Petrified Forest - Curio Bay

The Petrified Forest Walk at Curio Bay in the Catlins is a short, easy trail that leads visitors to one of New Zealand’s most remarkable geological sites.

Located in the Curio Bay/Porpoise Bay area of Southland, the track is just 150m return and takes about 10 minutes. It is well-formed, largely flat, and wheelchair accessible, ending at a viewing platform with interpretive panels that explain the area’s ancient history.

From the platform, and especially at low tide, you can see the remains of a 170–180-million-year-old Jurassic forest preserved in the tidal rock platform.

The site contains hundreds of petrified tree stumps, fallen logs, and fern imprints that once grew on a coastal floodplain when this part of New Zealand was still attached to the supercontinent Gondwana.

Successive volcanic floods buried the forests in ash and sediment, turning the wood to stone over millions of years.

Today the sea has eroded the overlying layers, exposing one of the finest and most accessible fossil forests in the world.

The rocks are strictly protected, so visitors must stay on the platform or carefully use the steps at low tide and never touch or remove any fossils.

Beyond the ancient trees, Curio Bay is rich in wildlife. Hector’s dolphins often swim close to shore, while fur seals, New Zealand sea lions, and rare, yellow-eyed penguins can also be spotted, especially in the late afternoon.

A nearby Living Forest walkway (about 15 minutes return) lets visitors stroll through modern native bush that includes relatives of the ancient trees, creating a rare side-by-side comparison of living and fossilised forest.

Curio Bay is clearly signposted from the Southern Scenic Route.

Timing your visit around low tide and allowing extra time for wildlife watching.