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Catlins Information Centre - Source: ONE News -
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The South Island's Catlins has some of the best scenery in the country, but there is some confusion as to where exactly the Catlins is.
Some residents now want the area officially recognised.
Locals say "the Catlins" stretches all the way from Fortrose in the south, past Cathedral Caves, to Nugget Point in the north.
Catlins promoter Fergus Sutherland says because of the lack of definition, people have been unsure if they are in the Catlins or where the Catlins is.
"We've actually put up our own signs and I think we've created the Catlins despite the officialdom in some ways," he says.
And the official area is somewhat different.
Originally the area in the heart of Owaka and 93 hectares surrounding was the Catlins - named after Captain Edward Catlin, who moored his ship in the Owaka harbour and purchased the land from local Maori, for 92 pounds and five shillings.
Some of the Catlins locals want their community left alone, while others think the official reognition would be good for the local district.
Now it is up to the Land Information Minister to decide how much of the Catlins the world will see.
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