West Coast

Westport & Karamea
Most northerly of the settlements, Karamea is last stop on a road to nowhere and the gateway to the vast wilderness of the Kahurangi National Park, whose limestone caves and arches are legendary. To the south, Westport is more of a town and is known for its fur seals, which come ashore to breed on Cape Foulwind.

Greymouth
Terminus for the TranzAlpine rail journey, Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast and a good base for exploring the region. Its heritage is vividly brought to life at the local history museum and in the nearby replica gold-mining settlement of Shantytown. North of the town, Paparoa National Park protects a superb stretch of native forest and the renowned Pancake Rocks and blowholes of Punakaiki.

Hokitika
The gold rush town of Hokitika lies on an exposed stretch of coast with a wave-pounded beach and is renowned for its range of crafts and artefacts made of local jade or greenstone. Each year in March the town hosts the unusual Wild Foods Festival.

The Glaciers
The Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers are the West Coast’s major attractions. The twin villages offer an excellent choice of accommodation, as well as a great range of glacier excursions, which include guided walks, heli-hikes and scenic flights. But there is more than ice to explore: a visit to idyllic Lake Matheson is unforgettable at sunset, with Mt Cook and Mt Tasman reflected in its calm water. Nearby Okarito’s lagoon, beach and white heron colony are a further draw, while the coastal rainforests to the south are New Zealand’s most spectacular and are protected as a World Heritage Site.