlins surf spot. The Kākā Point Bush Walk, wildlife watching at Nugget Point/Tokata and the cultural history surrounding Hone Tuwhare’s Crib give the place a variety of facets. This can help you decide whether a stay with easy walks, coast, surfing or wildlife watching suits your travel plans.

An easy walk through podocarp forest

The Kākā Point Bush Walk is an easy walking track in Kākā Point Scenic Reserve and is suitable for the whole family. It passes through mature native podocarp forest behind Kākā Point. The combination of an easy grade and forest scenery offers a different way to experience the area from the coastal views or surfing.

You can enter or leave the track via Rata Street or Totara Street. There are two signposted entry and exit points beside Marine Terrace. Each entrance has parking for a few cars. The limited number of parking spaces is a practical consideration when planning your arrival.

Coastal views, surfing and wildlife watching

Kaka Point is one of the Catlins’ main surf spots and offers coastal views. Nearby, the Nugget Point/Tokata Walk takes 10 to 20 minutes return to an observation platform beside Tokata Lighthouse. From Kaka Point, continue along the coastal road to reach the walks at Nugget Point/Tokata.

The short return walk to the observation platform is a different kind of outing from wildlife watching at Roaring Bay: from the Roaring Bay Walk’s viewing hide, yellow-eyed penguins can be watched coming ashore in the late afternoon. Whether you see them depends on the wildlife. Several seabird species also breed on the rocky pinnacles around Nugget Point/Tokata, and New Zealand fur seals breed there too. This means a specific short walk and wildlife watching with timing that depends on the animals offer two distinct nature experiences.

Cultural history and local tradition

Hone Tuwhare’s Crib in Kaka Point opened on 21 October 2022. An announcement published on 1 September 2026 names the Tuwhare residencies for 2026–2027: they bring writers and artists to Hone Tuwhare’s Crib. This connects a dated place of cultural history with a named residency period.

The annual Tom Sheppard Memorial Bowls Tournament is also part of the local events calendar. It takes place on Boxing Day at Kākā Point Bowling Club; the 2025–2026 newsletter reports that it was the 14th tournament. Its place in the annual calendar and its specific venue can help you fit a possible visit to Kaka Point into your travel plans.

The wider setting: Clutha District

The wider destination of Clutha District offers a broader regional perspective. The district stretches along the coast between Dunedin and Invercargill and forms a remarkable section of the Southern Scenic Route. The Clutha Gold Trail is an easy Grade 1–2 trail covering 135 kilometres, with a suggested duration of two to four days.

A 62-kilometre extension between Lawrence and Waihola opened on 25 August 2023. It connects the existing trail network in Central Otago and Clutha and heads towards the east coast as a cycling trail. Compared with the 10- to 20-minute return walk at Nugget Point/Tokata, the Clutha Gold Trail requires considerably more time. If you include Clutha District as well as Kaka Point, you can choose between a short nature walk and a multi-day cycling trail as different kinds of travel.

Discover more destinations: Clinton, Edievale, Milton, Owaka, Lawrence, Tapanui, Larnachs Castle, Tarara.

For the wider travel overview: Clutha District.