Tourism New Zealand's Trade Website

SECTION TWO PAGE ONE:

West Coast

www.west-coast.co.nz

The West Coast lies between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea and is the longest and narrowest region in New Zealand . It is an area of mountain peaks, impressive glaciers, tranquil lakes and raging rivers, lush rainforest and a magnificent coastline.

Due to the nature of the landscape there is only one main route through the region, spanning from north to south. This module has been divided geographically to highlight the key attractions that visitors would see as they tour along this route.

Key selling points

• Nature: 5 of New Zealand's 13 national parks are wholly or partially in the region. The southern West Coast area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Glacier walking: a range of companies offer guided excursions to explore the ice formations.
• Scenic flights: a specialty of this region.
• Pounamu, or greenstone (New Zealand Jade): the story of greenstone and its discovery in this region is told best in the West Coast

Key Centres

• Greymouth, the major town on the West Coast and the terminus for the TranzAlpine rail journey.
• Hokitika, a former sight of the early goldrush and now a small rural town.
• Westport, the main town on the northern West Coast.
• Fox Glacier and Franz Josef villages, bases for trips to the glaciers.
• Haast, a good point to break the journey when travelling to/from Queenstown or Wanaka.

Climate

Westport / Hokitika:

Mean daily temperatures - degrees Centigrade/Fahrenheit