The Catlins: Invercargill to Balclutha with a caravan or motorhome
The Catlins runs 166 km from Invercargill to Balclutha. With a car and caravan, you're looking at 2 h 50 min behind the wheel. About 1 km of it is unsealed.
We planned it on Motocamp's own router for a car and caravan and for a motorhome, at the sizes in the table below, so every number here comes from a real plan, not a guess.
The stops: Invercargill · Fortrose · Papatowai · Owaka · Balclutha
Is the Catlins OK for a car and caravan?
Yes, on our plan. It gets through for a car and caravan without using a road signed too low, too short or closed to caravans. Here's what to keep an eye on.
- 1 km of it is unsealed.
- 3 km of it is steeper than 8%. The steepest kilometre is about 9% uphill on Papatowai Highway, at km 117.
The plan, rig by rig
| Car and caravan | Motorhome | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | 166 km | 166 km |
| Driving time | 2 h 50 min | 2 h 40 min |
| Unsealed | 1 km | 1 km |
| Steeper than 8% | 3 km | 3 km |
| Total climb | 1,336 m | 1,336 m |
| Longest gap between fuel | 109 km | 109 km |
| Signed limits it goes round | 0 | 1 |
| Planned at | 3 m high, 11.4 m long and 5.2 t | 3.4 m high, 7.6 m long and 6 t |
Towns on the way
- Invercargill · km 0
- Kākā Point · km 152
- Balclutha · km 166
Caravan parks on the way
- Amble on Inn Holiday Park · km 6
- Newhaven Holiday Park · km 137
Free camps on the way
- Fortrose site 1 Freedom Camping · km 47
- Fortrose site 2 Freedom Camping · km 47
- Catlins Lake Picinic Area · km 132
- Owaka restricted freedom camping area · km 136
National park and other campgrounds
- Central City Camping Park · km 1
- Invercargill NZMCA Park · km 1
- Niagara NZMCA Park · km 78
- The Whistling Frog Resort · km 97
- Papatowai Campsite · km 110 · fees apply
- Tawanui Campsite · km 121 · fees apply
- Keswick Park Camping Ground · km 137
- Hillview Camp Site · km 142 · fees apply
- Kaka Point Camping Ground · km 152
- Balclutha Motor Camp · km 166
Dump points
- Dump Station · km 0
- npd · km 0
- at Invercargill NZMCA Park · km 1
- at Amble on Inn Holiday Park · km 6
- at Papatowai Campsite · km 110
- at Tawanui Campsite · km 121
- at Keswick Park Camping Ground · km 137
- at Kaka Point Camping Ground · km 152
Fuel stops
- PAK'nSAVE Fuel · km 0
- Z Dee Street · km 0
- Caltex Avenal · km 0
- npd · km 1
- McKeown Papatowai · km 110
- Owaka Motors · km 135
- Z · km 165
- BP · km 166
- Caltex · km 166
- Allied Petroleum · km 166
Plan this trip for your own rig
Free for 14 days. Cancel any time.
Tell Motocamp what you drive, from an enduro bike to a motorhome, and it plans this trip for that vehicle: the roads it fits, the low bridges and closed roads to steer clear of, and places to stay on the way. The maps keep working where there's no signal.
Plan this trip for your own rig Already have Motocamp NZ? Open it hereCamps, fuel and road limits come from OpenStreetMap and state agencies, and some can be missing or out of date. Distances are along our plan. Always go by the signs on the road.