Viewed from the Florence Hill lookout on the Scenic Route, this beach is famous for its symmetry and beauty. The whole valley behind the beach is still clothed in native forest and the Tautuku Peninsula, at the west end of the beach, was renowned as an early European whaling base.br/br/The Catlins, in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand, features a scenic coastal landscape and dense temperate rainforest which harbour natural populations of birds and marine mammals. First inhabited by the Maori people in the period 900-1700 AD, the Catlins is an area with a rich history. The area enjoys a maritime temperate climate, however it's exposed location leads to its frequently wild weather with heavy ocean swells pounding the rugged coastline.