Front country - easily accessible
Combo
Totally/mostly flat
Native bush
Beach
Coastal
Lakeside
Sealed Road
Easy Single Track
Untracked / Route only
Average Uphill Gradient: +1.2%
Average Downhill Gradient: -1.2%
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1:25
Slow
1:05
Moderate
0:45
Fast
Starting at the car park, head all the way along the beach until you reach the estuary. Turn around and head back. On the way back (after about 3km along beach) on the left in the dunes a track heads up in to the bush. Head up there and follow to the main road, head along the main road for just over half a kilometer and you will come to the Lake Wilkie track. This is just a quick wee loop track down to a lake in the middle of the bush. Once that is completed, make your way leisurely back to the car park via the track and beach again.
Run along Tautuku Beach.
Nice native bush track.
Lake and boardwalk in bush.
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Plenty of parking here, it is a common spot for people to freedom camp, so often other vehicles around.
60 km
54 minutes
Unknown
No
Easy.
Only tricky spot is finding the access track to the bush. Keep an eye out for the path through the sand bank/dunes.
Very patchy.
Windproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map
Heaps of sea water, but no drinking water around.
Coastal, so likely to be wet and windy.
Overhanging tree on bush track to be aware of, vehicles on sealed road.
Whistling Frog
Rewcastle Road, The Catlins
http://www.whistlingfrogcafe.com/
Best coffee around, easiest to find as well. Head up the road a bit and explore McLean Falls while you are at it!
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
You and Tautuku Tiki Tour
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I only gave two stars as this is basically a beach run and a road run and about 1km of lovely trail. That said it was enjoyable in patches and a good after work run. IMPORTANT... today when I ran there was no signage at all at the start of the Lake Wilkie Track... it falls almost exactly 500m from the road sign that says 500m (go figure), so take note of your watch. It starts at a bend in the road with new Armco barriers and a parking area behind.
July 24, 2018