Slope Point

Slope Point sits at 46 degrees 40 minutes south, making it the southernmost point of the South Island - though not of New Zealand, since Stewart Island and the subantarctic islands are further south, a distinction the signpost handles honestly. The point itself is a low cliff with a yellow AA signpost giving distances to the equator and the South Pole, a small solar-powered light, and nothing else. Two things make it memorable. The walk crosses private sheep paddocks and is closed for lambing, generally September to November, and that closure is signed and enforced. And the wind: this coast takes the full force of the Roaring Forties, and the macrocarpa trees near the road have grown permanently bent almost horizontal, which is the photograph most people actually take. It is remote, unsheltered and usually empty.

What you'll find

• The signpost - distances to the equator and the South Pole.
• The bent trees - macrocarpa grown horizontal by the wind.
• The low cliffs - the southern edge of the South Island.
• The emptiness - no facilities, no shelter, rarely anyone else.

When to go

October to April, avoiding the lambing closure from roughly September to November. Any calm day is a bonus; most are not.

Good to know

The track is closed for lambing and the closure is enforced. It crosses private farmland with stock. There is nothing there but a signpost - the appeal is the wind and the position. Access roads are unsealed.

Nearby

Curio Bay is east; Waipapa Point and the Catlins waterfalls are along the coast.

Key facts