Discover the West Coast’s dramatic coastal and alpine landscapes
An epic West Coast road trip
Forge unique holiday memories on a road trip through the stunning West Coast.
Primeval rainforest, rare wildlife, epic trails and ever-changing landscapes – the West Coast is ripe for discovery. A road trip through this region will take you to the heart of the real Aotearoa, and the places and people that lend this region its unique identity.
A West Coast roadie makes the perfect addition to a classic South Island holiday or a standalone trip during summer or autumn.
Water, water everywhere
It might be New Zealand’s wettest region according to NIWA, but with plentiful rain comes incredible beauty – not to mention an array of water-based adventures.
The South Island’s te reo Māori name, Te Wai Pounamu, translates to “the greenstone waters”, and the West Coast is famous for an abundance of this special stone, which sometimes washes up on the beach after a storm. Aside from the Tasman Sea the region’s glaciers, hot springs, wetlands and rivers offer spectacular watery surroundings, many of which hold special significance for local Māori.
High in the mountains, slow-moving glaciers grind rocks into a fine powder, producing the otherworldly turquoise hues of Hokitika Gorge. A leisurely two hour Okarito Eco Boat Tour will take you through Aotearoa’s largest unmodified wetlands and introduce you to its local inhabitants, including oystercatchers, dotterel and royal spoonbills.
West Coast Scenic Waterways offers you a chance to enjoy a slower pace of life while enjoying local hospitality. Guests can rent a bike or kayak for the day, follow the routes taken by pioneers, gold diggers and explorers on a boat trip along the Mahinapua waterways, then spend the evening relaxing in a hot tub beneath a blanket of stars.
Discover Fox Glacier on a guided tour.
Discover Fox Glacier on a guided tour.
Explore the waterways of the West Coast by boat or kayak and follow the routes taken by pioneers, gold diggers and explorers.
Explore the waterways of the West Coast by kayak and follow the routes taken by pioneers, gold diggers and explorers.
In Kahurangi National Park explore the spectacular Oparara Arches and cave system, filled with ancient moa bones and glowworms.
In Kahurangi National Park explore the spectacular Oparara Arches and cave system, filled with ancient moa bones and glowworms.
Into the wild
Tramp a section of one of two Great Walks in the region including the Heaphy Track (pictured) or the Paparoa Track.
Tramp a section of one of two Great Walks in the region including the Heaphy Track (pictured) or the Paparoa Track.
Wild encounters are always just around the corner in this region that has ecotourism and conservation at its core.
Spend two nights immersed in the wilderness of Te Wahipounamu at Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge, or visit one of DoC’s many campsites or huts within the region’s five National Parks, where you should keep your eyes peeled for some of our native wildlife, including the great spotted kiwi/roa and the nocturnal carnivorous land snail.
If you don’t have much luck at spotting kiwi in the wild, you’ll be able to see our two rarest species, the Rowi and the Haast Tokoeka, at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef.
The UNESCO World Heritage Area of Haast is home to Hector’s dolphins, fur seals and Fiordland Crested Penguins, while Waitangiroto Nature Reserve is home to a breeding colony of rare kōtuku (white heron).
See Fiordland Crested Penguins up close in Haast.
See Fiordland Crested Penguins up close in Haast.
Eat your heart out
It’s not just the non-human residents who are wild; there are some pretty creative foods on the West Coast for adventurous epicureans.
Hokitika is famous for whitebait, small fish can only be harvested from September until November each year and are used in tasty whitebait fritters (a West Coast classic) – and even on pizza. Blackball Salami is a West Coast institution, with its beef, pork and venison salami still made the old fashioned way by natural curing and wood smoking. The Hokitika Sandwich Company serves up fresh cut sandwiches using top notch local meat, bread, cheese and condiments. Wash these delicacies down with some spirits and fruit liquors at the award-winning Reefton Distillery Co.’s tasting bar.
If you’re courageous enough, the annual Hokitika Wildfoods festival boasts an array of weird and wonderful delicacies from around the region. Those who can stomach it can expect to sample things like huhu grubs (beetle larvae), snails and sheep’s testicles.
Try some spirits and fruit liquors at the award-winning Reefton Distillery Co.’s tasting bar.
Try some spirits and fruit liquors at the award-winning Reefton Distillery Co.’s tasting bar.
Make tracks
The landscapes here are unique and filled with history. Countless walks and cycle trails take you through ancient podocarp forests, along old gold mining tracks and past geological wonders.
The West Coast Wilderness Trail is a smooth and accessible trail that takes you from the alps to the sea, passing by tidal lagoons, rugged shorelines, surging rivers and towering trees. Test your legs on the Copland Track and reward yourself with a soak in the natural hot pools near Welcome Flat Hut. Tramp a section of one of two Great Walks in the region – the Paparoa and Heaphy Tracks – or tackle the Old Ghost Road, an epic tramping and mountain biking trail along an old gold miners’ route.
At Punakaiki, you’ll find the Pancake Rocks, a 30 million-year-old limestone landscape just a short, easy walk from Dolomite Point. Deep within the primeval rainforest of Kahurangi National Park are the spectacular Oparara Arches and cave system, filled with ancient moa bones and glowworms. The surroundings are home to the rare blue duck and lesser short-tailed bat, kiwi, and NZ’s largest spider.
Countless walks and cycle trails take you through ancient podocarp forests, along old gold mining tracks and past geological wonders.
Countless walks and cycle trails take you through ancient podocarp forests, along old gold mining tracks and past geological wonders.
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