Location
Beaches
Enjoy the many beaches stretching from Molyneux beach down towards Nugget Bay – All are ideal for walking along. The main beach in front of the shop is an easy walk from the camp, ideal for swimming.
Kaka Point Surf Life Saving Club is located behind the safest area of the beach, and they set up patrols during summer. It has fine golden sand and a rocky headland to the north, perfect for children exploring rock pools.
Molyneux Beach- is suitable for surfcasting. It is steeper with soft sand.
When conditions are right (the tide is out and the sea is calm), it is safe to walk along the beach to the Mouth of Clutha river past the swamp.
A Regionally significant habitat for waterfowl with New Zealand shoveller, Grey Teal, Pied Stilt, Godwits, Spur-winged Plover, Pukeko, Bitterns, Marsh Crake, Spotless Crake, South Island Fernbird present.
Clutha River/Mata-au
The Clutha River is New Zealand’s largest by volume, 614 cubic metres per second (21,700 cu ft/s), and 2nd longest, 338 kilometres. 210 mi below Balclutha, the Clutha River divides into the Koau (south branch) and Matau (north branch).
There are anglers’ access points off the main highway into Kaka Point.
Brown trout, rainbow trout, sea trout, chinook salmon and perch are caught seasonally along the river.
Nugget point and the Roaring Bay
9km south of Kaka Point, Nugget Point (Tokata) has dramatic views from the Lighthouse. The walk to the lighthouse is an easy 20-minute walk from the car park and is suitable for all ages.
Visible from the track are New Zealand Fur Seals (Kekeno), many types of seabirds, gannets, royal spoonbills and in summer sometimes, Sooty Shearwater/Tītī.
The lighthouse is constructed from locally quarried stone. On 4 July 1870, the lighthouse was initially powered by an oil burner. It is now a solar-powered LED beacon and flashes once every 12 seconds with a range of 14 nautical miles (29.5 kilometres)
The Roaring Bay is home to a small colony of Yellow-Eyed Penguins (Hoiho). The area is accessible via a short 20-minute return walk. There is a bird-viewing hide where you can watch the penguins as they move from the sea. These shy birds are best viewed late in the afternoon when they come ashore after fishing at sea. Yellow-Eyed Penguins (Hoiho) are one of the rarest penguin species in the world and are unique to New Zealand and the sub-Antarctic islands.