West Coast Travel Tips

Banks: 09:00 to 16:30, Monday to Friday
Post Offices: 08:30 to 20:00, Monday to Friday
Department Stores and Shops: 09:00 to 18:00, daily
Museums: 09:30 to 17:00, daily
Business Offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday

The ‘coasters’ who live along the West Coast are famous throughout New Zealand for their hospitality, kindness and honesty. They take a great deal of pride in their reputation as pioneers and thus deeply frown upon any kind of criminal activity. It is unlikely that visitors will encounter any threat of crime in any town or national park in the West Coast.

Your main safety concern in the West Coast should be the natural environment. Certain sites such as the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks contain real safety hazards such as blowholes. If you stray off the designated paths here, you may find yourself blown into the Tasman Sea or crushed against the rocks. The glaciers also hold many dangers, so always stick to the established trails and read up on local safety suggestions before venturing into the wilderness.

Police: 111
Electricity: 230V AC, 50Hz with oblique flat plugs being standard.

The tap water is safe to drink in all West Coast towns. However, due to the extensive mining in the region you should check with your hotel before guzzling down the tap water. Food shouldn’t cause you any concern either, even such local delicacies as huhu grubs. Just be sure any seafood or meat has been thoroughly cooked.

The main thing to be concerned about here is nature and the weather. If you are trekking in the alpine environment of the Southern Alps or the glaciers, be sure and protect yourself with sunscreen as the UV rays are extremely strong at elevation. The West Coast is also New Zealand’s rainiest region, so always go out prepared with rain gear and a warm layer. The weather changes quickly here, so it pays to be prepared.

For minor illnesses, the local pharmacies in most towns should be able to provide you with whatever is needed. If something really serious comes up, you may want to head to Wellington or Christchurch. There are basic medical clinics and hospitals in some of the towns like Greymouth, but they may have limited facilities. Serious emergencies are normally dealt with at better facilitated hospitals on one of the larger cities.

There is a lot of potential for body injury in the West Coast. If you plan to engage in any extreme sports or alpine activities, it is highly recommended that you buy travel insurance before your trip. This will cover any medical bills that you may incur should things go wrong.

Ambulance: 111
Greymouth Hospital: +64 3 364 4885

The official languages in New Zealand are English and Maori, however, most Maori speak English meaning there is little chance of communication difficulties anywhere in the West Coast.

New Zealand uses the New Zealand dollar (NZ$) as its official currency. There are 100 cents in a dollar. Notes come in denominations of NZ$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5, while coins come in denominations of NZ$2, 1, and 50, 20, and 10 cents.

All the main towns in the West Coast have a decent selection of banks and ATMs. Visitors will need to exchange their foreign money into local New Zealand dollars at a bank before heading into the more remote parts of the West Coast, as some of the national parks and remote villages don’t have banking facilities. Credit cards can be used in most circumstances, even in remote places for things like lodging and dining, but don’t count on it. It’s better to have a good supply of New Zealand dollars just in case.

All visitors to New Zealand over the age of 17 years can import 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco; 1 litre of spirits; and 4.5 litres of wine or beer. Prohibited items include plants, raw food, animals and firearms. New Zealand has very strict quarantine laws that are enforced diligently. Be very careful what you bring into the country as customs officials check thoroughly. Visitors may not export Maori antiques, paua shells or greenstone.

The residents of the West Coast, known as ‘coasters’, are an extremely self-reliant and welcoming group of people. These are some of the original pioneers of New Zealand, and an atmosphere of frontier spirit still resonates in every town along the coast. This is actually a good thing, because ‘coasters’ don’t care much for pretension or get too concerned about etiquette. The emphasis in the West Coast is being friendly to your neighbours, because you never know when you’ll need their help in this harsh remote region.

Visitors should come prepared to encounter extremely open and friendly locals. Don’t be surprised if complete strangers strike up conversations with you everywhere you stop. With only 30,000 residents in the West Coast, they are usually interested in travellers who make the effort to visit their land. An honest smile and engaging attitude are respected qualities, so do your best to be outgoing if you want to get to know these hardy people.

Dining Etiquette
The main meal of the day for most ‘coasters’ is known as ‘tea’. It is consumed in the evening, but there are no particular rules of etiquette. Some families eat together at the table, while others sit around the television. During the drier summer months, barbecues are a common social event.

If you linger in one place long enough, you might be invited to someone’s home for a barbecue. Bring plenty of beer or some meat and you’ll be warmly welcomed. The Maori tradition is to dig a hangi pit and cook the meat, fish and vegetables alongside red hot rocks. Water is sprinkled on the food, covered with green leaves and then filled in with dirt. When it’s finished, everything is dug up and eaten like a banquet.

All visitors to New Zealand must have a passport, but citizens from many countries are allowed to enter without obtaining a tourist visa in advance. Nearly all European, North American and Asian nationals such as Japanese and Singaporeans may enter New Zealand if visiting on a holiday. Visitors may stay for up to three months, or six months if you are a British citizen, without a visa. In order to qualify for the visa waiver, each traveller must have an onward plane ticket to a country where they will be allowed entry, proof of sufficient funds for the length of their stay, and a passport that is valid for at least three months past the date of planned departure from New Zealand. Anyone who wishes to stay longer can apply for a visitor’s visa.

Each of the tourist towns in the West Coast has its own visitor information centre. As tourism is a big industry around here, they are easy to find and very useful for learning more about specific areas of the West Coast.

Greymouth i-Site
Herbert and Mackey streets
Greymouth
Phone: +64 3 768 5101
Website: www.greydistrict.co.nz

Westport Information Centre
1 Broughham street
Westport
Phone: +64 3 789 6658
Website: www.westport.org.nz

Haast Visitor Centre
SH6 and Jackson Bay road
Haast
Phone: +64 3 750 0809