Ultimate Guide to the West Coast of New Zealand

The West Coast of New Zealand hits different. The untamed wilderness, the Jurassic park vibes, the roadside waterfalls, the worlds most accessible glaciers – it’s really a rather spectacular stretch of the South Island. We were lucky enough to call this stretch of the South Island home for a significant chunk of time and came to know the windy roads of the region pretty well. So, I thought I’d chuck together my recommendations in one place for any future south island road trips you may have planned.

We will go North to South. Think Westport to Haast but obviously, just flip this around if you’re travelling up the coast from Wanaka/Queenstown way.

Climate & Travel Advice for the west coast of new zealand:

It goes without saying that the West Coast of New Zealand is wet, like rain you’ve never seen – when it rains it pours – sometimes washes the roads away pours. In fact it is considered to be one of the rainiest parts of New Zealand with an annual rainfall of 2000mm to 10,000mm. In saying that, the West Coast weather swings between mildly hot summers and pleasant winters. Summer season begins in December and continues through February with the coldest months between July – September.

You can visit the west coast of New Zealand year round dependent on what you are wishing to get out of your experience. For us we found hiking and exploring the Glaciers best during spring/autumn as the weather is milder and there are a lot less sandflies (if you haven’t met a sandfly yet then the West Coast of New Zealand has them in abundance). When the sunshines its bloody gorgeous, seriously some of the best sunsets I have ever seen. Don’t let the threat of rain put you off, don a good waterproof coat, sturdy shoes and you’re good to go. Without the rainfall the west coast wouldn’t be home to such magnificent rainforests. I mean don’t get me wrong if you can catch a clear day for the Glaciers and that infamous reflection at Lake Matheson then grab it with both hands!

In a nutshell vigilantly check the forecast, keep up to date with the road situ as the route over to the West Coast is via one of the passes (Lewis/Arthurs/Haast) so keep an eye on travel conditions if there has been any adverse weather – NZTA is your go to for regular updates.

How long to spend on the west coast of new zealand?

As with everything in New Zealand, you’ll have to pick and choose what you do and where you stop based on how much time you have. Bear in mind we spent the best part of a year on the west coast during the pandemic so we had A LOT of time to explore. If you have the time and want to really get the most out of the South Island’s West Coast I would spend 4-6 days. However, it is possible to just hit the highlights spending 3 or fewer days – just be prepared for longer driving days!

Transport

If you haven’t yet booked your transport for your west coast/NZ trip then I am 10000% an advocate for hiring a campervan, in my opinion there is no better way to explore the winding roads of Aotearoa than in a camper. I would recommend scanning Go See Travel to compare prices. It is definitely worth checking prices directly with Jucy rentals and Spaceship rentals too, they are both a great option, both are super popular, and have regular promotions running for a range of campervans/camper cars.

Fuel & Supermarkets on the west coast of new zealand

One last thing before we get to the 26 best things to do on the West Coast of New Zealand. I would definitely recommend getting a full tank of fuel before hitting the west coast as it’s often significantly more expensive and fuel stations can be few and far between once you leave the bigger towns of Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika. Top Tip: Download the Gaspy app to find the cheapest fuel in your area.

Likewise with groceries the supermarket options are a little more scarce and they don’t tend to have as much choice as in bigger towns, it’s not impossible but not as convenient as picking up your shopping in either Wanaka or Nelson (depending on your direction of travel) before you come up/down the coast.

westport & karamea

The main highway between Westport & Greymouth known as the Great Coast Road is a 90 minute coastal drive running alongside the limestone cliffs of Paparoa National Park. The route was named one of the Top 10 Coastal Drives in the world by Lonely Planet. Drive along and soak in the beautiful ocean vistas and check off the below stops on this epic stretch of SH6. You can take the road in either direction but a great place to start your west coast roadie is Westport in particular Cape Foulwind.

Cape Foulwind
15 mins from Westport | 1hr 30 mins from Greymouth | Coastal path: 3.5km one way

Panoramic coastal views, a seal colony and a snazzy little lighthouse. Park at Tauranga Bay and follow the pathway to the fur seal breeding colony which you can see year round. From here follow the coastal track to the Cape Foulwind lighthouse.

Truman Track
45 mins from Westport | Track to headland: 1.4km – 30mins return

This short but sweet track begins in a beautiful sub-tropical rainforest, as you wander through you will reach the headland – the views are stunning. If you visit at low tide you can explore the beach below, be aware that it is not recommended to go down on to the beach at any other time due to strong swells and waves.

Punakaiki
40 mins from Greymouth | Coastal track: 1.1km loop

Located near the centre of the coast road you have Punakaiki where you can admire the intriguing pancake rocks and blowholes. The track begins opposite the Paparoa Park Visitor Centre and winds through rainforest out to the coast. It’s a short paved walk, it is very open and obviously coastal so can be very windy and there is no shelter should it rain. High tide is the best time to visit when there is a south-westerly swell.

Hokitika to Ōkārito

Hokitika Gorge
30 minutes from Hokitika | 2km loop track – allow 45mins-1hr

A spot not to miss for sure. Located 30 minutes from the town of Hokitika you will find magnificent blue waters of Hokitika Gorge. An easy walk through lush native bush to a rocky gorge with beautiful glacial waters. Wander through the rimu and podocarp forest to the viewing platform just 4 minutes from the car park. As you continue along the path you will come to a pretty impressive swing bridge (NZ love a swing bridge). Continuing on from there, the track has undergone a lot of maintenance in recent years looping across a further suspension bridge before heading back to the car park.

Lake Kaniere
25 minutes from Hokitika | 2hrs from Franz Josef
A beautiful and vast glacial lake with great opportunities for water sports, camping and walking.

Mt Brown
30 minutes from Hokitika | 8.5km out & back | 7-8hr Difficult Day Hike or Overnight | 4 Bunk Hut

Not for the feint hearted, but worth it to stay in that tiny yellow lego-esque hut amid the stunning mountain ranges. The track is steep and quite the workout to make it to the top. I’ll be honest I may have cried twice and had a minor ‘I can not do this’ tantrum on several occasions but heck was it worth it to spend the night up there. Mount Brown Hut was relocated by DOC from the Lower Arahura and is now maintained by a group of volunteers (Permolat).

We monitored the forecast the week before and picked a gap in the weather for a clear weather day and went for it. Boy did it pay off, the sunset was phenomenal. However do note that even though we had had pretty dry weather for a week before we did the track the mud was boggy and added to the complexity of the track so don’t go after really heavy rain it will up the complexity ten fold. Read my full guide to hiking Mt Brown here.

Lake Mahinapua
10 minutes from Hokitika | 1hr30m from Franz Josef

A lesser known spot but a hidden gem nevertheless. The views from the lake side over the southern alps are gorgeous. This is a DOC campground and scenic reserve so you can pay to stay here, just bear in mind you’re on the west coast of New Zealand and the sand flies are rife particularly in the summer.

Ross Beach
20 mins from Hokitika | 1hr 30 mins from Franz Josef

A firm favourite spot of ours, a great hunk of rolling blank sand beach, very windy, very wild just one of those places that feels good for the soul. We always stayed at Ross Beach Top 10 when coming back down the coast to Fox and we just loved it for a nice place to relax and take in a spectacular west coast sunset.

Ōkārito
30 mins from Franz Josef | 2hr 10 mins from Greymouth | Three mile lagoon track : 10km 3hr30mins

A must for bird spotting, kayaking and walking. Okarito lagoon is home to over 75 species of bird including the white heron or kotuku and the royal spoonbill (if you’ve not bagged yourself a NZ bird book I highly recommend you do). A highlight for us was the Three Mile Pack Track / Ōkārito Coastal Walk a 10km track that leads through the Ōkārito Wetland Walk through coastal forest before climbing over the Kohuamarua Bluff. The views over the wild west coastline are beautiful and on a clear day you get a wonderful view over the southern alps including the tippy top of Aoraki Mt Cook. Once you have crossed the swing bridge you have reached the end of the track and have the option to return via the track or follow the coastline – note you should only walk along the beach within one hour of low tide.

Glacier Country

Entering Franz Josef will bring you firmly into Glacier country, arguably the most beautiful section of the west coast of New Zealand and popular with tourists world over for very good reason. Explore the magnificent rainforests, explore the incredible ice caves of either/or both Franz Josef and Fox Glacier and stand in awe of the glasslike mirror reflections of the idyllic Lake Matheson.

Franz Josef
1hr 30 from Hokitika | 3hr 30 from Wanaka

• Soak in the Waiho Hot Tubs | relax in a wood-fired cedar hot tub amongst the beautiful west coast rainforest. Each hot tub can accommodate up to four adults and a private shelter to store your personal belongings.

• Take a Franz Josef Heli Hike | a bucket list experience for sure, land atop Franz Josef glacier and explore dramatic ice formations, caves and pinnacles whilst taking in the tremendous scenery.

• See a Kiwi at West Coast Wildlife Centre | Spotting a kiwi in the wild can be difficult, an easier way to see and learn about one of New Zealand’s native birds is to pop into Franz Josef Wildlife Centre. The West Coast Wildlife Centre is the largest Kiwi Captive Rearing facility on the south island helping to bring the critically endangered Rowi and Haast Tokoeka kiwi back from extinction – in partnership with DOC and local iwi. 

• Hike the Alex Knob Track | 17.2 km (8 hours) return via same track | Hike up here for arguably the best views of Franz Josef Glacier, read more about the track here.

Fox Glacier
2 hours from Hokitika | 3hr from Wanaka

• Discover the lesser visited Lake Gault | 7.5km (2.5 hours) return via same track | The track up to Lake Gault reopened during our stint working in Fox Glacier as DOC had closed the track for some time for major repair work. Begging from Lake Matheson car park the lookout spot from Lake Gault offers incredible panoramic views of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. It is best to visit in the morning on a still clear day as you stand the best chance of catching a glimpse of these peaks are perfectly reflected on the surface of Lake Gault.
• Admire the incredible reflections at Lake Matheson | The magnificent mirror-like reflections and phenomenal views from the forested shores of Lake Matheson are just something else. You have a couple of options route wise, you can pop down to the jetty viewpoint which 1.2 kilometers from the car park (approx. 30 mins return) or you can continue further around the lake to complete the circuit which takes about 1hr return. It is best to go first thing in the morning or just before dusk as generally these are the best viewing times as the lake is generally calm.
• Do the Minnehaha Glow Worm Walk | 1.2km return | follow the stream through the forest and keep an eye out for glow worms, it goes without saying the darker it is the more glow worms you will see, take a torch though to find your way.

Copland Track to Welcome Flat Hut & Natural Hot Pools
20 mins from Fox Glacier | 2hr 50 from Wanaka | 36km return 7/8 hours one way

The Copland valley is stunning, just allow yourself enough time for this one. Maybe it was just us, but we found it pretty intense. Basically, if you can, allow an extra day to chill at the hut, enjoy the natural thermal pools and soak up the scenery then do. We did it in our 2 days off from work, but with only having the one night to spend out there it was just too much in a short space of time. You will need to book your space in the hut, you have two options between the main hut and if you book up early and are hiking in a group of 4 there’s also a private room. Check the DOC updates before attempting this track as after heavy rainfall it is often closed due to the start/end of the track requiring you to cross the Rough Creek on foot.

Haast Pass to Wanaka

The Haast Pass, formally known as State Highway 6, runs through Mount Aspiring National Park connecting the West Coast of New Zealand’s south island to the town of Wanaka, it is also the lowest of the passes to traverse the southern alps. As I said at the beginning of this post make sure to fill up with fuel before leaving Fox Glacier as the next fuel station is 120km away in Haast. All of these stops you will find along the Haast Pass and they all make for epic little stop offs on the 3-3.5 hour drive.

Knights Point Lookout
1 hr 15 mins from Fox Glacier | 2 hours from Wanaka

Want to take in the view over the Tasman Sea as it snakes along the west coast? Knights Point is the perfect spot. There are some awesome rock formations to admire and you might even spot a seal or two. There is parking with picnic benches and toilets too if you want to stay a little longer.

Ship Creek Walks
1 hour 25 mins from Fox Glacier | 1 hr 50 from Wanaka

After stopping at Knights Point you will quickly come to Ship Creek Walks, you will spot the green and yellow DOC signs for the Kahikatea Swamp Forest Walk and the Dune Lake Walk. Allow for approximately 30 minutes the tracks are around 1km and will allow you to take in the beauty of the wild west coast.

Thunder Creek Falls
2 hours from Fox Glacier | 1 hour 10 from Wanaka

Roadside waterfalls aplenty on the Haast Pass. You will first catch a glimpse of this stunning 28-meter (92 feet) high waterfall from the highway. Park up safely, which by now you will probably know in NZ can be sketchy, but there are spots to pull in. It only takes 5 minutes to reach the viewpoint and stairs down to the Haast River so this is a really quick stop. You probably won’t want to stay long as the sandflies will likely be out in full force.

Brewster Hut
2 hr 10 from Fox Glacier | 1 hr 5 from Wanaka

We intended to do this hike on 2 separate occasions but unfortunately for us, the Haast River was too high for crossing but we will do it for sure when we get the chance to head back to NZ. Nevertheless, Alice over at Alice Adventuring has all the details for you so check out her post for all you need to know about ‘Brewster Hut, aka the world’s most amazing sunsets’.

Fantail Falls
2 hr 15 from Fox Glacier | 1 hr from Wanaka

This little waterfall hidden off the main road just up from Thunder Creek Falls is a right gem. It isn’t as high as Thunder Creek but it is beautiful all the same, with crystal-clear water cascading down the rocks into the Haast River, if you don’t mind getting your feet wet you can also paddle through the river to get closer to the base of the waterfall (only recommended on a warm summer’s day).

Blue Pools
2 hr 30 from Fox Glacier | 45 mins from Wanaka

Last but by no means least, (or if you flip this list in reverse first stop of the day), you have the Blue Pools track. The Blue Pools are actually part of the Makarora River that runs through the Mt Aspiring National Park. You can’t miss the signs for the pools as you drive along the pass. There is parking with lots of space for cars and campervans – like anywhere in New Zealand parking will get busy in the summer time so go early if you can. The track down to the Blue Pools is an out and back 3.2km / 2 mile walk, it is flat, well maintained with a couple of suspension bridges for good measure. You will need at least an hour to walk there and back again and this is without taking any photos or braving a dip – note, the water is freezing year round.

And there you have it, Westport & Karamea to the Haast Pass and the Blue Pools. As you leave the Blue Pools you will find yourself in Makarora before heading onwards to Lake Hawea and Wanaka – the drive is just as beautiful!

Enjoy! I hope you love the west coast of New Zealand just as much as we did, it’s pretty special. Any questions, drop me a DM on Instagram or feel free to send me an email if that works for you.

More New Zealand guides:

• Milford Sound Scenic Flight from Queenstown with Glenorchy Air
• Where to See The Lupins – South Island, New Zealand
• The Best Wineries in Queenstown & Wanaka

Thanks for reading x