West Coast

An unforgettable land of extremes where glaciers, moody rivers and quaint towns are bounded by forest-clad mountains and pounding surf.

Journey into New Zealand’s pioneer heartland; the West Coast is a vast and rugged region boasting an astonishing variety of dramatic landscapes and rich human history. Sandwiched between the Southern Alps and the unruly Tasman Sea, this 70-kilometre wide region is home to no less than five national parks covering an array of scenic highlights including New Zealand’s highest mountains, longest caves and, most famously, its lowest glaciers. Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, nestled amongst green rainforest, are a truly unforgettable sight.

DO IT. Take a guided glacier walk, visit the Pancake Rocks blowholes at high tide, watch pounamu (greenstone) carvers at work, hike on hills dense with rainforest, spin a yarn with the locals in a cosy country pub, brave the cuisine at Hokitika Wildfoods Festival in March.

Destinations

Franz Josef & Fox Glacier Picturesque base villages for trips to the glaciers.
Greymouth Main commercial centre of the West Coast.
Haast Wildlife paradise in the heart of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
Hokitika Once a booming gold rush town, now a peaceful seaside township.
Karamea Gateway to Kahurangi National Park and the Heaphy Track.
Punakaiki Famous for its Pancake Rocks and Blowholes.
Westport Main gateway through to the northern West Coast.

Getting there and around

Air Westport and Hokitika Airports are serviced by Air New Zealand Link, and Greymouth Airport by West Coast Air, providing domestic air links with Christchurch or Wellington.
Road Greymouth is 3 hours, 40 minutes from Christchurch. The region is also accessible via mountain pass from Nelson in the north and Otago in the south. Coach companies provide regular services.
Rail The TranzAlpine rail journey runs daily between Christchurch and Greymouth.

Insider's tip

Hike up to eerie Denniston – a once-thriving coal mining town which now lies abandoned to the encroaching rainforest.

The golden days

Hokitika was the heart of the West Coast gold rush of the 1860s. In 1867, the town had a population of just over 4,500, making it the sixth largest town in New Zealand at the time. A few years later, in 1888, Reefton became the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have electric street lighting.