West Coast: Rainforests, glaciers and remarkable trails
Accommodation in West Coast
The landscape takes on a different character at the Paparoa Track, in West Coast Glacier Country and around Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The region is also the western gateway to the Te Wāhipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. If you’re looking for a holiday rental or holiday home, you can start by considering which experiences you want to shape your stay: multi-day hikes, shorter loop walks, insights into mining history or remarkable landscapes.
Landscapes between rainforest and karst
The Paparoa Track crosses alpine summits, limestone karst landscapes and lush rainforests. This multi-day route passes through remote alpine and coastal wilderness. It is one of New Zealand’s ten Great Walks and one of two Great Walks connected to the West Coast. It particularly appeals to travellers who want to spend their days on a longer hiking route.
The Lake Matheson Walk takes in a different landscape: it leads through lush rainforest to Lake Matheson, known for its reflections of New Zealand’s highest mountains. The Lake Matheson Circuit is a 4.4 km loop; the walk takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. These details help you fit the loop walk into your day’s plans without confusing it with the multi-day hike on the Paparoa Track.
Ōkārito Lagoon is another example of the region’s natural environment. This significant, unmodified wetland is visited by more than 76 native bird species. In West Coast Glacier Country, you can see glaciers extending down into temperate rainforest. For a different perspective on the landscape, the 20-minute Pancake Rocks and Blowholes loop walk takes you to limestone formations around 30 million years old. The blowholes are particularly impressive at high tide.
Active days and a variety of excursions
The West Coast Wilderness Trail is divided into four sections of about 30 km each between Greymouth and Ross. It is also suitable for people with little or no cycling experience. This means you can choose how to tackle the trail based on your own cycling experience. The Great Coast Road runs along the West Coast between Westport and Greymouth and offers another point of reference for planning your regional trip.
Heli-hikes are among the special glacier experiences on offer: operators fly visitors by helicopter to Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. If you’re considering this excursion, you can make it a focus of its own alongside hikes and loop walks. It’s best to choose a holiday rental or holiday home based on which of these travel ideas matter to you during your stay, rather than treating every experience as part of a single itinerary.
Mining history and regional specialities
You can also explore the West Coast through its mining history. At Denniston, surviving machinery tells the story of the area’s historic mining activity. Brunner Industrial Site is considered an outstanding site of coal-mining heritage on the West Coast. These places add a cultural dimension to a nature-focused holiday if you’re interested in the region’s history as well as its landscapes.
The annual Wildfoods Festival in Hokitika showcases another side of the region’s culture. Visitors can sample a wide selection of native natural products and unusual specialities there.
Discover places on the West Coast
For further guidance around the West Coast, here are its subregions and places: Greymouth, Buller District, Westland District, Grey District, Karamea, Reefton, Kumara, Seddonville, Denniston and Karangarua.
For the broader travel overview: New Zealand.
