Tourism New Zealand's Trade Website

SECTION TWO: PAGE THREE

North West Coast

The key attractions in this area are its unique natural features. The north West Coast area is a comfortable days drive from Nelson, Picton, Kaikoura and from the south of the West Coast.

Paparoa National Park

www.doc.govt.nz

Limestone underlies most of the park, and is responsible for the area's impressive landforms. Sculptured mountain ridges, mysterious river canyons, delicate cave decorations and the bizarre, pancake-like coastal formations keep visitor’s cameras busy.

Attractions in the Park:

• Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes: The eroded rock layers look like stacks of pancakes. Water is forced by the waves into small holes, where it blows upward, making tiny geysers. The effect is best during stormy weather. The coastal promontory of the Pancake Rocks is looped by an easy walking track.

Kahurangi National Park

Created in 1996, Kahurangi is one of New Zealand's newest national parks and also one of the largest. The Park contains areas of untracked wilderness, along with a wonderful network of tracks that encourages exploration.

Attractions in the Park:

• Heaphy Track: This track is the park's most famous and accessible treasure. A 'Great Walk' by every definition, the track covers 78 kilometres of subtropical rainforest, tussock high country, river valley and coast. For hundreds of years the track was used by local tribes on their way to the pounamu (greenstone) resources of the west coast. For more information on the walk visit www.doc.govt.nz
• The Oparara Arches: the largest of the three limestone arches at Oparara is a natural tunnel 200 metres long, 49 metres wide and 37 metres high. A riverbank walkway leads visitors through silver beech forest right into the arch.
• Seal colony: Cape Foulwind near Westport has a seal colony viewing point accessible by short walk.
• Adventure tours: operators in this area offer white water rafting, underground cave rafting, jet boating, horse trekking, mountain biking, unimog tours, land yachting, kayaking, surfing, caving and a range of other outdoor activities. Visit www.newzealand.com or www.west-coast.co.nz for operator details.

Reefton: a gold mining town with a rich history - the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have electric street lighting.

Denniston: 25 minutes north of Westport is The Denniston Experience. Guided tours take visitors into the old Denniston Coal mine, both above and below ground. See www.denniston.co.nz.

Charleston: 25 minutes drive south of Westport, on the Coast Road, is Charleston. The site of a major gold rush in the 1860s, Charleston is now famous for its extensive limestone caves and caving experiences. See www.westcoastnz.com.

Recommended bases in this area:

• Karamea: the northernmost town within the West Coast region and gateway to Kahurangi National Park.
• Westport: second largest town on the West Coast.
  

Central West Coast

The key tourist activities and attractions focus on interpretation of the history of the area, greenstone galleries/workshops and tours to the natural features of the area. Greymouth and Hokitiki are the key tourism centres in this area.

In and around Greymouth:

• Adventure and activity options: options include rafting, 4WD bikes, underground cave rafting, and scenic flights.
• Shantytown: 15 minutes south of Greymouth: a replica pioneering town with steam train rides, a working gold claim where visitors can pan for gold. www.shantytown.co.nz
• The Jade Boulder Gallery: Visitors can see the different types of pounamu (greenstone or jade) in its natural state and view carvers at work.
• Art galleries: showcase talent from around the region

• The Historic Carnegie Complex & Museum: A 20 minute greenstone and gold audio visual show, displays, research centre, gold panning.
• Ross (30 minutes south of Hokitika): This goldmining town still has working goldmines including one of the deepest operations in the Southern Hemisphere. Visitors can do a local tour from the Ross Goldfields information centre.
• Westland's WaterWorld: Indigenous kokopu (a prehistoric fish) and freshwater eels.
• A range of local craft galleries: Exhibit everything from hand blown glass and gold nugget jewellery to wood craft and New Zealand jade/greenstone (pounamu).

Recommended bases in this area:

• Greymouth is the largest township and commercial heart of the West Coast. It is the arrival point for visitors journeying on the TranzAlpine railway and also the main arrival point for self-drive visitors arriving from the east coast.
• Hokitika is also a key centre in this area.