November the 6th 2015.

When you come home there is so much to choose from that it can become difficult to decide where to begin. The Coasters club would like to make some suggestions that may help and take you on 3 day holiday home to reconnect with the Coasters. My name is Bruce Smith. I am a 4th generation Coaster and I want to show you around your Coast.

This week we are off to Hokitika - Whataroa - Okarito - Franz Josef - Back to Hokitika and home. Day one you visit “a Cool little Town” Hokitika. You arrive at about lunch time. You’re hungry so it’s into Fat Pipis Pizza for one of their World famous Whitebait Pizzas.

Now we know you enjoyed that and it’s time to drive out to the Hokitika Gorge. Sometimes you see photos of a tourist spot and think yeah right, it can’t look as good as that in real life. The Hokitika Gorge is not one of those places.

The vivid turquoise water surrounded by lush native bush looks too good to be true but trust us 50,000 people a year say it is stunning, it is well worth a visit and it’s just 33kms from Hokitika.

When you arrive back into Hokitika you have time to visit any number of shops. Remember Hokitika is the Pounamu centre of New Zealand and there are a number of factories and outlets.

You might decide to call into the Sock Museum on Sewell Street where 100 year old sock machines make up one of the largest collections in the world.

You might take a stroll along Tancred Street with its Pounamu outlets, Photo gallery and of course the best place on the Coast to buy a gold nugget, “The Gold Room”. You will have time to call into the Museum on Hamilton Street where our history since 1865 is preserved.

Get your photo taken by the town clock and then walk down to the Hokitika Beach, its well sign written. The beach is a unique feature of the Hokitika landscape.

Legend has it that Poutini, the guardian of Pounamu and a Taniwha (a giant water being), snatched a beautiful Maori woman, Waitaiki, from the North Island. He brought her south eventually to the Arahura River but her husband Tamaahua gave chase. Fearing Tamaahua's strength and determination, Poutini decided that if he could not have Waitaiki, no-one would. He transformed her into his likeness, Pounamu, and laid her in the cold waters of the river. The jade fragments that break off and roll down the river to the sea are known as Waitaiki’s children.

Your accommodation tonight is the Beach front Hotel. The stunning Beachfront Hotel Hokitika is located in central Hokitika on New Zealand's West Coast and offers a wide range of quality accommodation, full dining, event facilities and most recently therapeutic massage.

The accommodation comprises three different categories of rooms - from comfortable street front Driftwood Standard rooms to fully refurbished Driftwood Superior rooms to modern, luxury Ocean view rooms with an uninterrupted view of the beach. Full services including restaurant, bar and event facilities for weddings, conferences, meetings and parties are all available.

After a brilliant breakfast in Hokitika, it’s time to drive south through the gold rush town of Ross and the former forestry town of Hari Hari to Whataroa, the home of the White Heron sanctuary tours.

It takes about 1.30 hours and it’s an easy drive. Then it’s onto the Jet Boat and down the Waitangi Taona river to the home of the white heron. The location of the nesting site deep within the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve is only accessible by boat. The Nature Reserve is administered by the Department of Conservation and entry is by permit only. Royal Spoonbill (kotuku nutu-papa) and Little Shag (kawapaka) also nest in this reserve.

The preserved rainforest and its surrounds is also home to a great array of other birdlife. Experience the untouched beauty of the pre-historic White Pine (Kahikatea) rainforest and absorb the natural Flora and Fauna as you visit one of the special places in New Zealand. “White Heron Sanctuary Tours” has been operating for over 26 years. It is the original and only tour to visit the White Heron nesting site. The Arnold family are experienced guides and are a pioneer Coast family.

You have picked the right time as December is when the chicks have hatched and you can get very close.

Reviewed 15 October 2015 This trip is not just for birdwatching enthusiasts - it's for everyone who enjoys, values and respects wonderful wildlife living naturally in a pristine natural environment. Well, there's also the pleasure of heading down a shallow river in a jet- boat powered by a 454 cu. in. V8 to reach an isolated boardwalk and hide just 30 metres from the herons breeding site. Excellent views of about 40 birds engaged in a variety of courting displays and mate selection processes when we visited early October.

You have now finished the White Heron tour and you will be on a high! It’s time to drive about 20 minutes to Okarito where the chance to take a quiet kayak trip across the lagoon begins.

Okarito Nature Tours is a small family owned kayak business offering freedom rental and guided kayaking trips on the Okarito Lagoon.

Kayaking is by far the best way to enjoy the flora, fauna and scenic grandeur of New Zealand's largest unmodified coastal wetland. Previous experience is not necessary and no you’re not too old!

Okarito Lagoon covers more than 3240 hectares of shallow open water and is well known for its outstanding avifauna (over 70 species of birds have been recorded here). The lagoon is a common feeding ground for Kotuku (white heron) and royal spoonbill, both of which breed in the nearby Waitangiroto Nature Reserve.

The lagoon also has a diverse and fascinating flora both in the saltmarsh and other wetland communities of the lagoon, as well as in the adjacent shrub lands, forest and sand dunes.

Exploring the open water and river channels that lead you deep into the heart of the rainforest is like stepping back in time to pre-European conditions. A clear day offers magnificent views of Mount Cook and the Southern Alps.

Our kayak trip around the lagoon was amazing, but now it’s time to head for Franz Josef where we will stay overnight. We have selected Te Waonui Forest Retreat in Franz Josef which made the top 20 in the Conde Nast Readers Choice Awards 2015. The eco-luxury hotel was picked out of 128,000 properties so making the top 20 is a big deal.

We have decided to eat at “The Landing” a popular local restaurant and we will not be disappointed as the personal service and food is outstanding. Then it’s off to bed because tomorrow will be very exciting.

We wake and take in breakfast and then have a wander around the many tourist shops in Franz Josef. Its 11am and we are going to see some new born Kiwis at the West Coast Wildlife Centre.

The West Coast Wildlife Centre is a unique and interactive experience that brings together nature, conservation and wildlife all under one roof! Our all-weather attraction is fun for all ages to explore and takes place against the stunning backdrop of the Franz Josef Glacier. We take a self-guided tour of our indoor attraction and see Rowi Kiwi in our natural bush walkthrough. We have decided to Sponsor a kiwi chick which will help to save the Rowi and Haast Tokoeka from extinction. Our donation will help to fund kiwi husbandry costs including kiwi food, brooder equipment, incubation equipment and health and hygiene products.

What a great place to see Kiwis live and close. The award winning business is a must while in Franz Josef.

We have lunch at another of the many restaurants in town and now over to see the team at Glacier Helicopters for our flight up the Franz Josef glacier and where we land on the fresh snow in Summer!

Franz Josef Glacier provides some of the most stunning ‘ice architecture’ of any Glacier in the world. The Glacier was in a state of advance until 2008 when it started retreating. Following a spectacular collapse of the terminal face in 2012, it is now only accessible by helicopter.

The Franz Josef Glacier is known as ‘Ka Roimata o Hinehukatere’ in Maori which means ‘The Tears of Hinehukatere.’ As the legend goes, Hinihukatere had a passion and skill for climbing. Whilst not shared by her lover, Wawe, he liked to be by her side so ventured forth anyway. However, an avalanche soon swept him from the peaks to an untimely death. Hinihukatere was heartbroken and the tears flowed uncontrollably but as they flowed down the mountain they froze, forming the glacier.

I promised you that this experience would be the best you have ever had and I was right.

A relaxed Coffee at the landing, there is so much to take in:

Now its the World Class Glacier Hot Pools for a wind down. Nestled in lush rainforest, the Glacier Hot Pools is a haven of natural tranquillity. The pools are the perfect way to unwind and experience a blissful state of pure relaxation after traveling.

This evening we dine at the Alice May restaurant with its fine wines and excellent cuisine.

Then all too soon the day is over and you take another restful night in magnificent Franz Josef.

We have breakfast and 1.5 hours later we call into to walk the West Coast Treetop walkway which is just 15mins from Hokitika.

We got to enjoy a leisurely one hour stroll through the beautiful West Coast rainforest tree tops. It’s an exhilarating treetop adventure among temperate rainforest giants.

We got to Experience life with the birds high in the ancient Rimu and Kamahi tree canopy. The access was easy and we all walked along the steel platform 20 metres high and over 450 metres long.

It was a great day and we saw both the Southern Alps and Lake Mahinapua. They have an excellent café so we stayed for lunch.

Then all too soon we are back in Hokitika for departure home.

Please note we have no commission arrangements or any commercial arrangement with any of the attractions or accommodation mentioned. Our aim is to show you just a fraction of what is on offer on the Coast and from there it’s all up to you.

Thanks for coming on this tour with me and I can’t wait until you all return for another adventure on the Coast and to reconnect again.

Bruce Smith

The Coasters Club. The Coast extends from Karamea to the Haast and incorporates the people of Buller ,Grey and Westland. www.thecoastersclub.co.nz