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New Zealand

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West Coast

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Hokitika is renowned for its range of crafts and artefacts made of local jade or greenstone. While Karamea is the gate way to the famous Heaphy Track which is located in the Kahurangi National Park.

Would you like to take a plunge in some hot pools and relax. Then stop off at Maruia Springs as you drive through the Lewis Pass. Alternatively visit Reefton and visit one of New Zealand's largest conservation park, Victoria Conservation Park.

The Buller River winds its way down to the West Coast and ends it journey at Westport. One of the main attractions here are the seal lions.

Accommodation

Looking for family-friendly accommodation? Check out accommodation in Westport here

About the area

Hokitika

The gold rush town of Hokitika lies on an exposed stretch of coast and is renowned for its range of crafts and artefacts made of local jade or greenstone. Each year, in March, the town hosts the unusual Wild Foods Festival. 

Karamea 

Karamea is a small dairy town some 100km north of Westport. Its national park, Kahurangi National Park, is home of the famous Heaphy Track. The landscape has impressive limestone caves and arches. There are four short walks in the Oparara Basin; Oparara Arch, Moria Gate Arch, Mirror Tarn and Crazy Paving and Box Canyon Caves.

Oparara Arch is a 45-minute return trip and is graded easy; the arch, which is 43 metres high and 219 metres long, is one of the largest in Australasia. However, as there are steps and mossy creeks along this path, it is not suitable for pushchairs. A one-hour return trip takes you to Moria Gate Arch, which spans the river for 43 metres, and is 19 metres high. Mirror Tarn is a 20-minute return trip and the Tarn provides wonderful reflections if the weather permits. Don't forget to bring your camera. The caves are only a ten-minute walk. Care should be taken when entering the Box Canyon Cave as the path descends down some steep steps to the cave floor. In this cave, look up at the ceiling and see if you can find fossils embedded in it. You will need good footwear and a torch.

Public access to the Honeycomb Hill Specially Protected Area is restricted to Department of Conservation (DOC)-approved guided tours only. To get to the Honeycomb Hill Caves, you will have to walk through virgin beech and podocarp forest. The bush is alive with birdlife including the great spotted kiwi, blue duck, kaka, New Zealand falcon, weka, kea, pigeon, robin, fantail, parakeet, paradise duck, and tomtit, just to name a few. The area is also the home of the short-tailed bat and the large carnivorous land snail. Please do not take these snails or their empty shells out of the bush as both are protected in New Zealand.

If your family loves mountain biking then K-Road in the Oparara Valley is the place for you. It is recommended that you do not take large motor homes or buses on McCallum's Mill Road - a narrow and winding gravel road. The old logging roads have now been made available to ride on and the track was officially opened in 2003 by Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark. The return trip is approximately 27km and is graded easy to medium. You will need to contact the Karamea Information and Resource Centre for track information, email: info@karameainfo.co.nz or phone 03 782 6652.

Another track in the Karamea region is the Fenian Track which is located along the Oparara River and includes the Tunnel and Miners’ Caves. A return trip takes approximately five hours. The grade of the track is easy to medium though families should take care when entering the caves. Helmet, torches and strong footwear is recommended.

Karamea Information and Resource Centre, Bridge Street, Karamea

Phone +64 3 782 6652 www.karameainfo.co.nz

For information about mountain-bike tracks in the area.

Westport 

The Buller River meets the sea at Westport, a coastal town established in coal-mining times. The fur seals, which come ashore to breed at Cape Foulwind, are one of the attractions near here.

For those who would like to visit a seal colony then head off to Tauranga Bay. Its a short walk to view the seals, however please keep at least five metres from the seals and don't come between them and the water.

Norwest Adventures, Charleston Hotel, State Highway 6

Freephone 0800 116 686 or +64 3 788 8168 www.caverafting.com

Maruia Springs

Maruia Springs Thermal Resort, Lewis Pass, State Highway 7, Maruia Springs.

Phone +64 3 523 8840 www.maruiasprings.co.nz

Blackball

Twenty-five minutes inland from Greymouth is the small village of Blackball. Like most of the towns on the West Coast, Blackball was, at first, a base for those seeking gold. However, in 1893, the community became established with the opening of the coal mine, although coal mining in this region proved to be anything but easy sailing. 

Although now famous more for its salami and hotel than its militant coal miners’ union, a visit to this town is an interesting outing.  And what about that coal miners’ union? It was best known for its 1903 Crib Time strike, which lasted three months. If you think we have it bad in our work places today, imagine striking  —  against the law in 1903  —  to increase your lunch hour from 15 minutes to 30 minutes! By the way, the workers were awarded 80 minutes by the judge! Mining ceased in the area in 1964, as it was no longer financially viable. 

Punakaiki

Punakaiki is 45km north of Greymouth and is the home of the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes and Paparoa National Park which covers about 30,000 hectares of land from native rainforest to mountain tops and rugged coastline. Take a walk out to Dolomite Point and watch the blowholes. Remember to take special care with children while visiting the rocks.
Make sure you have a full tank of petrol, as Punakaiki does not have a refuelling station. The Pancake Rocks were formed from limestone some 30 million years ago. These were then overlaid with layers of mud and clay. Finally, over time, due to earthquakes and the pounding of the sea, the rocks have emerged in their present-day form. Accommodation in Punakaiki Looking for family-friendly accommodation in Punakaiki? Click here to find accommodation for your family.

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