Papatowai
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Papatowai () is a small settlement in the
Catlins The Catlins (sometimes referred to as The Catlins Coast) comprise an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha, New Zealand, Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between ...
ward of the
Clutha District Clutha District is a local government district of southern New Zealand, with its headquarters in the Otago town of Balclutha. Clutha District has a land area of and an estimated population of as of . Clutha District occupies the majority of th ...
of the southeastern
South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand. The settlement is situated half-way between the cities of
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
and
Invercargill Invercargill ( , ) is the southernmost and westernmost list of cities in New Zealand, city in New Zealand, and one of the Southernmost settlements, southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland Region, Southlan ...
, on the
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
coast close to the mouth of the
Tahakopa River The Tahakopa River flows southeastward through the Catlins, an area of the southern South Island of New Zealand. Its total length is , and it flows into the Pacific Ocean east of Waikawa, close to the settlement of Papatowai Papatowai () i ...
. There is a permanent population of around 40 people, but with most of the houses in the town being holiday homes (locally known as "cribs") the population rises significantly during holiday seasons, particularly around New Year's Day and Easter. The
Ministry for Culture and Heritage The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the Creative New Zealand, arts, Culture of New Zealand, culture, New Zealand Historic Places Trust, built heritage, Sport Ne ...
gives a translation of " tōwai tree flat" for . Papatowai is surrounded by native
podocarp Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly southern hemisphere conifers, known in English as podocarps, comprising about 156 species of evergreen trees and shrubs.James E. Eckenwalder. 2009. ''Conifers of the World''. Portland, Oregon: Timber Pres ...
forest and there are numerous walks in the area to waterfalls, and sand beaches in addition to bushwalks. There is also a walk to an archaeological site where it is possible to see middens left by early
Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
inhabitants of the area. In the past, the bones of
moa Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand. Moa or MOA may also refer to: Arts and media * Metal Open Air, a Brazilian heavy metal festival * MOA Museum of Art in Japan * The Moas, New Zealand film awards People * Moa ...
have also been found here. In addition to its scenery, Papatowai is home to the Lost Gypsy Gallery, which attracts international visitors. The Papatowai Challenge, a bush and beach run and walk, has been held annually since 1998, usually on the first weekend in March. It attracts between 300 and 400 people each year. Peake’s Kitchen, a
food truck A food truck is a large motorized vehicle (such as a van or multi-stop truck) or trailer equipped to store, transport, cook, prepare, serve and/or sell food. Some food trucks, such as ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food, but m ...
at a local store, was the "supreme winner" in a nationwide hamburger competition in 2025. Papatowai is also known for its
big wave surfing Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which surfers paddle into, or are towed into, waves that are at least 20 feet (6.2 m) high, on surf boards known as "guns" or towboards. The size of the board needed to successfully surf these w ...
.


Climate


References

Populated places in Otago The Catlins Beaches of Otago Surfing locations in New Zealand Clutha District {{Otago-geo-stub