Slope Point

The southernmost point of New Zealand’s South Island is perched at a cliff edge, just beyond sheep meadows and private farmland. This signpost marks the spot, while also offering the precise distance to the South Pole and the Equator, reminding travelers that there’s always room to limbo lower.

There is no public access to this salty signage in lambing season (September through November). If you journey here during that sacred span, you won’t get to post a photo of yourself beside proof that you bothered to make the journey, but you will be privy to some otherworldly, beautifully mangled macrocarpa trees, which have withstood steady, fierce, coastal winds directly from Antarctica.

Beyond them, the only thing at Slope Point is this sharp yellow, no nonsense sign, which can only be accessed by foot, necessitating a lovely twenty-minute walk flanked by a rocky coastline. Along the way, you’ll likely be treated to the sight of several herds of badass sheep, accustomed to living on the edge.

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