The Catlins is an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island
of New Zealand, lying between Balclutha and Invercargill and
straddling the border between the Otago and Southland regions. The
area lies along the southern coast of the South Island; the South
Island's southernmost point, Slope Point, lies in the southwestern
Catlins. The Catlins is a rugged, sparsely populated area, noted for
its scenic coastal landscape and its dense temperate rainforest, both
of which are home to many endangered species of birds. Its exposed
location leads to its frequently wild weather and heavy ocean swells,
which are an attraction to big-wave surfers. Ecotourism is now a
growing factor in the economy, which otherwise relies heavily on dairy
farming and fishing. The region's early whaling and forestry
industries have long since died away, along with the coastal shipping
that led to several tragic shipwrecks. Only some 1200 people now live
in the area, many of them in the settlement of Owaka.
Read the rest of this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catlins
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1268:
Baibars and his Mamluk forces captured Antioch, capital of the
crusader state, the Principality of Antioch.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baibars)
1896:
"Separate but equal": The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the landmark
case Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding the legality of racial segregation
in public transportation.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plessy_v._Ferguson)
1944:
World War II: Polish forces under Lieutenant General Władysław
Anders captured Monte Cassino and broke the Winter Line, a German
defensive line in Italy.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Monte_Cassino)
1958:
A supersonic interceptor aircraft, F-104 Starfighter, set a world
speed record of 1,404.19 mph.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-104_Starfighter)
1980:
Mount St. Helens erupted, killing 57 people in Washington and causing
over a billion U.S. dollars in damages.
(
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_eruption_of_Mount_St._Helens)
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Wikiquote of the day:
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread
— and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness — Oh, Wilderness
were Paradise enow! -- Omar Khayyám --
(
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Omar_Khayy%C3%A1m)