20 Apr 2026
Tags: West Coast NZ, Hokitika Gorge, Pancake Rocks & Blowholes, Ōpārara Arches, Lake Brunner, Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK — ŌPĀRARA ARCHES
Sub-tropical Karamea, Kahurangi National Park and the top of the West Coast have the feel of a final frontier. The road north from Westport travels into a primeval world of moss-covered, dense subtropical forests concealing ancient underground cave systems that have lain undisturbed for millions of years.
Explore the largest, most iconic feature, the Ōpārara Arch on the easily accessed, short public track. Or, take a guided tour to the Honeycomb Hill Caves to see the remains of extinct moa and the giant Haast's eagle (hokioi) — trapped inside in ancient times, then fossilised. To protect this special taonga, access is limited to approved guided tours (book at the Karamea Information Centre).
South of Westport, historic Charleston offers caving adventures of a different kind at Underworld Adventures. A 'rainforest train' drops you and your tube at the entrance of a giant cave system, ready to float through glow-worm caves before tumbling down gentle rapids on the Waitakere River.
- Stay: Last Resort Karamea & Riverstone Retreat & Fenian Retreat
- Indulge: Vinnies Cafe & The Last Resort Cafe
- Must Do: Oparara Guided Tours & Heaphy Track - Scotts Beach Walk
- Check Out: Nikau Walk & Lake Hanlon
SEE NATURE'S POWER — PUNAKAIKI PANCAKE ROCKS & BLOWHOLES
Follow Lonely Planet's advice on the Great Coast Road — between Westport and Greymouth — allowing time to stop and enjoy one of the world's best scenic drives. It's a 90-minute drive along the spectacular 100-kilometre Great Coast Road without accounting for unmissable photo stops and visits en route.
About halfway along, Punakaiki Pancake Rocks is a mesmerising demonstration of the power of the sea as it surges metres high through narrow blowholes in limestone formations sculpted by the forces of time and tide. From the roadside, there's a short easy loop walk for the best views.
Staying over is recommended as it's worth timing your visit for high tide when the blowholes perform at their best. Make the most of it with a wander in a rainforest of nīkau palms on the Pororari River Track or the Truman Track (1.4 km / 30 min), one of the best short walks on the West Coast.
- Stay: Scenic Hotel Punakaiki & BIV Punakaiki & Punakaiki Beach Camp
- Indulge: Punakaiki Rocks Hotel & Garden Bar & Oceanview Restaurant & Bar & Shortjaw Brewery & The West Coast Pie Company
- Must Do: Paddle 'N Carve & Paparoa Experience & Underworld Adventures
- Check Out: The Museum of Kawatiri & Cape Foulwind Walkway
RETREAT WATERSIDE — LAKE BRUNNER / MOANA
Retreat from summer heat in a natural playground beside the tranquil deep waters of Lake Brunner. On a still day the water's inky surface reflects mirror images of the snow-capped Southern Alps.
Only one stop before the Greymouth township on the world famous TranzAlpine Train, Lake Brunner is the largest lake on the West Coast and is a taonga for tangata whenua - a top fishing spot year-round for wild brown trout.
In summer, it's a great place to relax on sandy beaches beside pristine water, to kayak, swim or try a spot of forest bathing in magnificent kahikitea forests. Explore lakeside trails such as the short, photogenic Carew Falls Track or the Lake Brunner Scenic Trail. On a clear day, the hike up Mount French rewards with expansive lake and mountain views.
- Stay: Lake Brunner Eco Lodge & Lake Brunner Motor Camp
- Indulge: Kingfisher Restaurant and Bar & Monteiths Brewery
- Must Do: Mawhera Pounamu Pathway & Shantytown Heritage Park
- Check Out: Carew Falls & Mt Te Kinga & Brunner Mine Site Memorial & Coal Creek Falls
FIND YOUR COOL — HOKITIKA GORGE
Photographers love the Hokitika Gorge for its stunning turquoise blue waters flowing between rocky white limestone banks and lush green rainforest. It's a 30-minute drive from town towards the hills, then an easy forest trail with a spectacular pedestrian swing bridge leads to the gorge.
Hokitika proudly wears the title of the Coast's coolest little town — there's a distinct arty vibe to the 'pounamu capital' from driftwood artworks on the beach to the greenstone / jade carving workshops in town. There's even a glassblowing studio, a lively food culture (unsurprisingly in the town of the Wildfoods Festival), and a range of accommodation.
- Stay: Hokitika Fire Station Boutique Accommodation & Ross Beach Top 10 Holiday Park
- Indulge: Hokitika Sandwich Company & Woodstock Hotel & Ocean View Restaurant
- Must Do: West Coast Treetop Walk & Zipline & Precision Helicopters & Polish & Pan
- Check Out: West Coast Wilderness Trail & The National Kiwi Centre & West Coast Scenic Waterways
While visitors are fewer, the world's most accessible glaciers are at their most enticing. A heli-hike on either glaciers is a 'out of this world' experience — is an absolute bucket list experience with scenic flight, glacier landing and a thrilling hike across an icy wonderland.
Fox and Franz Josef are most famous for glaciers but they're also the gateway to Westland Tai Poutini National Park — part of the UNESCO World Heritage Area of Te Wahipounamu South Westland, this unique wilderness is fringed by the Southern Alps on one side, temperate rainforests and coastal wetlands on the other.
By day, there are many lovely forest, coastal and alpine walks, from easy family-friendly strolls to multi-day hikes, with lakes and lagoons to kayak or circumnavigate, untamed beaches and encounters with rare wildlife or, for the most adventurous, skydiving and ice climbing.
- Stay: Te Waonui Forest Retreat & The Two Tales & Rainforest Retreat
- Indulge: Betsey Jane Eatery & Bar & Snakebite Brewery & Restaurant & Alice May Restaurant
- Must Do: Franz Josef Glacier Guides & Fox Glacier Guiding & Lake Matheson Walkway & Okarito Lagoon
- Check Out: Franz Josef Wilderness Tours & Waiho Hot Tubs & West Coast Wildlife Centre
A little town on the edge of wilderness, Haast is the western gateway into Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand — a vast UNESCO World Heritage Area, this is epic Aotearoa New Zealand, one of the world's most outstanding natural treasures.
An outdoor enthusiast's playground, Haast is a hub for adventures from walking and tramping to rare wildlife encounters, photography, boating, fishing and hunting, immersed in unforgettable landscapes. For visitors, a scenic heli flight or a jet boat river journey from the coast into the mountains is the best way to appreciate the grandeur of this wilderness.
