West Coast Sightseeing

Nearly every square mile of the West Coast region has something that will make your jaw drop. The vast majority of highlights in this rugged remote strip of New Zealand are natural. There are subtropical glaciers, temperate rainforests, bizarre geological features straight out of a Dr Seuss story, and over 400 miles of dramatic windswept coastline. But there are people here, too. The ‘coasters’ live in a handful of small but quaint frontier towns that reflect the character of their residents. When your head becomes overloaded with surreal natural beauty, head down to the nearest pub and share a pint with the locals who will know exactly what you’re on about.

Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers
Around 140 glaciers flow down from the Southern Alps, but only these two reach all the way to the subtropical rainforests in the West Coast. The sight of ice blue glaciers pushing their way into temperate rainforest is simply astounding. Only one other site on earth has this wonder, so don’t miss this destination even though it’s hugely popular. Tour companies offer a range of guided walks and climbs into the glaciers for all levels. This is also the place to take a heli-hike or a scenic flight which is able to land you right on the upper reaches of the glaciers.

Greymouth
The West Coast’s largest town is the place to get your urban fix in between jaunts into the natural wonderland of the central region. Every kind of outdoor activity is offered from the tour companies in town since Greymouth is so centrally located. It also has the best variety of restaurants, art galleries, museums, shops and lodging. Take your scenic flight from here, or catch the incredible TranzAlpine train to Christchurch from the railway station.

Mount Aspiring National Park
As the name would suggest, this park is one of the gems of New Zealand. Its mix of high mountains, alpine river valleys and remote wilderness is a trekking paradise. The views seem to go on forever, and some of the South Island’s best walking routes begin here such as the Routeburn and Greenstone tracks. The park is located near Haast. Phone: +64 3 750 0809.

Mount Cook (Aoraki)
The highest peak in New Zealand, and Australasia, is known to the Maori as the ‘Cloud Piercer’. It rises to 3,755m and is one of the most spectacular mountains among the many that make up the Southern Alps. Mount Cook National Park is nearly half-covered by a permanent layer of glaciers and snow, making this one of the best sites for snowy alpine excursions.

Oparara Basin
The mind-boggling limestone arches, caverns and strange geological formations of Oparara are a West Coast highlight. Tucked into the rainforest of Kahurangi National Park, and isolated from humans for millions of years, this area looks much the same as it did millions of years ago. Make your reservation to join the guided tour to Honeycomb hill where thousands of dinosaur fossils lay scattered among the surreal limestone landscape. The basin is located in Karamea. Phone: +64 3 782 6652.

Punakaiki Pancake Rocks
One of the West Coast’s most famous natural sites looks like a stack of giant pancakes toppling into the sea. Mixed in among these strange limestone formations are a number of blowholes which add some aerial action to the scene every time the tide surges in. It’s a 20-minute loop walk from the road down to the rocks near Punakaiki. Phone: +64 3 731 1895.

Te Wahi Pounamu
This UNESCO World Heritage site was chosen because the landscape remains exactly as this part of the earth looked 80 million years ago when New Zealand was still part of the super continent Gondwana. The glaciated valleys, fiords and lakes of this region are among the most beautiful in the world. Stretching from the Southern Alps to the Tasman Sea, the land is covered in ancient forests of podocarp and southern beech. Rare plants, animals, and birds like the alpine parrot kea survive only here. For the Maori, this region was thought to be the home of the gods, and once you see it you’ll understand why.

Westport
This pleasantly sized port town is the ideal base for excursions in northern West Coast. A mild climate conspires with an overload of outdoor activities such as caving, underground rafting, jet-boating, surfing and hiking. Some of the West Coast’s finest cultural sites are near as well, and Westport itself boasts excellent cafés, pubs and accommodation. Go caving around the gold rush town of Charleston, check out the seal colony at Tauranga bay, and explore the friendly artist communities of Hector and Granity.

Cross New Zealand’s longest swing-bridge as it spans the Buller river. At 110 metres long, the Buller swing-bridge is both beautiful and exciting to walk across. At this point the Buller river carves its way through the beautiful pink granite exposed in Buller gorge before expelling itself into the Tasman Sea. Besides being a great photo spot, there are lots of activities set up along the river, which is located outside Westport.

Get off the beaten track in the remote outdoor mecca around Karamea. This town at the northern end of the West Coast caters to more independent, adventurous travellers. The hour-long drive north from Westport is one of the most scenic in the South Island. Coastal seascapes, hills draped in rainforest, funky villages and the sublime Karamea Bluff await drivers. With the Kahurangi National Park, Oparara basin, and famous Heaphy trekking trail in its backyard, Karamea is a complete destination in itself with enough action for weeks of solitary exploration.

Soak your tired bones in the thermal pools of Mariua springs. The volcanic power that lies beneath the South Island is evident at every turn, and these wonderful natural hot springs offer a great way to relax after a long day tramping through the hills. Its location in the Lewis pass certainly provides a scenic backdrop as you soothe yourself in the therapeutic pools just one hour from Reefton.

Spend some quality time exploring the national parks of the West Coast. Six of New Zealand’s 14 national parks are located in the West Coast region of the Southern Alps. One of them, Te Wahi Pounamu, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Arthur’s Pass, Mount Aspiring, Westland Tai Poutini, Kahurangi and Paparoa are all spectacularly scenic and well worth a visit. You probably won’t be able to see them all, but whichever ones you visit will reward you with great memories.

Treat yourself to one of the planet’s greatest rail journeys on the TranzAlpine train. Crossing right across the South Island, this incredibly scenic and enjoyable train ride takes less than five hours to travel from Greymouth to Christchurch. Passengers can soak in the pastoral farmland of the Canterbury plains and the rivers and gorges of the Waimakariri before climbing 73 metres into the Southern Alps. You’ll pass through 16 tunnels and cross five viaducts during this unique rail journey. Phone: +64 800 872 467.

Witness the extremely rare white heron’s home territory near the town of Okarito. This quiet coastal village boasts huge views of the Southern Alps, the Tasman Sea and a vast lagoon teeming with more than 80 species of birds. Along the Waitangiroto river is the White Heron Sanctuary, where these rare and striking birds live in New Zealand’s only breeding colony. You must get an entry permit to visit the sanctuary, located at Whataroa, which is only open to visitors from October to February.