West Coast

Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers

The most accessible temperate-zone glaciers in the world cascade from high in the Southern Alps to just 250 metres above sea level: blue-white rivers of ice nestled in valleys lined with rainforest.

Pancake Rocks

Amazing coastal rock formations at Punakaiki, the blowholes and caves of the Pancake Rocks put on a stunning show when the surf is rough.

Coastal scenery

The journey 50 kilometre along the coast from Haast to Jackson Bay, an isolated fishing village, has been rated in Lonely Planet’s Blue List as one of the top ten road trips in the world!

Shantytown

The West Coast has a fascinating human history based around its precious resources; from greenstone to gold and coal. Shantytown offers a vivid insight into life in colonial New Zealand.

Maori culture and greenstone

For generations, the West Coast has been hugely significant to Maori as the source of pounamu (greenstone). Today, visitors can watch the precious stone being crafted into sculptures and jewellery.

Pristine wilderness

Sandwiched between the formidable peaks of the Southern Alps and the restless Tasman Sea, the West Coast offers a stunning landscape of rainforests, glaciers and rugged beaches.