Moeraki Township
Moeraki Township is just south of the Moeraki Boulders Scenic Reserve. Well signposted from state highway 1 it is well worth a detour into. This once riotous whaling station is now a sleepy little fishing village and is in an idyllic spot on a small peninsular and golden beach. There are a few walking tracks up onto the hill and just a little further south from the township is Katiki Point home to the Moeraki Lighthouse (1877). Here you can watch yellow eyed penguins come ashore at dusk and dolphins are also often spotted.
The Kotahitanga Church (1862) contains beautiful stained glass windows that were made in Rome, depicting Christ, Mother and Child and an elderly Maori leader Matiaha Tiramorehu, a local chief.
Katiki Point (Moeraki Lighthouse)
On the southern most tip of the Moeraki Peninsula is the Katiki Point Historical reserve. Access is via a metal (unsealed) road from Tenby Street in the Moeraki Village, called Lighthouse road. The reserve is 4km from Moeraki village. Katiki Point has a rich history, beginning with the establishment of a Maori village and Pa (fort). Traces of the historical terraces and food pits remain.
The reserve is home to a New Zealand fur seal breeding colony, numerous sea birds including Little Blue Penguins and a Yellow-eyed Penguin colony. The most prominent feature on the point is the magnificent lighthouse. First lit on the 22nd of April 1878 the last lighthouse keeper was withdrawn in 1975.
The Katiki Pt. Penguin Trust was formed in 2000 by Janice Jones and Walter Keiner to support Janices work in building penguin habitat and providing a hospital for sick and injured penguins. Under the leadership of Rosalie Goldsworthy, a team of dedicated volunteers maintain two reserves which are home to two penguin colonies. They are called Barracoutta Bay and Katiki Pt. These two reserves are also home to Sooty Shearwaters, Little Blue Penguins and White Fronted Storm Petrels.
Moeraki Boulders
The Moeraki Boulders can be found along a short access road, signposted to the coast, around 21 kilometres north of the town of Palmerston and just north of the small and beautiful township of Moeraki. These large spherical stones are scattered along the beach and were formed over 60 million years ago. Some of the stones have been found to contain dinosaur bones and in some cases complete skeletons of extinct marine reptiles. Some stones weigh over 2 tonnes and are over 2 metres in diameter. Maori legend tells that they were the food baskets of a wrecked ancestral canoe.
Entry is just a $2 coin donation which you pop in the donation box as you enter.
Check out our travel blogs here
Get inspired with stories and advice on visiting New Zealand.
Our team of New Zealand specialists can help you create the perfect touring itinerary. Whether you want to explore the South Island on a self drive holiday or the North Island on an escorted coach tour package we can design or recommend the best options. We have a huge range of accommodation ideas to suit everyone and our first hand experience of destinations and activities means that we can give the best, most up to date honest advice.
Discover New Zealand is part of the New Zealand Fine Touring Group of companies. It specialises in self drive, seat in coach and guided coach touring holidays across New Zealand's North & South Islands. We have hundreds of tour ideas listed to inspire you or give you an indication of what is possible to achieve on your New Zealand adventure. Whether it is a luxury fully guided coach tour or a self driven off the beaten track adventure, we have something suitable for everyone. Our wide range of tour lengths and tour prices give you options and are tailor-made so we can build the itinerary to suit your interests and needs.
Our team of consultants are all 100% Pure New Zealand Certified specialists and are passionate about designing your New Zealand holiday. Our consultation service is free and our quotes are provided with no obligation. Based in the heart of Wanaka you can be assured you will get the best local advice when planning your dream holiday to New Zealand. Contact one of our experienced team today.
Discover New Zealand is also Qualmark Gold Certified. This is Tourism New Zealand's official measure of how our business impacts the environment and our team are proud to have achieved the highest level of quality.