Catlins Coastline

With some 10,000 miles (16,000km) of coastline in New Zealand there's no getting away from the sea and pointing your camera at it. The coastline of the Catlins area in the south-eastern corner of the South Island has some spectacular examples of New Zealand's crystal blue waters and extensive sandy deserted beaches.

I learned from one of my friends who had worked for Air New Zealand and who joined in on the trip to the Catlins that the 3-tones of blue used in Air New Zealand's color scheme comes from the 3 tones of blue that predominate in the coastal waters off New Zealand. He mentioned that fact when were at Nugget Point, and this photo of the teal-blue waters that I took at the time in particular shows off that particular tone in the color scheme.

Anyhow, visiting the Catlins was quite a discovery for me. Despite growing up in New Zealand and living there till I was 33, I had never heard of the Catlins region and when a friend proposed visiting there on my latest trip home I was lukewarm at first. I'm so glad I didn't miss out, and if these photos of the beaches and sea of the Catlins coast doesn't make you feel like you want to visit too, then I can't imagine what it would take to get you off your couch. ;-)

Photos of the Catlins Coastline