The West Coast

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

The West Coast

Includes  Why Go? Reefton...... 102 Hemmed in by the wild Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, Westport ...... 104 the West Coast is like nowhere else in New Zealand. Karamea ...... 107 The far extremities of the coast have a remote, end-of- The Great the-road feel, from sleepy Karamea surrounded by farms Coast Road. . . . . 109 butting up against Kahurangi National Park, to the southern end of State Hwy 6, gateway to NZ’s World Heritage areas. Punakaiki & Paparoa In between is an alluring combination of wild coastline, rich National Park . . . . 110 wilderness, and history in spades. Built on the wavering fortunes of gold, coal and timber, Greymouth . . . . . 111 the stories of Coast settlers are hair-raising. A hardy and Hokitika...... 115 individual breed, they make up less than 1% of NZ’s popula- Westland Tai Poutini tion, scattered around almost 9% of its land area. National Park . . . . 121 Travellers tend to tick off the ‘must see’ sights of Punakai- Franz Josef Glacier. . . 121 ki, and Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, but sights such as Fox Glacier...... 125 Oparara Basin, Okarito Lagoon and the Coast’s many lakes Haast...... 128 will amaze in equal measure.

When to Go Best Short Walks ¨¨December through February is peak season, so book ¨¨Scotts Beach (p107) accommodation ahead during this period. ¨¨Charming Creek Walkway ¨¨The shoulder months of October/November and March/ (p105) April are increasingly busy, particularly around Punakaiki, ¨¨Lake Matheson (p125) Hokitika and the Glaciers. ¨ ¨¨Ship Creek (p129) ¨May to September can be warm and clear, with fewer crowds and cheaper accommodation. ¨¨The West Coast has serious rainfall (around 5m annually) Best Places to but still sees as much sunshine as Christchurch. Sleep ¨¨No matter what time of year, backcountry trampers should ¨¨Old Slaughterhouse (p106) check conditions with local DOC office staff. Rivers can prove ¨¨Breakers (p111) seriously treacherous. ¨¨Drifting Sands (p118) ¨¨Okarito Campground (p120)

# Ù # Ù

6 1 1

6 1

1 1

1 6 1

9 7 5

3 &¬ &¬

7 8 1 &¬ 7

&¬ &¬

r k l s

6 s

e r e

v s

a m 1 1 i a v 3

s a n e P

k 6 6 6 8 r P

R &¬

P g o l

i s l i 0

÷ # e i d s t s u

6 6 6 6 6 s a ' i o

d k e s k m 8

a w a r

r a n r p e k ) &¬ i a u R n e e u 6 6

N 6 0 l o a P

a l k e a L

a i

o L m h 2

i e P e o a k t k s n t

1 ) t

's i 6 P z a i l a e C r i W L r a

3 i

c R

a 6 n o d s m L T # \ x A N A 3 &¬ o u t k k

c n 1 6 6 s w ) n n 8

o 6 e 2 t U a r p # \ o )

o h i a o s r a s T 0 R 3

o (

&¬ i F k t s a k u s i m t 7 S o u P R L L e 3 ÷ # ÷ # n # \ l &¬ r m # \ s t r 6 6 a 6 6 a 7 a a

k k 0 w

C 2 i r n e

o #

r a a M &¬ a M g

e A ( L i P o a i e e 0 # \ uk i

n c t 6 P t a N n t T 6 6 6 6 6 6 o 6

N o e t m r 4 L

k 8 a e a # c \

c 0 r l e o n

r e k

M a O 2 C t &¬ t a 8 R k

o R a n M ( t

/ &¬

6 6 6 K 6 6 b o ) a p m # \

1 n t t a

) m un

a e

1 n u o n

y g

o 1 a e r S k a i 1 O ) a uk a L m w J l o n o i k M p e a m 6 a 6 6 ) r a

i a

B t

h t P 5

n a

/ r

t 1

1 t 5 o r o

G R

i 6 s a s B

e w c e c d 1 a

o e

&¬ k

m 7 0 0 u K a s o # \ 8m o r u t 6 6 6 e 6 e r k e k i u # \ t u

a g i

s a i R l

a k 2 4

&¬ r e

3 R r - t e

A N c l

k u

a h

a C 1

1 i a

5 n 2 h a n # i H L 1 t e i r o a 6 a l e a k O e 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Mo 4 6 6 6 o 6 u a h i ( r t l i 7 r

s n M 6 6 a k

L (

o M i W l a

t 2 F P V

c n a e 4 k 4

L e r W ÷ # 3 R

a a O (

e ) r

1 a os m i

s d n

tow k

) t a Ha A ( V M

u a 6 # \ # \ B

a # \

t r 7 t

6 6 6 6 n 6 6 o t r r a e L K ( h

e te H y a

÷ # m

P i rg h

# ö r

# \ t m r a

i o L e

a P n

G 1 w m

s 6 i M 4 I a i

1 l 6 t

M k a w

r 5 1 n R P

6 6 6 6

l 6 t

i a # y S

k s W

4 R u

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 4 g e 3 l

R 7 k

O 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 P 1 4 a # r \ 6 a o d

l i

r c G

G a # o l 6

t 8 e n

&¬ a er t K 7

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

1 a 4 t

l 1 6 6 6

6 T 1 H o

1 a n

9 1 e

H 2 1 l 1 &¬

n v

S 4 5 i n ( 1 M 6 (

# \

M F 6

M l 1 u i

&¬

÷ #

M # S # \

k H

d # 1 n

o ton # \ o

&¬

# 6 \

J 1 1

r # # 6 S Ù

a k

i # \ n

1 e a e e

# S

l # \ e n l R v t

k s n i i t

# \

&¬

# c â #

\ L s a # S # \

k c r a ara y

h n u

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

l 4

a o a 9 k #

a 1 n 6 6 6 6

l 6 n R 1 th

s a a

i L a

6 a g n # a r t i T h 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 # 4 \

# \ u i r 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 d 4 a

er rai N n a n

o o P s L

r 1 ar

i a

n o e l h 9 # \ eef k op

p o 4 4 r 4

a 6 T # \ d k 6 i # S i W a

e l e l k

T 6 6 # t k R P

g r

t I er p

a r as l a a g c

i e

C e R

o a s i r # \ i l r D l u a u t r c

e t M n W a n 6 s

÷ # S o

O B o n 8 i e d i l p a 6 u 6 6 6 6 o p n a er o ÷ # n l k B 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 a 4 #

s i h o o

a n # \ b

7 ac G k B B h #æ u a a i 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 w 4 n 6 l 6 es a 1

m A o a P s o t 6 6 6

4 6 &¬ J

# 1 \

o # # \ \ 2 # L M \

o i

u # 4 t # S # W y p a ac d t r

t t G

6 on M a l y i 1 a u # Ù

i H R a e

s a o # S y h ri t

N &¬ r

a 1 i r M D k e

t # \ # 1 \ r u w e ern e h

G R c

r r a i a N a i

ef c n

c c G k # \ n w G

n 6 a w d a

g n p ai k a

a x a s a 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 e 4 l

a a a m a # \ e o g i po s r n n e d 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 t 4 B # ö L i o g k o e u O t H 6 t #æ M B n

e # \ 6 6 r A B G s t

l ak n

k a i s n J s F s

0 K l / W # a S # i \ y y

a m t i e n

c g 1 a a a e n e 6 l # i

a n l z 6 a 6 u t P w a r G k m h a

t l

N o u

r r i i o

r W B i gh e W a

e i 6 a n u N a P H u a a e ttos 6 P 6 h T er

as h e e 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 k 4

a e n o r t l k h K

S ran v

O a g W # \ a t o A C 6 Col F h i K C G m o

F k L n y A l

i g

C a

e K R i e a

a a L r

M p r E

t B p e

o a k

u S a S t S

K c 6 C n a

g 6 es o T a A o n

r t

W a 6 6 T T k

ai W c 6 y a h W

p 6 a e H

6 ) 6 ) ) ) ) Flying (p102 outhern dmiring ) Exploring the ) Exploring ) Jetboating ) Jetboating ) Getting wet ’n’ ’n’ wet ) Getting ) A ) Getting back back ) Getting

Basin Oparara (p120 Okarito (p115 Hokitika (p110 Punakaiki Fox Glacier Fox Gorge Hokitika Buller River River Waiatoto West Coast Coast West Reefton

lps.

Hunting out authentic in greenstone local studios. working Marvelling at nature’s at nature’s Marvelling at the fury beautiful Rocks’. ‘Pancake high over the ice, up the ice, high over the S into Franz Josef Josef (p125) & Franz Glacier (p121 A (p116 turquoise surreal a lofty from waters bridge. swing (p101 wild on this mighty river. (p130 Haast’s deep into Heritage World wilderness. Trail Wilderness (p113 or bike by nature to on foot. Delving into the West West the into Delving glittering Coast’s past. a 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Highlights 1 West Coast Coast West limestone forms and forms limestone forest. (p108 .t Coast GCoast Highlights through Kayaking rainforest bird-filled, channels

The Wes 100