Westcoast
If there is only one area in all of New Zealand that you have time to visit, the West Coast of the South Island is it. This rugged, sparsely populated strip of land is surrounded by the Tasman Sea on one side and the formidable Southern Alps on the other.
It is know as having some of the worse weather in New Zealand, but if the sun does manages to shine the West Coast is a truely euphoric place to be.
It caters for almost all walks of life, for those that like adventure there is plenty of rafting, helicopter flights, jet boating and other activities and for the nature lovers, well it doesn't get any better than the coast!
History
Maori used to frequent this area in search of pounamu (greenstone) and a visit to Hokitika will reveal the abundance of greenstone within this area. In the 1860's the gold rush began and overnight European settlements were established. At the end of the 1870's the gold rush came to a end and the majority of the prospectors left the area barring a few hardy souls who remained behind to farm the land.
Places
Westport
Starting at the top is the Buller region and the main township of this region is Wesport. This is a good place to stock up on food and supplies if heading south from Nelson. The Buller area boast a impressive list of adventures expecially on the Buller river where you can go whitewater rafting, jetboating, caving and there are also plenty of walks in the area.
Acommodation and Links
Trippin
Basils Hostel (email)
Robyns Nest (email)
Westport Vistors Center
Paparoa and Punakaiki
About half way between Westport and Greymouth is the township of Punakaiki, although not much there (pub, cafe, camping ground, a few houses, backpackers and a visitors centre) it is a nice spot to hangout for a day or two. The main attraction is the Pancake Rocks named as they look like stacks of pancakes, these rocks can be quite impressive at high tide and if the seas are rough, the rocks trap water then squirt it out high into the air. There are also lots short walks in the surrounding Paparoa National the Inland Pack Track is the main track in the National Park and is well worth the walk.
Accommodation and Links
Punakaiki Beach Hostel
Punakaiki Camping Ground
Visitors Centre
Greymouth
Greymouth is the gateway to the West Coast and is the largest town with approximately 10,200 people. Rich in gold mining history and once the site of a Maori Pa (fort). There is really not much to do in the town itself besides some nice craft shops and short walks around the hills. Shantytown, is worth a visit, it is a replica of a West Coast gold mining town, although not in Greymouth itself (11Km south).
Acommodation and Links
The Hairy Lemon Backpackers
Noahs Ark Backpackers (email)
Dukes Backpackers (email)
Grey District
Hokitika
The greenstone capital of New Zealand, Hokitika, like the rest of the West Coast is steeped in history. This township once boasted a 1400 seat opera house and around 100 hotels to cater for the weary gold miners. Today Hokitika is a thriving tourist town with plenty of greenstone, bone and wood carving shops. It is also home of the aptly named Wild Foods Festival, where patrons can get to sample some interesting morsels like fried locusts, possum pie, sphagnum moss candy, gumboot milkshakes, huhu grubs and bull's testicles! The event which runs in March attracts a crowd of 10,000, 6 times the local population. If you wish to attend this make sure you book well in advance.
Acommodation and Links
Just Jade Experience Backpackers
Blue Spur Lodge (Cement Lead Road Ph 03 755 8445)
Matheson Backpackers (Blue Spur Road Ph 03 755 5063 )
www.hokitika.com
www.hokitika.net
Ross
Ross is another of the West Coast's historical gold minning towns. Located 30 km south of Hokitika this small township has a number of gold minning relics in and around the township. It is where the largest gold nugget in New Zealand was found, "Honourable Roddy" was 99oz (~$NZ60,000 in today's prices), there is a replica of it in Grimmond House which now serves as the information centre.
Acommodation and Links
Ross Goldfields
Empire Hotel (email
Okarito
Getting increasingly popular, Okarito was originally a thriving gold mining town with several thousand inhabitants. It is New Zealand's largest unmodified wetland at 3240 ha and is home to a variety of bird speices such as white herons, fern birds and kiwis are present in the podocarp forests.
Acommodation and Links
There is a DOC camping ground in the small community of around 30 residents at $8 per night?
Okarito YHA
Okarito Community Association
The Glaciers
Apart from Chile, there is no where else in the world where you will find glaciers within a temperate forest. Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers are located 146 km and 170 km south of Hokitika. The accesability has made them both extreamily popular and as you follow the streams of tourists to get a closer look you will find yourself in awe of these icy giants.
Perhaps the best way to appreciate these "fastest moving glaciers in the world", is to take either a glacier guided walk or a scenic flight and there are plenty of both in the township of Franz.
Acommodation and Links
Black Sheep Backpackers
Chateau Franz Backpackers
Glacier Country
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