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New Zealand🇳🇿 | beachesCurio BayJurassic fossil forest, hoiho dusk, rock platform | things to do and best time to go

Explore Purakaunui BayExplore Porpoise Bay

Backpacking in Curio Bay
👌 Worth visitingbeach ranked #15
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 15, 2026

Curio Bay is a rocky shore and fossil forest, and the sandy swimming beach sits next door at Porpoise Bay. It lies on the Catlins coast in the south of New Zealand’s South Island. The 180-million-year-old petrified trees show only at low tide, so crowds thin out when the sea covers them. Camping is cheap but the nearest shop is tiny. I expected a quiet bay, yet a yellow-eyed penguin waddled past my boots at dusk, close enough to hear its feet slap the wet rock. Check the tide table before you arrive.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #15 beach in New ZealandWhy visitors keep coming back

Backpackers come for a 180-million-year-old fossil forest you can walk across, with stumps and logs of Jurassic trees locked into the rock platform at low tide. That alone is rare. The second pull is wildlife. Hector’s dolphins surf the waves at neighboring Porpoise Bay, and yellow-eyed penguins come ashore at the end of the day. It is also a genuine pause on the long, empty Southern Scenic Route, where petrol stations and cafes are scarce. A small holiday park and a basic cafe mean you can stay a night, watch the tide, and slow down properly.

💡 HighlightsWhat this place is best known for

  1. Petrified Forest at low tide: Stumps and fallen logs from a Jurassic forest are exposed on the rock platform, with growth rings and bark texture still visible. Go within two hours of low tide.
  2. Yellow-eyed penguin viewing: Hoiho return from the sea in late afternoon and cross the rocks to their nests. Use the fenced viewing platform and keep your distance.
  3. Porpoise Bay swimming and dolphins: The long sandy beach next door is where Hector’s dolphins ride small waves close to shore. The water is cold, so a wetsuit helps.
  4. Tumu Toka Curioscape: A small interpretive space explains how volcanic ash and mud buried the trees, so the stone makes sense when you walk out.
  5. Surfing at Porpoise Bay: Gentle, forgiving waves suit beginners, and the surf is usually uncrowded compared with big-name breaks.
The tidepools … read more 👉
  1. Petrified Forest at low tide: Stumps and fallen logs from a Jurassic forest are exposed on the rock platform, with growth rings and bark texture still visible. Go within two hours of low tide.
  2. Yellow-eyed penguin viewing: Hoiho return from the sea in late afternoon and cross the rocks to their nests. Use the fenced viewing platform and keep your distance.
  3. Porpoise Bay swimming and dolphins: The long sandy beach next door is where Hector’s dolphins ride small waves close to shore. The water is cold, so a wetsuit helps.
  4. Tumu Toka Curioscape: A small interpretive space explains how volcanic ash and mud buried the trees, so the stone makes sense when you walk out.
  5. Surfing at Porpoise Bay: Gentle, forgiving waves suit beginners, and the surf is usually uncrowded compared with big-name breaks.
The tidepools on the rock platform beside the forest get overlooked, yet they hold sea stars, small fish and anemones.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do near Curio Bay

Private Guided Xquisite 2 Hour Kingston Hill Climb (October – May)

Private Guided Xquisite 2 Hour Kingston Hill Climb (October – May)

5.0(10) 30m
From €180
per personViator
Invercargill to Dunedin via the Catlins Small Group 1 Way Tour

Invercargill to Dunedin via the Catlins Small Group 1 Way Tour

4.7(11) 9h
From €129
per personViator
Ferry Services Between Bluff and Stewart Island

Ferry Services Between Bluff and Stewart Island

4.3(12) 1h
From €72
per personViator
Invercargill to Te Anau Small Group Transfer

Invercargill to Te Anau Small Group Transfer

5.0(5) 2h
From €51
per personViator
Bill Richardson Transport World Museum Ticket

Bill Richardson Transport World Museum Ticket

5.0(2)
From €23
per personViator
Classic Motorcycle Mecca Museum Ticket

Classic Motorcycle Mecca Museum Ticket

5.0(1)
From €23
per personViator
Full Island Scenic Flight

Full Island Scenic Flight

0.0(0) 2h
From €849
per personViator
Stewart Island Transfer Flight - One way

Stewart Island Transfer Flight - One way

0.0(0) 15m
From €247
per personViator
Half Island Scenic Helicopter Flight of Stewart Island

Half Island Scenic Helicopter Flight of Stewart Island

0.0(0) 1h
From €617
per personViator

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🌤️ When to go?When to go for the best experience

  • Summer (Dec to Feb): Daytime highs run 17 to 20°C (63 to 68°F), with daylight past 9:30 pm. Hector’s dolphins surf most often in warm months, and accommodation books out earliest.
  • Autumn (Mar to May): Highs of 12 to 16°C (54 to 61°F), quieter roads and clearer, calmer days.
  • Winter (Jun to Aug): Highs of 8 to 11°C (46 to 52°F) with frosty nights and daylight from about 8 am to 4:45 pm. Prices drop and the fossil forest at low tide is yours almost alone.
  • Spring (Sep to Nov): Highs of 11 to 15°C (52 to 59°F), windy and changeable, with yellow-eyed penguin chicks fledging by February.
Check the tide table first, since the petrified forest shows only near low tide.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: excellent for travelingFEBFebruary: excellent for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: good for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: excellent for traveling
when-to-go

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🛏️ Where to stay?Best areas to stay in New Zealand

Porpoise Bay and Curio Bay village have the most convenient beds, and Waikawa is the next best option. The settlement beside Curio Bay is tiny, so expect a handful of holiday homes, a campground-style setup and a few hostel-style bunk rooms within walking distance of the rocks, usually US$25 to 45 (NZ$40 to 75) for a dorm bed or a campsite. It is quiet and social in a kitchen-table way, with surfers, campervan travelers and wildlife watchers swapping tide times. Nights are dark, so stargazing is excellent. Waikawa, about 10 minutes by car, has a few more places and a small café. Owaka and Papatowai, … read more 👉
Porpoise Bay and Curio Bay village have the most convenient beds, and Waikawa is the next best option. The settlement beside Curio Bay is tiny, so expect a handful of holiday homes, a campground-style setup and a few hostel-style bunk rooms within walking distance of the rocks, usually US$25 to 45 (NZ$40 to 75) for a dorm bed or a campsite. It is quiet and social in a kitchen-table way, with surfers, campervan travelers and wildlife watchers swapping tide times. Nights are dark, so stargazing is excellent. Waikawa, about 10 minutes by car, has a few more places and a small café. Owaka and Papatowai, further along the Catlins road, make good alternatives, though you need a car. Book ahead in January and February, and bring groceries, because supplies nearby are very limited.
Best hostels in New Zealand


Best quality hotels in New Zealand

🛡️ SafetySafety Tips and Common Scams in Curio Bay

Curio Bay is a low-risk place if you respect the rocks and the weather. The fossil forest platform is slippery with algae and gets hit by swell, so wear shoes with grip and keep your back off the waves at rising tide. Swimming is better at neighboring Porpoise Bay, a gently shelving sandy beach with small surf, though the Southern Ocean stays cold year-round (about 10 to 15°C). Keep your distance from sea lions and penguins; they are wild and a sea lion can charge quickly. Sun is strong in summer, and wind chill bites in any season. Car break-ins are rare, but keep valuables out of sight.
Check Country Safety

FAQFrequently asked questions about Curio Bay

You need a car, since no public transport reaches Curio Bay. It lies about 1 hour 15 minutes (around 83 km) east of Invercargill and roughly 3.5 to 4 hours from Dunedin via the Southern Scenic Route and Catlins road. The last stretch from Waikawa is sealed and takes about 15 minutes. Rental cars start around NZ$60 to 100 a day.
It is better for watching wildlife and surfing than for swimming, and Porpoise Bay beside it handles most water activities. Porpoise Bay has gentle waves for swimming (the water is cold, so a wetsuit helps) and beginner surf lessons run in summer. Hector’s dolphins often swim in the surf there. Snorkeling is not a draw because of cold, murky water, so spend your time on the fossil forest at low tide.
Yes, Curio Bay is free to enter, as is Porpoise Bay. The fossil forest viewing platform and the beach need no ticket, and parking is free. A small donation box and a visitor center fund conservation on site, and a visit is usually 1 to 2 hours. Your main costs are fuel, food and a campsite or bed, typically NZ$20 to 60 a night.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other New Zealander beaches near Curio Bay

Explore more nearby:

  • Porpoise Bay—Hector's dolphins, cold shore break, beginner waves, Catlins dunes| 2 km away
  • Purakaunui Bay—Layered cliffs, DOC campsite, driftwood line, Milky Way| 42 km away
  • St Clair Beach—City surf, seawall, heated salt pool, esplanade cafes| 136 km away

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We 💚 feedbackWhat to keep in mind

This place suits curious travelers who like wildlife and geology more than nightlife, and who are happy with a quiet evening. I would book a night nearby, bring a warm layer and binoculars, and plan your day around the tide rather than the clock.

✈️ When did I visit New Zealand?
All the way back in high school I have been visiting the North Island of New Zealand (1993).

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in New Zealand, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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