Portal:New Zealand/Selected article/Week 26, 2006

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The Catlins is an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand, lying between Balclutha and Invercargill and straddling the border between the Otago and Southland regions. The area lies along the southern coast of the South Island; the South Island's southernmost point, Slope Point, lies in the southwestern Catlins. The Catlins is a rugged, sparsely populated area, noted for its scenic coastal landscape and its dense temperate rainforest, both of which are home to many endangered species of birds. Its exposed location leads to its frequently wild weather and heavy ocean swells, which are an attraction to big-wave surfers. Ecotourism is now a growing factor in the economy, which otherwise relies heavily on dairy farming and fishing. The region's early whaling and forestry industries have long since died away, along with the coastal shipping that led to several tragic shipwrecks. Only some 1200 people now live in the area, many of them in the settlement of Owaka.